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[Music Plays] >>Rameen Karbassioon:
Production for Panther Sports Talk is brought to you in part by:
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Welcome to another edition of Panther Sports Talk, right here on WEIU.
I'm Rameen Karbassioon, filling in for Rich Moser.
On this week's show, we look at Panther basketball, as they got the OVC season underway with three
games at Lantz Arena this past week. And we also take a look back at the senior
season for EIU quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. But first, let's take a look at this week
in EIU Athletics. Men's basketball dropped two games at Lantz
Arena this past week to OVC rivals Eastern Kentucky and Moorhead State.
They start the OVC season 1-2, they're 4-10 overall.
Women's basketball dropped their Saturday OVC contest at Lantz Arena against Moorhead
State. They're 1-1 in OVC play, and 6-7 overall.
Their Monday contest against OVC rival Eastern Kentucky was rescheduled to Tuesday due to
the weather. For the results and stats of that game, check
out eiupanthers.com. Now, here's what to watch for this week.
On Thursday, men's basketball travels to Cookeville, Tennessee to take on OVC rival Tennessee Tech
at seven o'clock. You can listen to that game on Hit-Mix, 88.9
WEIU. On Saturday, it's a Panther basketball double
header at Jacksonville State: the women's game at two o'clock, the men's game at 4:30.
Both games can be heard on Hit-Mix, 88.9 WEIU. Next Monday, women's basketball in Cookeville
Tennessee to take on OVC foe Tennessee Tech at seven o'clock.
You can listen to that game on Hit-Mix, 88.9 WEIU.
Now, a look at Panther basketball, their recent results, and some individual scoring leaders
for both teams. For the men's team, they're 4-10 overall,
and 1-2 in OVC play. They've dropped eight of their last nine games.
Their one win was over Tennessee State in their OVC opener at Lantz Arena on December
28. Leading the way for the Panthers is Reggie
Smith. He's averaging 12.9 points per game, in 12
games played. Senior forward Sherman Blanford is averaging
11.1 points per game and 5.9 rebounds per game, in 14 games played.
And junior forward Chris Olivier, who had to sit out the fall semester due to transfer
rules, is averaging 10.6 points per game and 5.4 rebounds per game, in five games played.
And the Panther women's team is 6-7 overall, and 1-1 in OVC play.
The Panthers have won four of their last six games.
Leading the way for the Panthers are Sabi Oroszova, averaging 18.7 points per game and
10.1 rebounds per game, in 13 games. Katlyn Payne is averaging 14.4 points per
game, as well as 5.6 rebounds per game, as well as dropping in 42% of her thee point
shots. Senior point guard Jordyne Crunk is averaging
12 points per game, as well as dishing out just over 4 assist a game.
Now, we'll look at some recent highlights from the Panther basketball home stand at
Lantz Arena. >>Basketball sounds and music
>>Mike Bradd: ... To the elbow.
Leaves it for Green, cutting down the lane, all the way in.
Laid it up and in! Nice move by Dennis Green.
One dribble, off in the corner, Austin. Three pointer.
Good! And he's followed!
He'll have a chance at a four point play. >>Rameen Karbassioon:
Eastern Illinois Panther basketball is on WEIU.
It's an OVC Western Division showdown at Lantz Arena, as the EIU men collide with the Racers
of Murray State. It's the Panthers and Racers, January 16 at
seven. On WEIU, your home for Panther basketball.
And we conclude this week's edition of Panther Sports Talk with the 2013 senior season feature
on EIU quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. >>Rich Moser:
EIU quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Last night, we're just getting back from Philadelphia.
Congratulations to the winner of the Walter Payton Award.
And that kind of just really becomes a capstone on your career.
I know there are some things, team accomplishments that you kind are disappointed you fell short
on, but from an individual standpoint at the FCS level, there's not a better award that
a person could win. >>Jimmy Garoppolo:
Yeah, I mean I couldn't tell you how happy I am to have won the award.
I mean, it's just a huge accomplishment, and it really goes to show all the hard work that
our team put in this year. I mean, it's not, I know it's an individual
award, but I couldn't have won the award without all of my teammates helping me in the offseason,
during the season, everything. And you know, it really just goes to show
how much hard work we've put into the season. >>Rich Moser:
Now, this is the first time any of us have been to that type of a ceremony before, and
you got to meet some interesting people last night, to say the least: Jerry Rice, everybody
knows that name, but also I think one of the guys that probably meant a lot to you and
your family growing up in the Chicago area is Jarrett Payton, the son of Walter Payton.
