Coming off of a bye week, the Skyhawks will look to extend their current three game win streak to four against the Eastern Illinois Panthers 1-6 (0-3 in conference) on Saturday, Oct. 26, at 2 p.m.
The Panthers, coached by alumni Chris Wilkerson, come off of a bye week looking to put an end to a five-game losing streak of their own and get their first conference win of the season.
The Panthers currently operate as the second-best passing offense in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC), behind Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO), averaging 249.1 yards per game this season, led by senior signal caller Pierce Holley. The second-year transfer from Georgetown has been volatile so far for the Panthers, with an even seven touchdowns and seven interceptions to go along with his 240.6 passing yards per game. This comes on 36.3 attempts per game (second in OVC).
However, in his past three games against OVC opponents, Holley has fared much better, throwing for 343 yards per game, five touchdowns and an interception in conference games. The Panthers have leaned much more heavily on the passing game this season, averaging 36.3 passing attempts per game (second in OVC) to only 26.4 rushes per game (last in OVC).
Holley, in his second year as a Panther after transferring from Georgetown, seems to have no favorites when it comes to distributing the ball so far. Through seven games the Panthers have yet to have the same leading receiver in consecutive games.
Part of this comes from an injury bug that has latched onto the Panthers this year with starting pass catchers Anthony Manaves, Eli Mirza (first team all OVC in 2023) and Terrance Gipson all going down with injuries in a recent game against SEMO. All three players also missed the Panthers’ most recent game against Tennessee State University (TSU).
Playmakers who did play against TSU include senior WR Cooper Willman and freshman WR Quenton Rogers. Willman leads the team with 400 yards receiving and three touchdowns on 30 catches this season, while Rogers has played just the last two games, accumulating 142 yards and a touchdown in just six catches. After a 103 yard game against TSU, Rogers was awarded OVC Freshman of the Week.
On the ground, the Panthers have a workhorse in sophomore RB MJ Flowers. Flowers is a well-built shifty back that can hurt you on the ground and through the air for the Panthers, having racked up 483 yards (fourth in OVC) and five touchdowns (third in OVC) so far this season on 122 carries. Flowers also gets his fair share in the passing game, with 24 catches for 166 yards and a touchdown. His 667 total yards is third in the OVC. A majority of his receiving stats come from his game against SEMO where Flowers led the team with 72 yards on 11 catches against the Redhawks. Those 11 catches are the most ever by a Panther running back in a single game!
On the defensive side of the football, the Panthers are led by seniors Anthony Shockey and Nicholas Oliveira-Chace. LB Shockey leads the OVC in solo tackles with 38 and comes in second with 57 total tackles. Oliveira-Chace leads the Panthers in sacks with 4.5 (second in OVC) to go along with 23 tackles so far this season.
Another contributor to the Panther defense is junior DB NiJhay Burt. Burt is second on the team in solo tackles with 36 while being tied with Skyhawk Chris Hunter Jr. for the OVC lead in interceptions with three and a forced fumble to boot.
Burt can sway games into the Panthers’ favor with his ability to create turnovers. His biggest game of the season came the Panthers’ one win this season where Burt came down with two interceptions to get the win against the Sycamores.
The Panthers come into Martin with the second worst defense in the OVC. Despite impressive stats for individual players, the Panthers can’t seem to get off the field in crucial moments, allowing for long scoring drives with their third down defense also being second worst in the conference.
The biggest disparity between the two teams has been the time of possession. The Skyhawks currently rank first in the OVC with 32 minutes per game while the Panthers rank dead last with 27 minutes per game. This is crucial for Saturday’s matchup because the Skyhawks can stick to their game plan of keeping the ball and sustaining long gritty scoring drives so that their opponent doesn’t get the chance to do the same.
The Skyhawks and the Panthers have met 29 times since 1995 with a 14-15 split with the Panthers favor in those games. However, the Skyhawks are currently on a five-game series winning streak and have not lost at home to the Panthers since 2015. These teams are two of the most successful programs in the OVC in recent years with four championships each since 2006.
The Skyhawks’ ability to take care of business against an injured Panther squad is crucial to their pursuit of another OVC title run this year as the Skyhawks currently sit at third in the OVC standings and are ranked just outside the top 25 national rankings.
The Skyhawks will look to even the series against the Panthers this Saturday at 2 p.m. when Eastern Illinois comes to Hardy M. Graham Stadium.
