The first Panther of the Week is going to MJ Flowers from the football team.

The redshirt freshman running back from Cincinnati, OH rushed for 272 yards and scored one rushing touchdown to help the Panthers hold off the McNeese Cowboys at O’Brien Field Saturday afternoon.

Flowers scored the third touchdown for the Panthers on a six-yard run to the end zone.

Flowers’ 272 rushing yards in a single game is the third most in program history, passing Nate Anderson who recorded 268 rushing yards.

Flowers rushed more yards than the entire Cowboys offense. McNeese recorded 271 rushing yards for the game.

Flowers was named the Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Week after the third week of non-conference play after the Panthers beat the Illinois State Redbirds 14-13 in the Mid-American Classic.

The second Panther of the Week is going to Stone Galloway from the football team.

The senior kicker from Collinsville, IL secured the win for the Panthers against the McNeese Cowboys 31-28 at O’Brien Field Saturday afternoon.

With 20 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Galloway ran on the field to kick a 56-yard field goal. The ball made it right past the crossbar to give the Panthers three points.

Galloway’s field goal was the second longest field goal in school history, and it was only the eighth made field goal in program history that was over 50 yards.

Galloway battled through a groin injury that he suffered during kicking warmups against Indiana State on Aug. 31.

This was Galloway’s first play of the 2023 season.

Zaria Flippin can be reached at 581-2812 or zhflippin@eiu.edu.