Eastern is looking for their first win over University of Tennessee Martin in the first time in six years this Saturday.

Throughout the matchup between these two teams every year since 2008, Eastern has won only four of those games out of 16.

This year, the Panthers are hoping to beat the Skyhawks not only to add another win to this matchup but to also add a conference win to their season.

Head coach Chris Wilkerson says the team has managed to come to improve on the fundamentals, but he wants the team to stay more consistent throughout the four quarters.

“For us, it’s about answering the bell,” Wilkerson said. “We’ve got a limited number of opportunities with this group to finish this journey together. Certainly, the result is not something anybody is happy with, but we have a great number of opportunities to continue to finish and to make sure we finish this thing out the right way, together.”

Last year, the Skyhawks edged out the Panthers 28-27 in overtime at O’Brien Field.

Coming off their bye week, the Panthers are ready to play again.

Senior defensive back Mark Aitken thinks the team has been practicing harder, and he is ready to play a complete game of football against UT Martin.

“I want to see us play a complete game on offense and defense for the full four quarters,” Aitken said.

Redshirt senior defensive lineman Joel Barrows believes the biggest improvement within the defensive line room is their communication.

Communication throughout the defense is important because it shows how in sync everyone on the defensive side of the ball. Without communication, plays can become sloppy, and it can also lead to points scored by the opposing team.

“We’ve built on our attention to detail,” Barrows said. “At the beginning of the season, a lot of times, when there’s so much going on and so much around you, you tend to lose focus of the little things. Growing and being present in the moment has allowed us to stay focused.”

On the offensive side of the ball for the Panthers, senior wide receiver Cooper Willman says the offense has improved throughout the season, with their biggest improvement being mastering the basics.

“We have a couple plays that we know we like,” Willman said. “Obviously, week to week, different defenses, we try to attack their weaknesses by putting different plays in. Just being able to master our mundane and sticking to what we know.”

As the season continues, one aspect Barrows wants to see from the team against the Skyhawks is grit.

“I want us to play with grit,” Barrows said. “I want us to play with a lot of passion, have fun, and really go bring home a win.”

As for Willman, one aspect he wants to see from the team is the desire to not give up.

“Obviously, we’re 1-6, and it’s tough,” Willman said. “Not the way we wanted the season to go, but to go out there and see what we can do because at the end of the day, we have a good team, and [UT Martin] is a good team, so to go out and beat a solid team in the OVC would be a big step for us. We just gotta win one game at a time.”

The Panthers are traveling to Martin, Tennessee to face the Skyhawks at Hardy M. Graham Stadium.

Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.

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