The 2024 Eastern Illinois Panthers football team represented Eastern Illinois University as a member of the Big South–OVC Football Association during the 2024 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Panthers were led by third-year head coach Chris Wilkerson and played their home games at O'Brien Field located in Charleston, Illinois. They finished the season 3–9, 2–6 in Big South–OVC play to finish in eighth place.
2024 Eastern Illinois Panthers football | |
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Conference | Big South–OVC |
Record | 3–9 (2–6 Big South–OVC) |
Head coach |
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Offensive coordinator | Kyle Derickson (1st season) |
Defensive coordinator | Collin Geier (1st season) |
Home stadium | O'Brien Field |
Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 16 Southeast Missouri State +^ | 6 | – | 2 | 9 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tennessee Tech + | 6 | – | 2 | 7 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 23 UT Martin +^ | 6 | – | 2 | 9 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 21 Tennessee State +^ | 6 | – | 2 | 9 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lindenwood* | 4 | – | 4 | 5 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Western Illinois | 3 | – | 5 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Gardner–Webb | 3 | – | 5 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Eastern Illinois | 2 | – | 6 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Charleston Southern | 0 | – | 8 | 1 | – | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Preseason
editPreseason poll
editThe Big South-OVC Conference released their preseason poll on July 17, 2024. The Panthers were picked to finish second in the conference.[1]
Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
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1 | UT Martin | 61 (5) |
2 | Eastern Illinois | 53 (2) |
3 | Southeast Missouri State | 51 (2) |
4 | Tennessee State | 41 |
5 | Gardner-Webb | 40 |
6 | Charleston Southern | 27 |
7 | Tennessee Tech | 24 |
8 | Lindenwood | 18 |
9 | Western Illinois | 9 |
Schedule
editDate | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
August 29 | 8:00 p.m. | at Illinois* | BTN | L 0–45 | 43,849 | |
September 7 | 6:00 p.m. | Indiana State* | ESPN+ | W 27–20 | 7,222 | |
September 14 | 6:30 p.m. | at Northwestern* | BTN | L 7–31 | 10,631 | |
September 21 | 6:00 p.m. | at No. 17 Illinois State* | ESPN+ | L 7–31 | 9,012 | |
September 28 | 2:00 p.m. | Lindenwood |
| ESPN+ | L 25–28 | 3,890 |
October 5 | 2:00 p.m. | No. 13 Southeast Missouri State |
| ESPN+ | L 27–38 | 7,777 |
October 12 | 5:00 p.m. | at Tennessee State | ESPN+ | L 17–41 | 7,875 | |
October 26 | 2:00 p.m. | at UT Martin | ESPN+ | L 17–52 | 4,109 | |
November 2 | 2:00 p.m. | Western Illinois |
| ESPN+ | W 45–38 | 5,369 |
November 9 | 12:30 p.m. | at Gardner–Webb | ESPN+ | L 28–31 | 2,451 | |
November 16 | 12:00 p.m. | Charleston Southern |
| ESPN+ | W 16–13 OT | 1,895 |
November 23 | 12:00 p.m. | at Tennessee Tech | ESPN+ | L 6–23 | 6,790 | |
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Game summaries
editat Illinois (FBS)
editQuarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Panthers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fighting Illini (FBS) | 14 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 45 |
at Memorial Stadium • Champaign, IL
- Date: Thursday August 29, 2024
- Game time: 9:00 p.m.
