Mid-America Classic

The Mid-America Classic is a long-standing American college football rivalry game played in most years since 1901 between the Panthers of Eastern Illinois University and the Redbirds of Illinois State University. The 2020 season will mark the 109th meeting between the two teams with Illinois State leading the series 57-42-9.

Mid-America Classic
SportFootball
First meetingNovember 25, 1901
Eastern Illinois, 28–0
Latest meetingSeptember 14, 2019
Illinois State, 21–3
Next meetingSeptember 18, 2021
TrophyMid-America Classic Trophy
Statistics
Meetings total108
All-time seriesIllinois State leads, 57–42–9
Largest victoryISU, 48–7 (1992)
Longest win streakEIU, 8 (1924–1931)
Current win streakISU, 3 (2017–present)
Locations of Eastern Illinois and Illinois State

History

The rivalry between the two schools began in 1901 and is the oldest in the state of Illinois. It has continued almost completely uninterrupted through the years as the Panthers and Redbirds played in the Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference until it disbanded in 1970. They would play in different conferences until 1985 when they both joined the newly formed football arm of the Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference, previously a league that sponsored only women's sports. After the Gateway merged with the Missouri Valley Conference in 1992, its football side was spun off into the Gateway Football Conference (now the Missouri Valley Football Conference), with both teams remaining in that league until the Panthers moved their entire athletic program to the Ohio Valley Conference in 1995. Even though annual meetings are no longer assured, the two sides have met almost every year since, including twice in 2006. The two teams have played 108 times in total, with Illinois State holding a 57–42–9 advantage in the all-time series.

For the 100th game in the series, in 2012, representatives from the two schools met and decided to give the rivalry the name of Mid-America Classic. The two schools also collaborated on a traveling trophy, which holds plaques with the results of the previous 100 games in the series and has room for results of future games in the series.[1]

Notable games

October 27, 1906 – Illinois State's six-hour bus drive to Charleston, Ill., was only made worse by an 11–6 defeat.[2]

November 3, 1915 – Both teams fumbled inside each other's 10-yard line in this 0–0 game played at EIU.[2]

November 11, 1916 – EIU visited Normal, Ill., for the first ever Homecoming game on Illinois State's campus. ISU scored its only points on a 45-yard blocked punt by Ritter in a 24–7 loss.

November 5, 1921 – ISU rolled to a 42–3 victory in its Homecoming game, as five different ISU players scored a touchdown (Brown, Stewart, Clark, Jensen, Frkyman).[2]

November 14, 1959 – Illinois State linemen wear gloves for the first time on a snowy, icy day, as Dave Babcock scored the only Illinois State touchdown in a 6–6 tie.[2]

September 30, 1961 – Illinois State's Keith Reiger's touchdown pass to Bill Monken "probably set an IIAC record for the shortest TD pass: 18 inches" in the Redbirds' 18–0 win.[2]

September 29, 1962 – Paul Whitmore's 91-yard punt return was the only score in this 6–0 Redbird victory. It still remains the longest punt return for a touchdown in Illinois State history.[2]

October 10, 1981 – ISU reserve Andy Fladung came off the bench to intercept a school-record four passes in the Redbirds' 25–3 win.[2]

September 16, 2006 – Marked the first time in the history of the Illinois State-Eastern Illinois series where both teams were nationally ranked. The Redbirds entered the game No. 7 and Panthers were ranked No. 18. ISU trailed, 10–0, after the first quarter, but a 23-point second quarter put the 'Birds in control of a 44–30 win. Pierre Jackson had a career-high 132 receiving yards on six catches.[2][3]

November 25, 2006 – Two months after facing each other in the regular season, ISU and EIU met each other in the first round of the 2006 NCAA Division I FCS Playoffs. ISU's Jason Tate (41 yards) and Jesse Caesar (45 yards) each returned interceptions for touchdowns in the 24–13 Redbird win.[2][4]

September 15, 2012 – Matt Brown accounted for seven touchdowns, and his fifth scoring pass of the game, a 25-yarder to Tyrone Walker in the second overtime period, capped a career-high 473-yard performance and gave Illinois State a 54–51 victory over Eastern Illinois.[5]

