The 2000 Eastern Illinois Panthers football team represented Eastern Illinois University as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) during the 2000 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by 14th-year head coach Bob Spoo, the Panthers compiled an overall record of 8–4, finishing second in OVC with a conference mark of 6–1. Eastern Illinois was invited to the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship playoffs, where they lost in the first round to Montana. The Bobcats were ranked 17th in the final Sports Network poll. Their starting quarterback, Tony Romo, went on to play 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL).
2000 Eastern Illinois Panthers football | |
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NCAA Division I-AA First Round, L 13–45 at Montana | |
Conference | Ohio Valley Conference |
Ranking | |
Sports Network | No. 17 |
Record | 8–4 (6–1 OVC) |
Head coach |
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Offensive coordinator | Roy Wittke (11th season) |
Defensive coordinator | Kim Dameron (1st season) |
Home stadium | O'Brien Stadium |
Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 5 Western Kentucky $^ | 7 | – | 0 | 11 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 17 Eastern Illinois ^ | 6 | – | 1 | 8 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 22 Tennessee Tech | 5 | – | 2 | 8 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Murray State | 4 | – | 3 | 6 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Eastern Kentucky | 3 | – | 4 | 6 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tennessee State | 2 | – | 5 | 3 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Southeast Missouri State | 1 | – | 6 | 3 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tennessee–Martin | 0 | – | 7 | 2 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Schedule
editDate | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Source |
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August 31 | at Indiana State* | W 42–24 | [1] | ||||
September 9 | Kentucky Wesleyan* | W 72–0 | [2] | ||||
September 16 | at Toledo* | L 26–31 | [3] | ||||
September 23 | at Tennessee–Martin | W 42–7 | [4] | ||||
October 7 | Tennessee State |
| W 33–19 | [5] | |||
October 14 | Murray State |
| W 48–7 | [6] | |||
October 21 | at Tennessee Tech | No. 24 | W 27–16 | [7] | |||
October 28 | at No. 9 Western Kentucky | No. 19 | L 12–34 | 11,300 | |||
November 4 | Southeast Missouri State | No. 21 |
| W 38–9 | |||
November 11 | at Illinois State* | No. 20 | L 41–44 2OT | 8,540 | [8] | ||
November 18 | Eastern Kentucky | No. 22 |
| W 49–6 | |||
November 25 | at No. 1 Montana* | No. 17 | MTN | L 13–45 | 16,212 | ||
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References
edit- ^ "Panthers down Indiana State". The Daily Journal. September 1, 2000 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Wesleyan hammered by Eastern Illinois". Messenger-Inquirer. September 10, 2000 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Nielson, Brian (September 18, 2000). "Despite loss, Panthers gain a lot of respect". Journal Gazette – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "E. Illinois 42, Tenn.-Martin 7". Quad-City Times. September 24, 2000 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Kelly, Jeff (October 9, 2000). "Residents come out for festivities despite cold". Journal Gazette – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Panthers' Romo earns OVC player on Racers". The Paducah Sun. October 16, 2000 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Eastern Illinois 27, Tennessee Tech 16". The Courier-Journal. October 22, 2000 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Redbirds recover for 2 OT victory". The Rock Island Argus. Associated Press. November 12, 2000. p. C2. Retrieved January 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "EIU Football Online Guide, 2019" (PDF). Eastern Illinois athletics. Retrieved February 12, 2020.