Eastern Illinois won the 111th Mid-American Classic at O’Brien Field on Saturday afternoon. The Panthers won the game against the 25th-ranked Illinois State Redbirds 14-13. In addition to gaining the Mid-American Classic trophy for the first time since 2016, the Panthers also beat a ranked opponent for the first time since 2017. “We’re so excited.
Eastern recorded their first loss of the season against Bowling Green 38-15 Saturday afternoon at Doyt L. Perry Stadium. Redshirt junior quarterback Pierce Holley finished the afternoon with 21-of-32 for 250 yards and two touchdowns and one interception. The first touchdown for the Panthers was a 15-yard pass to redshirt sophomore running back Kevin Daniels..
Paige Robinson came to Illinois State University as a graduate transfer a year ago. The central Illinois native led the Redbirds in scoring and guided the team to a Missouri Valley Conference regular season championship.