>>Jimmy Garoppolo: Yeah, yeah.
I mean, I was excited to meet him, but my parents were really excited to meet him.
They're huge Walter Payton fans, so they were with him in the Superbowl run and everything.
So, them getting to meet Jarrett was really exciting for them.
You know, he's from, I don't think he's from Arlington Heights, but he went to high school
in Arlington Heights, where I'm from. So, that was exciting, a little connection
there. And so, it was fun to share some stories with
him, hear some stories about his dad and everything. And I mean, he's a great guy.
>>Rich Moser: Now, you move forward.
You look back, and we kind of talked during the year, you got a lot of these questions
from the media that the records that you had set, not only at EIU, but in the OVC, and
then some that you chased at the FCS level, I mean, it's a couple days after the season's
over; has any of it sunk in yet, or is that still something that you'll digest over, really
over time? >>Jimmy Garoppolo:
I think it's going to take a couple days at least.
I mean, I'm still coming back down to earth from this Walter Payton Award.
I mean, it was a real exciting experience and a unique experience that I got to experience
this weekend. I mean, I'm so thrilled still, and you know,
still a little sleep deprived, too, on top of that.
But you know, I'm still just excited from the award right now.
>>Rich Moser; Now, a lot of people have asked kind of what's
the next step in the process for you, and I guess kind of take us through that.
A lot of people don't know. They know the season's over, and to a casual
football fan, the draft is in late April, May, but there's a lot of work still to be
done for you and any other young man that wants to pursue the NFL.
>>Jimmy Garoppolo: Oh yeah.
I mean, well first off, I'll have to pick an agent; that's the first step in all this.
And you know, my parents have done a great job this whole season of dealing with all
the agents, and leaving it to me at the very end to make a decision.
I mean, that, they've taken so many distractions away from me, it's unbelievable.
So, after I pick an agent, then it will go to, they have a plan for me that's already
set up, that they have a calendar already set up for me and everything.
So, I'll just go on that, and then I've got the East-West Shrine game coming up in early
January; I'll go to that for a week. And that's pretty much just straight training
for the combine after that. Then, hopefully get an invite to the combine,
perform well there. And then, it's on with everything else, the
pro days and all that stuff. >>Rich Moser:
So, football doesn't end; it continues to go on for you.
>>Jimmy Garoppolo: Yeah, it's a 365 thing for me.
Yeah. >>Rich Moser:
Now, now that your Eastern career has come to a close, one memory that kind of stands
out, I mean, through a career. And it's a four year career; I know it's hard
to kind of put it into one or two things. But is there any moment or a game, or something
along the way that kind of stood out above the rest?
I know you had a lot of great memories here at Eastern.
>>Jimmy Garoppolo: Yeah, you know, one game that really will
stick with me for the rest of my life is the San Diego State game.
I mean, going down there this first game of the season this year, and just the way we
went about it, it was a real business trip. I mean, we went down there, and everyone,
we all knew we had a chance to beat these guys, being an FBS team, I mean, a lot of
people didn't give us the chance. And you know, just, I think that was a huge
stepping stone in our season this year. I know it was the first game of the season,
but I think that really propelled us into the national spotlight this season.
>>Rich Moser; Now, the last two guys that you'll be compared
to, their jerseys are across the way: Sean Payton, Tony Romo.
Opportunity is around the corner now for you to be talked about with those guys, not only
as great quarterbacks of Eastern Illinois, but also guys that may make an impact in the
NFL. Has any of that reality sunk in yet, or is
that still, I mean, still a little ways away? >>Jimmy Garoppolo:
I mean, it's been in the back of my mind; I can't lie, I've thought about it a little
bit. But I mean, first off, I just have to make
it to the NFL first, make a team, get on a roster, 53 man roster.
And then, everything from there, then it will start to sink in a little more.
But I mean, until then, all this is still just a dream.
I mean, you still got to put in the hard work this season and get noticed by the right people
in the NFL, and perform well at the combine pro day, and it's a process.
And this is just the beginning of it, but it's going to happen fast these next couple
of months. [No Dialogue]
[Music Plays] >>Jimmy Garoppolo:
I always tell myself, I've told myself since a young age that everything in life happens
for a reason. And you know, coming to Eastern, the first
couple years maybe it was tough to see what the reason was, and it was two 2-9 seasons,
I was like, dang, this is tough. Like, this isn't what I expected college football
to be like. But then, Coach Babers came in with his new
staff, things got turned around real fast. And you know, there's a thrill in the air.
