BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. (Interstat) — Eastern Illinois will visit Gardner-Webb on Saturday for an NCAA Football Championship Division game at Ernest W. Spangler Stadium. The Panthers enter at 1-4, while the host Runnin Bulldogs are 2-4. The weather forecast for game time calls for 78 degrees.

Gardner-Webb will look to build on its most recent result, a 12-10 win at Charleston Southern. Quarterback Cole Pennington is the player to watch for the Runnin Bulldogs. In that win, Pennington completed 27 of 47 passes for 197 yards and one touchdown and added a 7-yard touchdown run. Pennington also passed for 298 yards and four touchdowns in a 36-35 loss to Marshall, and he threw for 309 yards and two touchdowns in a 44-20 win over North Carolina Central. Christian Vann ran 24 times for 73 yards and caught four passes for 2 yards in the Charleston Southern win, while Randy Young added five carries for 13 yards and two receptions for 4 yards.

Eastern Illinois is coming off a 42-7 loss at South Dakota State. Cole LaCrue completed 6 of 16 passes for 85 yards, ran 12 times for 24 yards and scored one touchdown. Jeremiah Salem completed 3 of 4 passes for 28 yards. Cade Cox made his only field-goal attempt, a 10-yard kick. The Panthers have also dropped games at Illinois State, against Indiana State and at Minnesota, with their lone win coming at Murray State. Eastern Illinois opened the season with a 28-14 victory at Murray State.

Gardner-Webb has played a competitive slate. The Runnin Bulldogs lost 36-35 at Marshall, fell 24-23 at Liberty, dropped a 17-13 decision at Wofford and opened the season with a 35-17 loss at Austin Peay. The Charleston Southern victory ended a four-game slide and gave Gardner-Webb momentum ahead of its home date.

The matchup features two teams still searching for consistency in the Championship Division. Eastern Illinois has struggled to generate offense in recent weeks, scoring seven points in each of its past two games. Gardner-Webb has shown more scoring potential, particularly through Pennington and the passing game. The Runnin Bulldogs’ defense also delivered in the Charleston Southern win, holding on for a two-point victory. Eastern Illinois will need to establish the run and avoid turnovers to stay close on the road.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a final score of Gardner-Webb 46, Eastern Illinois 19. Interstat’s ELO system gives Gardner-Webb a 91.6 percent probability to win. Eastern Illinois has been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of +13.5. The over/under for the game is 49.5.