Indiana Football vs Eastern Illinois: Game time, TV channel, odds, prediction, and more
By Alec Lasley
The Indiana football program is set to take on Eastern Illinois on Saturday, and this is everything you need to know about the matchup.
The home opener for Indiana football is set for this Saturday and fans and student in Bloomington couldn’t be more excited for them to get their first live action of the team.
After taking down Ball State in week one, it’s now time to move to 2-0 and focus on defeating the Panthers of Eastern Illinois.
Eastern Illinois enters the matchup after a 3-8 season in 2018 and though returning some of its top defensive talent, the roster is made up of nearly 50 percent of freshmen. Pair that with a first year head coach in Adam Cushing and it could be another rough season for the Panthers.
Cushing spent 15 years under Pat Fitzgerald at Northwestern and looks to bring the same model that made the Wildcats into a Big Ten power, into the Ohio Valley Conference.
Johnathan Brantley and Harry Woodbery remain splitting time under center although through the past 12 games, Brantley has outperformed Woodbery in almost every category. In week one against Chattanooga, Brantley was the only form of offense from the QB’s and led the Panthers to all 10 of their points.
Though the Panthers have two veteran quarterbacks, 13 of the 15 wideouts on the roster are redshirt sophomores or younger. Because of the lack of star power and experience on the outside, the Panthers brought in a graduate transfer in the backfield by the way of Cornell University, Chris Walker. Walker was a staple as a sophomore and junior combining for 937 yards on 201 carries, though only having15 or more carries in five games. Walker will split time again with another back this season by the name of Jaelin Hayes-Benefield. The true freshman back had a team-high 49 yards on six carries in week one.
The high-powered offense of last season is still working out the kinks but will be led by Brantley and All-OVC Second Team tight end James Sheehan, who accounted for 544 yards last year.
More. 5 Impact Players vs Eastern Illinois. light
Storylines
Indiana: It’s not only Michael Penix’ second game as a starter, but also Kalen DeBoer too. The offense showed it has the weapons and knows how to utilize them in week one, now it’s time to be more consistent from start to finish. Can the running game get going as it was a bit stagnant in week one? What about the secondary? After a bad start of 2019, the talented group looks to rebound and take advantage of a young wide receiving core.
Eastern Illinois: It’s plain and simple; Johnathan Brantley is the most talented player on the team and should not be splitting reps with Woodbery. Will his athletic ability keep him on the field against the Hoosiers? The defense, which was terrible in 2018, will have its hands full with all of the talent at the skill positions of the Hoosiers.
How To Watch: Game Time, T.V., Radio, More
Kickoff Time – 3:30 PM EST
Where: Bloomington, IN
T.V. – Big Ten Network
Radio – HoosiersTV, TuneIn, WIUX
Online Stream – Fox Sports App,
Next. 3 Keys To The Game vs Eastern Illinois. dark
Betting Odds: Spread, O/U
Opening Line: Indiana – 34.0
Current Line: Indiana – 35.5
Opening O/U: 60.5
Current O/U: 61.5