1988 Eastern Illinois Panthers football team

1988 Eastern Illinois Panthers football
1988 Eastern Illinois Panthers football
Conference	Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference
Record	5–6 (2–4 GCAC)
Head coach	Bob Spoo (2nd season);
Offensive coordinator	Kit Cartwright (2nd season)
Home stadium	O'Brien Stadium
	Seasons ← 1987 1989 →

1988 Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings
v t e	Conf					Overall
Team	W		L		T	W		L		T
No. 3 Western Illinois $^	6	–	0	–	0	10	–	2	–	0
Southwest Missouri State	4	–	2	–	0	5	–	5	–	0
Indiana State	4	–	2	–	0	5	–	6	–	0
Northern Iowa	3	–	3	–	0	5	–	6	–	0
Eastern Illinois	2	–	4	–	0	5	–	6	–	0
Southern Illinois	2	–	4	–	0	4	–	7	–	0
Illinois State	0	–	6	–	0	1	–	10	–	0

$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll

The 1988 Eastern Illinois Panthers football team represented Eastern Illinois University during the 1988 NCAA Division I-AA football season. The Panthers played their home games at O'Brien Stadium in Charleston, Illinois.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Rank	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 3	at Illinois State		Hancock Stadium Normal, IL (rivalry)	W 16–7	7,872	^[1]
September 10	Austin Peay*		O'Brien Stadium Charleston, IL	W 44–0		^[2]
September 17	Liberty*		O'Brien Stadium Charleston, IL	W 28–27		^[3]
September 24	Youngstown State*	No. T–13	O'Brien Stadium Charleston, IL	L 13–33	5,812	^[4]
October 1	at Indiana State		Memorial Stadium Terre Haute, IN	L 12–24		^[5]
October 8	Southern Illinois		O'Brien Stadium Charleston, IL	W 34–3	9,415	^[6]
October 15	at No. 2 Western Illinois		Hanson Field Macomb, IL	L 8–45	9,680	^[7]
October 22	Northern Iowa		O'Brien Stadium Charleston, IL	L 15–17	9,677	^[8]
October 29	at Southwest Missouri State		Briggs Stadium Springfield, MO	L 21–41		^[9]
November 5	No. 5 Western Kentucky*		O'Brien Stadium Charleston, IL	W 6–0	10,021	^[10]
November 12	No. 15 Boise State*		Bronco Stadium Boise, ID	L 7–12	12,871	^[11]
*Non-conference game Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee Poll released prior to the game

^ "Eastern Illinois trips ISU". The Pantagraph. September 4, 1988. Retrieved January 4, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Eastern Illinois rolls by APSU for 44–0 win". The Tennessean. September 11, 1988. Retrieved January 4, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Eastern escapes Liberty". Herald and Review. September 18, 1988. Retrieved January 4, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Turnovers kill Eastern". Herald and Review. September 25, 1988. Retrieved January 4, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Sahm leads Sycamores by Eastern". The Sunday Courier. October 2, 1988. Retrieved January 4, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Eastern blows past Southern". Herald and Review. October 9, 1988. p. B2. Retrieved January 1, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Carlson, Chuck (October 16, 1988). "Turnovers devastate Eastern". Herald and Review. p. B5. Retrieved November 11, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Panthers put end to O'Brien jinx, 17–15". The Courier. October 23, 1988. Retrieved January 4, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "SMS holds tight, beats EIU 41–21". The Springfield News-Leader. October 30, 1988. Retrieved July 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "'Toppers slip at E. Illinois". The Paducah Sun. November 6, 1988. Retrieved January 4, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Boise St. 12, E. Illinois 7". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. November 13, 1988. p. 5B.
^ "EIU Football Online Guide, 2019" (PDF). Eastern Illinois athletics.