Game results

Eastern Illinois victoriesIllinois State victoriesTie games
No.DateLocationWinnerScore
1 November 25, 1901 Neutral Eastern Illinois 28–0
2 November 3, 1905 Charleston Illinois State 6–4
3 October 27, 1906 Charleston Eastern Illinois 11–6
4 November 16, 1907 Normal Tie6–6
5 October 17, 1908 Bloomington Illinois State 31–0
6 November 16, 1912 Normal Eastern Illinois 32–3
7 November 15, 1913 Charleston Eastern Illinois 26–7
8 November 14, 1914 Normal Eastern Illinois 13–6
9 November 3, 1915 Charleston Tie0–0
10 November 11, 1916 Normal Eastern Illinois 24–7
11 November 17, 1917 Charleston Eastern Illinois 13–7
12 November 6, 1920 Charleston Illinois State 20–7
13 November 5, 1921 Normal Illinois State 42–3
14 November 4, 1922 Charleston Tie0–0
15 November 2, 1923 Bloomington Illinois State 13–0
16 November 1, 1924 Charleston Eastern Illinois 3–0
17 October 31, 1925 Normal Eastern Illinois 7–0
18 November 25, 1926 Charleston Eastern Illinois 12–0
19 October 1, 1927 Normal Eastern Illinois 6–0
20 November 10, 1928 Charleston Eastern Illinois 19–0
21 September 20, 1929 Normal Eastern Illinois 33–0
22 October 4, 1930 Charleston Eastern Illinois 15–0
23 November 4, 1931 Normal Eastern Illinois 7–6
24 October 8, 1932 Normal Illinois State 39–0
25 October 14, 1933 Charleston Illinois State 32–6
26 November 9, 1934 Normal Illinois State 13–0
27 October 19, 1935 Charleston Illinois State 13–0
28 October 24, 1936 Normal Illinois State 13–0
29 October 23, 1937 Charleston Tie0–0
30 October 22, 1938 Normal Illinois State 19–0
31 October 21, 1939 Charleston Tie0–0
32 October 19, 1940 Normal Illinois State 30–12
33 October 18, 1941 Charleston Illinois State 26–7
34 October 17, 1942 Normal Illinois State 32–0
35 November 10, 1945 Normal Illinois State 12–6
36 October 26, 1946 Charleston Illinois State 26–13
37 October 25, 1947 Charleston Eastern Illinois 13–6
38 October 23, 1948 Normal Eastern Illinois 13–7
39 October 8, 1949 Charleston Eastern Illinois 7–6
40 October 14, 1950 Normal Illinois State 23–21
41 November 10, 1951 Normal Tie28–28
42 November 15, 1952 Charleston Illinois State 27–26
43 November 14, 1953 Normal Illinois State 20–0
44 November 13, 1954 Charleston Illinois State 13–7
45 October 8, 1955 Normal Illinois State 16–13
46 October 6, 1956 Charleston Eastern Illinois 14–6
47 November 9, 1957 Normal Illinois State 39–7
48 November 8, 1958 Charleston Eastern Illinois 20–12
49 November 14, 1959 Normal Tie6–6
50 November 12, 1960 Charleston Illinois State 26–6
51 September 30, 1961 Normal Illinois State 18–0
52 September 29, 1962 Charleston Illinois State 6–0
53 October 12, 1963 Normal Eastern Illinois 14–13
54 October 17, 1964 Charleston Illinois State 25–23
55 October 9, 1965 Normal Eastern Illinois 8–7
No.DateLocationWinnerScore
56 October 8, 1966 Charleston Tie0–0
57 October 14, 1967 Charleston Illinois State 28–6
58 October 12, 1968 Normal Illinois State 41–14
59 October 18, 1969 Normal Illinois State 37–0
60 October 17, 1970 Charleston Illinois State 29–20
61 October 9, 1971 Normal Illinois State 17–6
62 October 7, 1972 Charleston Illinois State 38–11
63 October 20, 1973 Normal Illinois State 17–0
64 October 19, 1974 Charleston Eastern Illinois 14–9
65 November 22, 1975 Charleston Illinois State 31–13
66 November 20, 1976 Charleston Illinois State 13–8
67 September 3, 1977 Normal Illinois State 20–0
68 November 4, 1978 Charleston Eastern Illinois 42–7
69 November 10, 1979 Normal Eastern Illinois 24–0
70 October 4, 1980 Charleston Eastern Illinois 31–14
71 October 10, 1981 Normal Illinois State 25–3
72 September 9, 1982 Charleston Eastern Illinois 27–14
73 September 3, 1983 Normal Eastern Illinois 38–7
74 October 6, 1984 Charleston Illinois State 34–21
75 October 21, 1985 Charleston Eastern Illinois 21–14
76 August 30, 1986 Normal Illinois State 23–20
77 September 19, 1987 Charleston Eastern Illinois 15–9
78 September 3, 1988 Normal Eastern Illinois 16–7
79 September 30, 1989 Charleston Eastern Illinois 14–13
80 September 29, 1990 Normal Illinois State 28–7
81 October 19, 1991 Charleston Eastern Illinois 37–28
82 September 26, 1992 Normal Illinois State 48–7
83 October 23, 1993 Charleston Tie17–17
84 November 5, 1994 Normal Eastern Illinois 16–13
85 October 28, 1995 Charleston Eastern Illinois 32–10
86 September 27, 1997 Normal Eastern Illinois 25–14
87 October 17, 1998 Charleston Illinois State 36–22
88 September 13, 1999 Charleston Illinois State 24–17
89 September 11, 2000 Normal Illinois State 44–41
90 September 28, 2002 Charleston Eastern Illinois 45–10
91 September 20, 2003 Charleston Illinois State 21–14
92 September 18, 2004 Normal Illinois State 35–31
93 September 17, 2005 Charleston Illinois State 27–6
94 September 16, 2006 Normal Illinois State 44–30
95 November 25, 2006 Charleston Illinois State 24–13
96 September 15, 2007 Charleston Illinois State 24–21
97 September 20, 2008 Normal Eastern Illinois 25–21
98 September 3, 2009 Charleston Eastern Illinois 31–6
99 November 13, 2010 Normal Illinois State 27–23
100 September 1, 2011 Charleston Eastern Illinois 33–26
101 September 15, 2012 Normal Illinois State 54–51
102 September 14, 2013 Charleston Eastern Illinois 57–24
103 September 13, 2014 Normal Illinois State 34–15
104 September 20, 2015 Charleston Illinois State 34–31OT
105 September 17, 2016 Normal Eastern Illinois 24–21
106 September 16, 2017 Charleston Illinois State 44–13
107 September 8, 2018 Normal Illinois State 48–10
108 September 14, 2019 Charleston Illinois State 21–3
Series: Illinois State leads 57–42–9

See also

References

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