There's an electric buzz going around town that, you know, I love it.
I love the town of Charleston, love the community and everything.
I mean, I couldn't ask for a better situation. I'm real happy I came to Eastern.
In my mind, I think of myself as my own guy. I mean, I'm Jimmy Garoppolo.
It's not like I'm the predecessor of Tony Romo or something like that, or Sean Payton.
But to be compared to them, it really is an honor.
I mean, their jerseys are hanging up on the wall out there for a reason.
It's not like they were just a couple of guys who came through here.
I mean, they've left their make on Eastern and, you know, that's what I'm trying to do.
I'm just trying to leave a legacy here that one day, I can look back on and be proud of,
and maybe tell my kids, be like, yeah, I was a quarterback at Eastern when we won the OVC
championship, when we won the national championship, and whatnot.
So, you know, I'm just trying to build my own legacy, the Jimmy Garoppolo legacy right
now. And you know, we're on the right track this
season. We've just got to keep it going one game at
a time. You know, the way I look at it is it will
be a stressor for you if you let it be. It's almost like pressure, before the season,
everybody was saying we have all this pressure on us to finish first in the conference.
See, we looked at it a little differently. We looked at it as, you know, if's pressure
if you let it be pressure, but we're going to put more pressure on ourselves than anybody.
So, it all depends on how you look at it, I guess.
I can remember as a freshman, I was sitting in my dorm room, I looked up all the career
stats for quarterbacks at Eastern. And you know, I wrote down all the records
in a little notebook. And you know, I just found it a couple weeks
ago, and I was looking through it, and I was like, oh, I finally made my mark here a little
bit. And you know, I just want to keep building
on this season that we've got going on. I mean, we've got a good thing going for us:
first in OVC, second in the nation. And you know, if we just keep rolling with
it, doing what we've been doing, one game at a time, one game at a time, then we'll
be in the right direction at the end of the season.
I mean, it's either national championship or bust at this point.
[Music Fades] [No Dialogue]
>>Mike Bradd: First and ten, Garoppolo.
He's going deep, got Gober behind. The defense got it, at the 30, 20!
Keiondre Gober on his way for the touchdown! Steps up, now he's going to throw it deep
in the end zone. Drake, got it!
Touchdown, Eastern Illinois! There's the snap.
Here comes the blitz. Jimmy's going to throw it deep down the middle.
Lora's out there, got it! and he's on his way!
Garoppolo burns the blitz! Touchdown, Eastern Illinois!
Here comes the blitz. Garoppolo's back, looking, throwing the bomb.
Got Drake out there. Touchdown, Eastern Illinois!
He's going to throw into the end zone, and touchdown!
Erik Lora, I'm not sure how he got that through that window to get him.
Looking deep, firing end zone. Lora, wide open.
Touchdown, Eastern Illinois! Erik Lora in the back corner!
And they fake a handoff. Garoppolo down the middle, Drake open at the
30. 25, 20, heading to the right, 15, 10, 5.
Touchdown, Adam Drake! Here's Garoppolo to throw, four man run, pump
fake. Throwing the bomb, going for Lora.
Touchdown, Eastern Illinois! There's the snap, Jimmy looking and throwing
to the right side for Lora. Touchdown, Eastern Illinois!
Looking, throwing the bomb. Going for Gober, back of the end zone.
Touchdown, Eastern Illinois! Gober in the back corner behind two defenders.
Jimmy Garoppolo sets the record for Eastern Illinois and the Ohio Valley Conference with
his 86th career touchdown pass. Signaling receivers to go downfield.
He's going to throw into the end zone. And it is bobbled and caught!
Jeff LePak! Fake handoff.
Garoppolo sets up, locked in and down the right sideline.
Gober got it at the 15, 10, 5. Touchdown!
Now he's going to dodge a man, throws. Hit as he throws deep right for Lora.
Leaping grab at the goal line! Touchdown, Eastern Illinois!
Three white outs left. Garoppolo back, looking to the left, throwing
the fade in the corner. Lora, leaping catch!
And touchdown, Eastern Illinois! First and ten, Panthers at the 18.
Garoppolo back, a lot of time. Throwing it deep.
Got Drake out there, got it! 40, 30, Adam Drake going all the way!
Touchdown, Eastern Illinois! They blitzed Garoppolo.
He's back, steps up, he's throwing the bomb. Got Gober out there... Got it!
20, 15, steps out of a tackle! It's a touchdown for Eastern Illinois!
