Jack Lausch's first career start at quarterback for Northwestern will come against Eastern Illinois on Saturday night at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium.

The hope is that Northwestern can build Lausch's confidence against a FCS opponent they should be able to beat handily before Big Ten play starts the following week. But no one knows more than Wildcat fans that things don't always work out like that against lower-division teams. Previous head coach Pat Fitzgerald lost three games to FCS teams, including to Southern Illinois in 2022, and new head coach David Braun beat Howard by just three points on Homecoming last season.

The Panthers are 1-1 on the season. They've already played one Big Ten team and were overwhelmed, 45-0, by Illinois in Week 1, when they committed four turnovers. But they rebounded to create four takeaways of their own, including a 60-yard scoop-and-score, in a 27-20 win over Indiana State last Saturday.

Northwestern is 2-0 all-time against Eastern, including a 41-0 shut out in 2015, the last time the programs met.

How much of a threat does EIU pose? We talked to Dan Verdun from PrairieStatePigskin.com, to get an inside look at the Panthers in this WildcatReport premium story for subscribers only. Not a WildcatReport subscriber? Sign up today!

Q. Northwestern quarterback Jack Lausch will make his first career start against Eastern Illinois on Saturday. Do you expect the Panthers to really get after him, and do they have a pass rush that Northwestern should be concerned about?