The Panthers will be traveling this weekend. The destination is going to be different.

The Panthers will now play the University of Illinois instead of having a rematch with Purdue.

Head coach Frank Graziano made an official statement Thursday stating Purdue had a scheduling conflict and would not be able to participate in the match this weekend.

The Panthers (4-2) defeated Purdue 73-0 on Sept. 8, earlier this season.

Graziano also said Eastern will play Illinois again this season on Nov. 3, which will also be on the road.

“We haven’t played Illinois in a few years and they’re always a good team,” Graziano said. “They’ve always been very competitive.”

Graziano said he expects it to be a close match, since neither team knows much about the other due to the short notice of the two teams playing each other.

Graziano said only two players on this year’s squad has any experience against Illinois. He said senior scrum-half Marlise Davidson and senior flyhalf Eileen O’Rourke are the only members to have played against Illinois. O’Rourke will not play because of her injury sustained in the Purdue match.

But Graziano remains optimistic about his team’s chances against Illinois. He said if they execute well and play defense well, they have a good chance.

Graziano is still worried about his team’s consistency of play, however. He was openly disappointed with the Panthers’ 24-15 win against Oregon. He was not happy with the way they were tackling in the match.

“We’ve struggled,” Graziano said. “We’ve been a little Jekyll and Hyde this season, unfortunately.”

Eastern currently holds the all-time series record at 4-2 and last defeated Illinois 39-5 in its last meeting in 2004 at Lakeside Field.

The Panthers are on a two-match winning streak entering Saturday’s match. The Panthers will return home to play at 11 a.m Oct. 27 against Eastern Kentucky.