Garoppolo to Gober! 61 yards on the third play from scrimmage!
Garoppolo up under center. Fake handoff, back to pass.
Steps up, throwing the bomb up the right side. Gober back of the end zone... Touchdown, Eastern
Illinois! Gober in the back corner with the touchdown!
And Garoppolo has just tied the Eastern record with his 34th touchdown pass this season.
Jimmy back to pass. Pump fake, throws it to the right.
Wide open, LePak. 10, 5, touchdown, Eastern Illinois!
There's the snap. Garoppolo back, pump fake.
Throwing the fade. Left corner, Lora's got it!
Touchdown, Eastern Illinois! A toe-tap catch in the left corner of the
end zone by Erik Lora. Garoppolo back, stands in the pocket.
Guns it deep middle... Caught! Touchdown!
Erik Lora with a catch at the 2 yard line and goes in standing up.
And it is... Caught, I think. Touchdown, Eastern Illinois!
Shepard Little's back in the game for Eastern. Second and seven at the 10.
Toss to Little, heading to the right. He wants to throw a pass.
Throwing back to Garoppolo on the left sideline. And he caught it at the goal line!
Touchdown! There's a penalty flag!
Jimmy Garoppolo might have just caught his first touchdown pass!
Little, the only running back. Garoppolo, two step drop.
Throwing the fade. Going for Drake, corner of the end zone.
Touchdown, Eastern Illinois! That's just a teardrop right into the arms
of Adam Drake between two defenders. [Players Cheering]
>>Jimmy Garoppolo: Number one, baby!
>>Mike Bradd: Third and eleven.
Garoppolo back to pass. Throwing it deep left.
Touchdown, Eastern Illinois! Garoppolo back to pass, throwing the ball
to the goal line! Caught by LePak!
Touchdown, Eastern Illinois! A leaping catch by 6'6" Jeff Leaping LePak!
Garoppolo back, two step drop. Throwing the fade.
Going for Drake... and he's got it! Touchdown, Eastern Illinois!
Perfect throw by Garoppolo. Lofted it high, and Drake ran under it in
the back corner of the end zone for his second touchdown today.
Second and long. Garoppolo back at the 45.
Throwing the bomb, left sideline. LePak's got it at the 25.
Breaks loose, penalty flag. 20, 10, 5.
Touchdown, LePak. Third down, seven to go at the 35.
Garoppolo back, firing it deep. Right sideline, going for Gober!
And a diving catch at the 3 yard line! They fake it to him.
Garoppolo back, sets up, throwing the bomb. Right side, going for Lora.
He's got it! 15, 10, 5!
Thrown out of bounds inside the 5! Shotgun snap.
Fake handoff. Jimmy back, firing the slant.
Caught! Touchdown, Erik Lora!
16-0, Eastern Illinois. Third and goal.
Garoppolo back. Pump fake, in trouble, rolling to the right.
Jimmy looking into the end zone, rolling out to the right.
Throws over the middle! Touchdown!
Jeff LePak! Great job by Garoppolo to find LePak while
he was scrambling out of the pocket. Jimmy back, looking left.
Pump fake, throwing it left corner. Lora's got it!
Touchdown, Eastern Illinois! Wait a second, make it Drake.
Adam Drake with the touchdown, he joins in the fun!
[Cheering] >>Jimmy Garoppolo:
Let's do it, Coach! >>Mike Bradd:
Empty backfield for Garoppolo, third down. Jimmy back, in the pocket.
Throwing over the middle. Touchdown, Erik Lora, back of the end zone!
Panthers have taken the lead! Garoppolo back.
Pump fake, looking deep. Now still stands in.
Throwing it deep middle. Drake's got it, 15, down to the 12!
Garoppolo held up for a long time and found Drake open!
Now steps up, now surrounded. Gets away.
Hit from behind. Still going at the 5.
He's going to run it in! Touchdown, Eastern Illinois!
Jimmy Garoppolo escaped the pocket, and then made a couple guys miss!
Garoppolo looks to pass. Now rolls out to his right.
Steps up, looking deep. Now he's going to launch it deep.
Got a man wide open in the end zone! Touchdown!
Jeff LePak running wide open in the back right corner of the end zone!
[Cheering] [Music Plays]
>>Rameen Karbassioon: Production for Panther Sports Talk is brought
to you in part by: Johnson's Automotive Service is a proud supporter
of Panther Sports on WEIU. Johnson's is a complete car facility for all
your automotive repair and maintenance needs. Johnson's Automotive Service: keeping your
life running. [Music Plays]