Mitch Kimble passed for 323 yards and two touchdowns and guided Eastern Illinois back from a 14-point deficit on Saturday to beat Tennessee Tech 30-24.

 

The Panthers (5-2, 3-1 Ohio Valley Conference) trailed 17-3 late in the second quarter before scoring the next 24 points.

Eastern Illinois cut the deficit to 17-10 with 19 seconds left in the first half and Nick Bruno added a field goal before halftime after Tennessee Tech fumbled on the kickoff. Kimble's 65-yard TD pass to Paul Gossage made it 20-17 early in the third and Darshon McCullough scored on a 1-yard TD run less than four minutes later.

 

Tennessee Tech (2-5, 2-3) cut the lead to 27-24 on Andrew Goldsmith's 3-yard TD run with 7:31 left, but The Panthers answered with Bruno's third field goal and the EIU defense held from there.

 

Michael Birdsong had 294 yards passing for Tennessee Tech.