Illini, Panthers Drop Football Losses

True freshman running back Josh McCray led the Illini offense, rushing for 60 yards and his first-career touchdown.

McCray, Chase Brown and Reggie Love III all stepped up for the Illini offense on Friday night. McCray had a career night in just his fourth collegiate game, scoring his first-career touchdown on a season-long 38-yard run. The true freshman averaged 7.5 yards per carry to lead the Illini backfield.

Brown added a team-leading 57 yards after making his second consecutive start of the season. Both Brown and McCray added strength in the passing game as they recorded 54 and 40 receiving yards, respectively.

Then early in the fourth quarter, Love rushed the ball for 25 yards to the Maryland 38-yard line before fumbling. Instead of turning the ball over, Illini wide receivier Casey Washington scooped the ball up and ran it in for a touchdown.

In his first start of the 2021 season, redshirt sophomore Seth Coleman stepped up big time for the Illini defense. With Maryland deep in their own territory, Coleman ripped the ball from the Terrapins, forcing and recovering a fumble.

On the following Maryland drive, Coleman tipped a pass near the goal line and the Terrapins were forced to punt two plays later. In addition to his six tackles (three solo), Coleman had one tackle for loss and a pass breakup.

Friday night also marked Coleman's first-career start at outside linebacker after starting four games at defensive end in 2020.

Team Notes

The Fighting Illini fall to 1-3 to start the season and move to 1-1 in Big Ten play.

Friday's loss moves the Illini to 0-2 in the series vs. Maryland.

The Illini defense held Maryland out of the end zone in the first half Friday night. The Terrapins entered the game averaging 46.0 points per game overall, and had averaged 29.0 points per game in the first half of each of their first two games.

The Terrapins entered Week 3 13th in the country in scoring, but were held to a season-low 20 points by the Illini defense.  

The Illinois defense forced Maryland's first turnover of the season in the third quarter, halting a Terrapins drive that had covered 66 yards in seven plays by forcing a fumble at the Illini 7-yard line.

The illini offense out-rushed the Maryland ground attack, 150-131 on Friday night with four different Illinois players recording at least 30 yards on the ground.

Individual Notes

Senior OL duo of Vederian Lowe and Alex Palczewski each made their 44th career starts (38th consecutive for Lowe) on Friday. They are now tied for 13th on the Illini career starts list, one starts away from the top 10 and four away from tying the Illinois record of 48.

Senior QB Brandon Peters returned to the starting lineup for the Illini after missing the two previous games (vs. UTSA and at Virginia) following an injury suffered in the second quarter of the season-opening victory over Nebraska. Peters finished the game 10-for-26 passing for 185 yards.

Senior LB Jake Hansen recorded his first sack of the season on Friday night. Hansen finished with a game-high 12 total tackles (11 solo).            

Junior DB Jartavius Martin caused the first turnover of the season for the Maryland offense when he forced Terps running back Tayon Fleet-Davis to fumble at the Illini 7-yard line. It was the first forced fumble of the year for Martin (second career). Martin also finished with double-digit tackles, tallying 10 total tackles (7 solo).

Junior DB Kerby Joseph recovered the Maryland fumble by Tayon Fleet-Davis, the first fumble recovery of his collegiate career.

Maryland lost their second fumble of the third quarter on their next offensive possession when redshirt freshman LB Seth Coleman ripped the ball away from Maryland RB Peny Boone. It mark the first forced fumble and fumble recovery of Coleman's Illini career.

True freshman RB Josh McCray's 38-yard touchdown run in the third quarter tied the game at 10. It was both McCray's first-career TD and the longest carry of his career. He is the first true freshman RB to score a touchdown for Illinois since Ra'Von Bonner (at Minnesota, 10/21/2017). McCray finished the game as the Illini's leading rusher with a career-best 60 yards on the ground.           

Sophomore WR Casey Washington was credited with 30 rushing yards and his first-career rushing touchdown, for his recovery and score on the Reggie Love fumble to give the Illini a 17-10 lead at the 14:13 mark of the fourth quarter.

Sophomore RB Chase Brown went for more than 100 yards of total offense on Friday night, recording 57 yards on 14 carries on the ground, and adding two catches while leading the team with a career-most 54 receiving yards. 

Illinois State 31, EIU 24

CHARLESTON, Ill. – A blocked punt with a scoop and score.  Pick six.  Late game scores. The 109th Mid-America Classic had it all as Illinois State edged Eastern Illinois 31-24 during an exciting game at O’Brien Field.

The win was the fourth straight in the series for Illinois State as Redbirds head coach Brock Spack became the program’s all-time leader in wins.

EIU fought to the final play of the game as the Panthers had two big special teams plays in the game.  

Illinois State took the final lead of the game as Pha’leak Brown scored on a 3-yard run with 1:54 remaining in the game to give ISU a 31-24 lead.

After EIU turned the ball over on downs, the Panthers defense was able to hold ISU to a field goal attempt with 34 seconds remaining which would have iced the game for the Redbirds.

Justin Growel blocked the 32-yard field goal attempt, recovering the loose ball himself and returning it ten yards to give EIU the ball one last time with 34 seconds remaining.   The Panthers were unable to move the ball as back-up quarterback Zach Weir was forced into action as starter Otto Kuhns was banged up on the previous series.  Kuhns was 16-of-32 for 204 yards and a touchdown in the game while rushing for another 43 yards.

Growel’s block was the second of the game for the Panthers special teams unit as EIU tied the game at 17-17 with 6:46 left in the third quarter as Charles Shelton IV blocked a punt that DeAirious Smith recovered and returned seven yards for a touchdown.  It was EIU’s third blocked punt in the last two seasons.

Jackson Waring scored on an 8-yard run on the next drive to put ISU back in front before Harrison Bey-Buie tied the game with a 2-yard scamper with 13:05 left in the game.

ISU built a 10-0 lead with Nigel White scoring on a 15-yard run midway through first quarter and Aidan Brasnahan knocking home a 33-yard field goal.

EIU cut the lead to 10-7 with Kuhns connecting with Robbie Lofton on a 5-yard pass with 20-seconds left in the opening half as ISU led 10-7 at the half.
In the second half, EIU was driving deep into ISU territory with a chance to tie or take the lead.  A receiver slipped on a pattern that allowed Jarrel Jackson to step into the route and return an interception 95-yards for a score putting ISU up 17-7 at the time.

Stone Galloway hit a field goal for the second straight week with a 44-yard kick midway through the third.

Cole Mueller led the ISU ground game with 144 yards.  EIU limited ISU to just 54 yards passing.  Braydon Deming and Zeke Vandenburgh led ISU with ten tackles each.

Jason Johnson had eight tackles to lead EIU including a fumble recovery the first half that helped set up the Panthers first score.  Jordan Miles and Kaelin Drakeford each 1.5 tackles for loss. 

ISU improved to 2-1 on the season.  EIU fell to 0-4 as the Panthers open Ohio Valley Conference play next weekend at Tennessee Tech.