- Game weather: Sunny, 82 °F (28 °C)
- Game attendance: 43,849
- Referee: Ron Snodgrass
- TV announcers (BTN): Mark Followill (play-by-play), Jeremy Leman (analyst), and Kylen Mills (sideline)
Game information |
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Statistics | EIU | ILL |
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First downs | 9 | 27 |
Total yards | 196 | 488 |
Rushing yards | 49 | 246 |
Passing yards | 147 | 242 |
Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 16-32-2 | 21-29-0 |
Time of possession | 23:59 | 36:01 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
Eastern Illinois | Passing | Pierce Holley | 16-32, 147 yards, 2 INT |
Rushing | MJ Flowers | 9 carries, 28 yards | |
Receiving | DiAirious Smith | 5 receptions, 63 yards | |
Illinois | Passing | Luke Altmyer | 19-24, 213 yards, 4 TD |
Rushing | Kaden Feagin | 16 carries, 108 yards, 1 TD | |
Receiving | Pat Bryant | 5 receptions, 63 yards, 2 TD |
Indiana State
editQuarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sycamores | 0 | 13 | 0 | 7 | 20 |
Panthers | 7 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 27 |
at O'Brien Field, Charleston, IL
- Date: Saturday September 7, 2024
- Game time: 6:00 PM
- Game weather: Sunny, 65 °F (18 °C)
- Game attendance: 7,222
- Referee: Gabriel Tomlin
- TV announcers (ESPN+): TBD
Game information |
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Statistics | INST | EIU |
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First downs | 20 | 16 |
Total yards | 334 | 354 |
Rushing yards | 74 | 86 |
Passing yards | 260 | 268 |
Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 30–37–3 | 19–32–1 |
Time of possession | 31:15 | 28:41 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
Indiana State | Passing | Elijah Owens | 30/37, 260 yards, 3 TD, 3 INT |
Rushing | Elijah Owens | 12 carries, 44 yards | |
Receiving | Rashad Rochelle | 4 receptions, 45 yards, 1 TD | |
Eastern Illinois | Passing | Pierce Holley | 19/32, 268 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT |
Rushing | MJ Flowers | 24 carries, 93 yards, 1 TD | |
Receiving | Terrance Gipson | 6 receptions, 100 yards |
at Northwestern (FBS)
editQuarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Panthers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
Wildcats (FBS) | 7 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 31 |
at Martin Stadium • Evanston, IL
- Date: September 14, 2024
- Game time: 6:30 p.m.
- Game weather: Sunny
- Game attendance: 10,631
- Referee: Gregory Blum
- TV announcers (BTN): Jason Ross Jr. (play-by-play) and Matt Millen (analyst)
Game information |
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Statistics | EIU | NW |
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First downs | 13 | 22 |
Total yards | 207 | 450 |
Rushing yards | 40 | 203 |
Passing yards | 167 | 247 |
Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 17–31–1 | 21–32–0 |
Time of possession | 24:28 | 35:32 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
Eastern Illinois | Passing | Pierce Holley | 17/31, 167 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT |
Rushing | Jay Pearson | 8 carries, 29 yards | |
Receiving | Cooper Willman | 6 receptions, 66 yards | |
Northwestern | Passing | Jack Lausch | 20/31, 227 yards, 2 TD |
Rushing | Cam Porter | 15 carries, 77 yards, 1 TD | |
Receiving | A.J. Henning | 7 receptions, 117 yards, 1 TD |
at No. 17 Illinois State (Mid-America Classic)
editQuarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Panthers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
No. 17 Redbirds | 14 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 31 |
at Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL
- Date: September 21, 2024
- Game time: 6:00 p.m.
- Game weather: Cloudy, 83 °F (28 °C)
- Game attendance: 9,012
- Referee: Greg Gompf
- TV announcers (ESPN+): TBD
Game information |
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Statistics | EIU | ILST |
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First downs | 9 | 28 |
Total yards | 192 | 518 |
Rushing yards | 105 | 253 |
Passing yards | 87 | 265 |
Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 12–22–2 | 22–28–1 |
Time of possession | 24:03 | 35:57 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
Eastern Illinois | Passing | Pierce Holley | 10/19, 72 yards, 2 INT |
Rushing | MJ Flowers | 19 carries, 117 yards, 1 TD | |
Receiving | Eli Mirza | 2 receptions, 19 yards | |
Illinois State | Passing | Tommy Rittenhouse | 17/22, 228 yards, 3 TD |
Rushing | Wenkers Wright | 25 carries, 150 yards, 1 TD | |
Receiving | Daniel Sobkowicz | 7 receptions, 93 yards, 2 TD |
Lindenwood
editQuarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Lions | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14 | 28 |
Panthers | 14 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 25 |
at O'Brien Field • Charleston, IL
