Venue & Game Info
Kickoff: 2:00 PM ET / 1:00 PM CT
Location: O’Brien Field (10,000 capacity), Charleston, Illinois
Broadcast: ESPN+ Radio: EIU Radio Network / WJBC (Bloomington)
Notable: This is the 113th meeting of the Mid-America Classic — the most-played rivalry in FCS among non-current conference members and 14th overall in FCS history.
Weather Outlook (as of Sept. 11)
Forecast: Mostly sunny, light winds (5–7 mph)
Temperature at Kickoff: ~74°F, dropping into the upper 60s by the 4th quarter
Impact: Ideal football conditions; minimal weather effect on passing/kicking
Injury & Availability Report
Illinois State:
No major starters ruled out after Week 2 win over Morehead State
QB Tommy Rittenhouse healthy; threw 3 TDs last week
RB Wenkers Wright (All-MVFC 2024) available
Eastern Illinois:
No confirmed absences for key starters
RB Charles Kellom (219 rush yds, 2 TD in 2025) healthy; ranks 9th in FCS in rushing yards/game
LB Drake Van Hyfte (2 sacks, 3.5 TFL) active; top-20 nationally in both categories
Recent Form
Illinois State:
W — Morehead State — dominant on both sides of the ball
L — FBS opponent in opener — competitive early, faded late
Eastern Illinois:
L — at Indiana State — offense stalled in 2nd half
W — vs. Dayton — Kellom 133 rush yds, defense forced 2 turnovers
Series History
All-Time: Illinois State leads 59–43–9
Last Meeting: 2024 — Illinois State 48, Eastern Illinois 17
Trend: Illinois State has won 10 of the last 11 meetings
Betting Trends
Illinois State: 3–2 ATS in last 5; 4–1 SU in last 5
Eastern Illinois: 2–3 ATS in last 5; 2–3 SU in last 5
Over has hit in 3 of last 5 Mid-America Classics
Game Odds
Illinois State Redbirds – 25.5
Eastern Illinois Panthers 51.5
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odd Direct as of Friday, September 12, 2025
