Eastern Illinois Panthers @ Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
EIU | 0 | 7 | 17 | 7 | 31 |
TNTC | 10 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
E. Illinois 31, Tennessee Tech 24
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- Jimmy Garoppolo completed 27 of 41 passes for 376 yards, three touchdowns and an interception to propel Eastern Illinois past Tennessee Tech 31-24 Saturday.
Trailing 10-0, Garappolo's 61-yard pass to Chavar Watkins put Eastern Illinois (6-3, 5-1 Ohio Valley Conference) on the board and cut the deficit to 10-7 at halftime.
Garappolo's strong second half proved to be the difference. He found Keiondre Gober early in the third quarter on a 2-yard pass to take the lead 14-10.
Tennessee Tech (2-7, 0-6) kept coming, with Darian Stone's 14-yard touchdown pass to Da'Rick Rogers tying the game at 17. Garoppolo answered again, taking the lead for good, finding Chris Wright for a 73-yard bomb and a 24-17 advantage.
A late rushing touchdown by Taylor Duncan extended the lead and dashed the Golden Eagles' hopes.
Eastern Illinois remains in first place in the conference. Tennessee Tech has lost seven straight.
Game Information
Cookeville, TN
2025 Standings
| OVC-Big South Association | CONF | OVR |
|---|---|---|
| Tennessee Tech | 8-0 | 11-2 |
| UT Martin | 6-2 | 6-6 |
| Gardner-Webb | 5-3 | 7-5 |
| Lindenwood | 5-3 | 6-6 |
| Charleston Southern | 4-4 | 5-7 |
| Southeast Missouri State | 3-5 | 4-8 |
| Western Illinois | 3-5 | 4-8 |
| Eastern Illinois | 2-6 | 3-9 |
| Tennessee State | 0-8 | 2-10 |
| Southern Conference | CONF | OVR |
|---|---|---|
| Mercer | 8-0 | 9-3 |
| Western Carolina | 6-2 | 7-5 |
| East Tennessee State | 5-3 | 7-5 |
| Wofford | 5-3 | 6-6 |
| Chattanooga | 4-4 | 5-7 |
| Furman | 4-4 | 6-6 |
| The Citadel | 3-5 | 4-8 |
| Samford | 1-7 | 1-11 |
| VMI | 0-8 | 1-11 |
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