RoWINg to Eastern Illinois - Opponent Preview
College football is back
The Minnesota Golden Gophers and Eastern Illinois Panthers are set to face off in a college football matchup on September 3, 2025. Eastern Illinois, the preseason favored team, defeated Murray State in their season opener with a score of 29-13. They boast a number of returning players, including fourth-year quarterback Cole LaCrue, who transferred from Wisconsin after two seasons without playing in 2024.
LaCrue completed 54.7% of his passes last year for 853 yards, four touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He also rushed for 498 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. Eastern Illinois' top three receivers from last season have departed, and their offensive line is largely inexperienced. Last season, they ranked 109th in scoring offense, averaging 17.5 points per game, and 83rd in scoring defense, allowing 29.2 points per game.
The Minnesota Gophers, on the other hand, will look to shake off the rust and secure a victory over Eastern Illinois. The Gophers are not expected to improve significantly from last season.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
