Selection Show Gallery (by Sandy King)

CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Illinois will be making its 14th trip to the FCS playoffs when the Panthers travel to Brookings, S.D. this Saturday to face South Dakota State from the Missouri Valley Football Conference.  Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. and the game will be televised on ESPN3.

EIU enters the playoffs as the Ohio Valley Conference champion finishing with a 7-4 regular season record.  The Panthers are ranked No. 25 in the Sports Network final regular season poll.  EIU is led on offense by Walter Payton Award candidates Erik Lora and Jimmy Garoppolo.  Lora set the FCS single season receptions record on Saturday at Central Arkansas making his 124th catch of the season.  Garoppolo is fifth in the nation in total offense passing for 3,602 yards and 31 touchdowns this season.  EIU's offense ranks sixth in the nation in total offense and seventh nationally in scoring offense.

The defense is led by a senior defensive line with Artavious Dowdell the OVC's top pass rusher with 7.5 sacks.  Dowdell ranks first in the OVC and 25th in the nation.  He is joined by Pat Wertz, Greg Mahan and Roosevelt Holliday on the front line.

SDSU enters the playoffs ranked No. 19 in the nation earning an at-large berth after placing second in the MVFC.  The Jackrabbits are 8-3 overall having won a rivalry game over South Dakota on Saturday.  SDSU is ranked eighth in the nation in total defense and fourth nationally in scoring defense allowing just 15.9 points per game.  That unit is led by Ross Shafrath who is ranked 8th nationally in tackles.  The offense features running back Zach Zenner, a Payton Award Candidate, who is second nationally in rushing at 154.8 yards per game.

This will be the first meeting between the two schools.


DOWDELL & HELMS WIN OVC PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – Two Eastern Illinois players earned Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Week honors as the Panthers wrapped up the regular season on Saturday at No. 10 Central Arkansas.  Artavious Dowdell was named the OVC Defensive Player of the Week while Alex Helms was named the OVC Newcomer of the Week.

Dowdell was a force for the Panthers defense making seven tackles (six solo) as many of them were disruptive during the contest.  Dowdell had four tackles for loss and two sacks while also forcing two UCA turnovers.  Both of the forced fumbles resulted in first half touchdowns for the Panthers.  Dowdell leads the OVC with 7.5 sacks and has 13.5 tackles for loss this season, both totals rank in the top 30 in the FCS.

Helms filled in at starting middle linebacker and recorded a career high 16 tackles at UCA.  Helms made 14 solo tackles in the game.  He recovered a first half UCA fumble which the Panthers converted into first half points.