- Date: Saturday September 28, 2024
- Game time: 2:00 PM
- Game weather: Cloudy, 73 °F (23 °C)
- Game attendance: 3,890
- Referee: Branden McCain
- TV announcers (ESPN+): TBD
Game information |
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Statistics | LIN | EIU |
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First downs | 20 | 25 |
Total yards | 453 | 458 |
Rushing yards | 170 | 132 |
Passing yards | 283 | 326 |
Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 14–19–1 | 26–44–0 |
Time of possession | 29:22 | 30:38 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
Lindenwood | Passing | Nate Glantz | 14/19, 283 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT |
Rushing | Cortezz Jones | 20 carries, 104 yards | |
Receiving | Jeff Caldwell | 4 receptions, 115 yards, 4 TD | |
Eastern Illinois | Passing | Pierce Holley | 26/43, 326 yards, 2 TD |
Rushing | MJ Flowers | 28 carries, 123 yards | |
Receiving | Terrance Gipson | 9 receptions, 93 yards |
No. 13 Southeast Missouri State
editQuarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 13 Redhawks | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
Panthers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 13 | 27 |
at O'Brien Field, Charleston, IL
- Date: Saturday October 5, 2024
- Game time: 2:00 PM
- Game weather: Sunny, 83 °F (28 °C)
- Game attendance: 7,777
- Referee: Drew Myers
- TV announcers (ESPN+): TBD
Game information |
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Statistics | SEMO | EIU |
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First downs | 26 | 19 |
Total yards | 426 | 385 |
Rushing yards | 61 | 19 |
Passing yards | 364 | 366 |
Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 30–43–1 | 27–42–0 |
Time of possession | 34:02 | 25:58 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
Southeast Missouri State | Passing | Paxton DeLaurent | 30/43, 364 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT |
Rushing | Darrell Smith | 18 carries, 63 yards | |
Receiving | Tristan Smith | 8 receptions, 124 yards, 1 TD | |
Eastern Illinois | Passing | Pierce Holley | 27/42, 366 yards, 2 TD |
Rushing | MJ Flowers | 14 carries, 48 yards, 2 TD | |
Receiving | MJ Flowers | 11 receptions, 72 yards |
at Tennessee State
editQuarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Panthers | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
Tigers | 0 | 20 | 14 | 7 | 41 |
at Nissan Stadium • Nashville, TN
- Date: Saturday October 12, 2024
- Game time: 5:00 p.m.
- Game weather: Sunny
- Game attendance: 10,715
- Referee: Michael Lennie
- TV: ESPN+
Game information |
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Statistics | EIU | TNST |
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First downs | 23 | 20 |
Total yards | 435 | 365 |
Rushing yards | 75 | 128 |
Passing yards | 360 | 237 |
Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 30–51–1 | 21–33–0 |
Time of possession | 31:54 | 28:06 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
Eastern Illinois | Passing | Pierce Holley | 28/46, 338 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT |
Rushing | MJ Flowers | 21 carries, 57 yards, 1 TD | |
Receiving | Cooper Willman | 8 receptions, 141 yards | |
Tennessee State | Passing | Draylen Ellis | 20/32, 224 yards, 4 TD |
Rushing | Jaden McGill | 9 carries, 47 yards | |
Receiving | Karate Brenson | 6 receptions, 121 yards, 1 TD |
at UT Martin
editPregame line | Over/under |
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UT Martin –17 | 54.5 |
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Panthers | 7 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
Skyhawks | 7 | 14 | 10 | 21 | 52 |
at Graham Stadium • Martin, TN
- Date: Saturday October 26, 2024
- Game time: 2:00 p.m.
- Game weather: Cloudy, 67 °F (19 °C)
- Game attendance: 4,109
- Referee: Gabe Tomlin
- TV: ESPN+
Game information |
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Statistics | EIU | UTM |
---|---|---|
First downs | 23 | 20 |
Total yards | 396 | 460 |
Rushing yards | 48 | 212 |
Passing yards | 348 | 248 |
Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 36–54–3 | 16–23–0 |
Time of possession | 32:16 | 27:44 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
Eastern Illinois | Passing | Pierce Holley | 36/54, 348 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT |
Rushing | MJ Flowers | 14 carries, 49 yards | |
Receiving | Cooper Willman | 11 receptions, 143 yards, TD | |
UT Martin | Passing | Kinkead Dent | 16/22, 248 yards, 3 TD |
Rushing | Patrick Smith | 13 carries, 87 yards, 2 TD | |
Receiving | Max Dowling | 3 receptions, 70 yards, 2 TD |
Western Illinois
editQuarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Leathernecks | 0 | 17 | 7 | 14 | 38 |
Panthers | 7 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 45 |
at O'Brien Field • Charleston, IL
- Date: Saturday November 2, 2024
- Game time: 2:00 p.m.
