1978 Eastern Illinois Panthers football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1978
| team = Eastern Illinois Panthers
| sport = football
| image =
| image_size =
| conference = Association of Mid-Continent Universities
| short_conf = Mid-Con
| record = 12–2
| conf_record = 3–2
| head_coach = Darrell Mudra
| hc_year = 1st
| off_coach = Mike Shanahan
| off_scheme =
| oc_year = 1st
| def_coach =
| def_scheme =
| dc_year =
| captain =
| stadium = O'Brien Stadium
| champion = NCAA Division II champion
| bowl = NCAA Division II Championship Game
| bowl_result = W 10–9 vs. Delaware
}}
{{1978 Association of Mid-Continent Universities football standings}}
The 1978 Eastern Illinois Panthers football team represented Eastern Illinois University during the 1978 NCAA Division II football season, and completed the 78th season of Panther football. The Panthers played their home games at O'Brien Stadium in Charleston, Illinois. The 1978 team came off a 1–10 record from the previous season.{{cite web|url=http://college-football-results.com/f/eastilli.htm |title=Eastern Illinois Panthers - College Football (NCAA) |publisher=College-football-results.com |date= |accessdate=September 18, 2016}} The 1978 team was led by coach Darrell Mudra. The team finished the regular season with a 9–2 record and made the NCAA Division II playoffs. The Panthers defeated Delaware, 10–9, in the National Championship Game en route to the program's first NCAA Division II Football Championship.{{cite web |last=DeLassus |first=David |url=http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/active/e/eastern_illinois/1975-1979_yearly_results.php |title=Eastern Illinois Yearly Results |publisher=College Football Data Warehouse |year=2016 |accessdate=June 10, 2016 |archive-date=August 27, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160827214216/http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/active/e/eastern_illinois/1975-1979_yearly_results.php |url-status=dead }}
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| rankyear = 1978
| rankdivision = NCAA Division II
| poll = Associated Press
| timezone = Central
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 2
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1978|team=Central State Marauders|title=Central State (OH)}}
| site_stadium = O'Brien Stadium
| site_cityst = Charleston, IL
| score = 41–16
| attend = 7,000
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 9
| w/l = w
| away = y
| nonconf = y
| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1978|team=Butler Bulldogs|title=Butler}}
| site_stadium = Bud and Jackie Sellick Bowl
| site_cityst = Indianapolis, IN
| score = 42–3
| attend = 4,300
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 16
| w/l = w
| opponent = Northern Iowa
| site_stadium = O'Brien Stadium
| site_cityst = Charleston, IL
| score = 38–22
| attend = 8,500
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 23
| w/l = w
| nonconf=y
| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1978|team=Northeast Missouri State Bulldogs|title=Northeast Missouri State}}
| site_stadium = O'Brien Stadium
| site_cityst = Charleston, IL
| score = 29–12
| attend = 7,000
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 30
| w/l = l
| away = y
| rank = 4
| opponent = Akron
| site_stadium = Rubber Bowl
| site_cityst = Akron, OH
| score = 16–17
| attend = 3,278
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 7
| w/l = l
| away = y
| rank = 8
| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1978|team=Youngstown State Penguins|title=Youngstown State}}
| opprank = 4
| site_stadium = Rayen Stadium
| site_cityst = Youngstown, OH
| score = 24–40
| attend = 4,360
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 21
| w/l = w
| away = y
| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1978|team=Northern Michigan Wildcats|title=Northern Michigan}}
| opprank = 8
| site_stadium = Memorial Field
| site_cityst = Marquette, MI
| score = 42–34
| attend = 8,602
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 28
| w/l = w
| away = y
| nonconf = y
| rank = 8
| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1978|team=Wayne State Tartars|title=Wayne State (MI)}}
| site_stadium =
| site_cityst = Detroit, MI
| score = 42–34
| attend = 1,800
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 4
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| homecoming = y
| rank = 9
| opponent = Illinois State
| site_stadium = O'Brien Stadium
| site_cityst = Charleston, IL
| gamename = rivalry
| score = 42–7
| attend = 9,000
| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-decatur-daily-review-eastern-rips-il/157590414/|work=The Decatur Daily Review|title=Eastern rips Illinois State|date=November 5, 1978|accessdate=October 21, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 11
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| rank = 7
| opponent = Murray State
| site_stadium = O'Brien Stadium
| site_cityst = Charleston, IL
| score = 35–14
| attend = 6,500
| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-state-journal-murray-loses/154995463/|work=The State Journal|title=Murray loses|date=November 12, 1978|accessdate=September 9, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 18
| w/l = w
| away = y
| rank = 5
| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1978|team=Western Illinois Leathernecks|title=Western Illinois}}
| site_stadium = Hanson Field
| site_cityst = Macomb, IL
| score = 40–12
| attend = 7,850
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 25
| time = 3:00 p.m.
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| away = y
| rank = 5
| opponent = UC Davis
| opprank = 4
| site_stadium = Toomey Field
| site_cityst = Davis, CA
| gamename = NCAA Division II Quarterfinal
| score = 35–31
| attend = 8,500
| source = {{cite news |last=Dunning |first=Bob |title=Aggies, E. Illinois Meet In Playoffs |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/101609861/the-sacramento-bee/ |newspaper=The Sacramento Bee |location=Sacramento, California |date=November 20, 1978 |page=C2 |access-date=May 10, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}{{cite news |last=Dunning |first=Bob |title=Ags Fall Short To EIU, 35-31 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/101610804/the-sacramento-bee/ |newspaper=The Sacramento Bee |location=Sacramento, California |date=November 26, 1978 |page=D1 |access-date=May 10, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}{{cite news |last=Dunning |first=Bob |title=Aggies (continued) |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/101610779/the-sacramento-bee/ |newspaper=The Sacramento Bee |location=Sacramento, California |date=November 26, 1978 |page=D6 |access-date=May 10, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = December 2
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| rank = 5
| opponent = Youngstown State
| opprank = 2
| site_stadium = O'Brien Stadium
| site_cityst = Charleston, IL
| gamename= NCAA Division II Semifinal
| score = 26–22
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = December 9
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| neutral = y
| rank = 5
| opponent = Delaware
| opprank = 3
| site_stadium = Lobo Stadium
| site_cityst = Longview, TX
| gamename = NCAA Division II Championship
| score = 10–9
| attend = 5,500
| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-pantagraph-late-kick-off-mark-easte/136075060/|work=The Pantagraph|title=Late kick off mark, Eastern wins title|date=December 10, 1978|accessdate=November 30, 2023|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
}}
{{cite web |author= |title=Final 1978 Cumulative Football Statistics Report |url=https://stats.ncaa.org/team/201/stats/13635 |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=June 4, 2022 }}{{cite web|url=https://static.eiupanthers.com/custompages/football/2019/EIU_Football_Online_Guide_2019.pdf|title=EIU Football Online Guide, 2019|publisher=Eastern Illinois athletics|accessdate=May 29, 2020}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{1978 Eastern Illinois Panthers football navbox}}
{{Eastern Illinois Panthers football navbox}}
{{NCAA Division II football national champion navbox}}
Category:Eastern Illinois Panthers football seasons