- Game weather: Sunny, 61 °F (16 °C)
- Game attendance: 5,369
- Referee: Michael Lennie
- TV announcers (ESPN+): TBD
Game information |
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|
Statistics | WIU | EIU |
---|---|---|
First downs | 24 | 22 |
Total yards | 395 | 534 |
Rushing yards | 86 | 196 |
Passing yards | 309 | 338 |
Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 29–43–0 | 19–27–0 |
Time of possession | 30:30 | 29:30 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
Western Illinois | Passing | Nathan Lamb | 29/43, 309 yards, 3 TD |
Rushing | Cameren Smith | 17 carries, 66 yards, 1 TD | |
Receiving | Elijah Aragon | 9 receptions, 83 yards, 1 TD | |
Eastern Illinois | Passing | Pierce Holley | 19/27, 338 yards, 5 TD |
Rushing | MJ Flowers | 27 carries, 194 yards, 1 TD | |
Receiving | Alex Ginnever | 6 receptions, 100 yards, 2 TD |
at Gardner–Webb
editQuarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Panthers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 28 |
Runnin' Bulldogs | 10 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 31 |
at Ernest W. Spangler Stadium • Boiling Springs, NC
- Date: Saturday November 9, 2024
- Game time: 12:30 p.m.
- Game weather: Sunny, 67 °F (19 °C)
- Game attendance: 2,451
- Referee: Brad Carrell
- TV announcers (ESPN+): TBD
Game information |
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Statistics | EIU | GWEB |
---|---|---|
First downs | 21 | 25 |
Total yards | 465 | 464 |
Rushing yards | 7 | 127 |
Passing yards | 458 | 337 |
Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 20–36–1 | 26–34–0 |
Time of possession | 27:46 | 32:14 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
Eastern Illinois | Passing | Pierce Holley | 20/36, 458 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT |
Rushing | MJ Flowers | 15 carries, 45 yards | |
Receiving | Cooper Willman | 11 receptions, 291 yards, 3 TD | |
Gardner–Webb | Passing | Tyler Ridell | 26/34, 337 yards, 1 TD |
Rushing | Carson Gresock | 9 carries, 50 yards, 2 TD | |
Receiving | Taylor Shields | 3 receptions, 86 yards |
Charleston Southern
editQuarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Buccaneers | 0 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 13 |
Panthers | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 16 |
at O'Brien Field • Charleston, IL
- Date: Saturday November 16, 2024
- Game time: 12:00 p.m.
- Game weather: Sunny, 50 °F (10 °C)
- Game attendance: 1,895
- Referee: Zach Erdmann
- TV announcers (ESPN+): TBD
Game information |
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No scoring plays
No scoring plays
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Statistics | CHSO | EIU |
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First downs | 11 | 17 |
Total yards | 201 | 232 |
Rushing yards | 125 | 64 |
Passing yards | 76 | 168 |
Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 10–19–0 | 17–26–2 |
Time of possession | 27:05 | 27:34 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
Charleston Southern | Passing | Rob McCoy Jr. | 7/13, 52 yards |
Rushing | Autavius Ison | 12 carries, 42 yards | |
Receiving | Chris Rhone | 1 reception, 18 yards | |
Eastern Illinois | Passing | Pierce Holley | 17/23, 168 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT |
Rushing | MJ Flowers | 22 carries, 73 yards, 1 TD | |
Receiving | Quenton Rogers | 5 receptions, 66 yards |
at Tennessee Tech
editQuarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Panthers | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Golden Eagles | 3 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 23 |
at Tucker Stadium • Cookeville, TN
- Date: Saturday November 23, 2024
- Game time: 12:00 p.m.
- Game weather: Sunny, 49 °F (9 °C)
- Game attendance: 6,790
- Referee: Gabriel Tomlin
- TV announcers (ESPN+): TBD
Game information |
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Statistics | EIU | TNTC |
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First downs | 18 | 17 |
Total yards | 241 | 328 |
Rushing yards | 80 | 200 |
Passing yards | 161 | 128 |
Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 18–28–1 | 11–20–0 |
Time of possession | 30:23 | 29:37 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
Eastern Illinois | Passing | Pierce Holley | 14/20, 129 yards |
Rushing | Jay Pearson | 11 carries, 69 yards, 1 TD | |
Receiving | Cooper Willman | 9 receptions, 86 yards | |
Tennessee Tech | Passing | Dylan Laible | 9/16, 88 yards |
Rushing | Jalen Mitchell | 20 carries, 131 yards | |
Receiving | Torin Baker | 3 receptions, 49 yards |
References
edit- ^ "UT Martin Voted 2024 Preseason Big South-OVC Football Association Favorite". www.bigsouthovcfootball.com. July 17, 2024. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
- ^ "2024 Eastern Illinois Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
- ^ "Eastern Illinois Panthers Schedule 2024". ESPN. Retrieved April 8, 2024.