Johnson, Basinger combine for 4 TDs to help South Dakota State run over Eastern Illinois 42-7

Josiah Johnson and James Basinger each had over 100 yards rushing and two touchdowns apiece to lead South Dakota State to a 42-7 victory over Eastern IllinoisByThe Associated PressSeptember 26, 2026, 10:36 PMBROOKINGS, S.D. -- Josiah Johnson and James Basinger each had over 100 yards rushing and two touchdowns apiece to lead South Dakota State to a 42-7 victory over Eastern Illinois on Saturday night.Johnson carried the ball 14 times for 121 yards and Basinger had nine totes for 116. Corey Blair Jr. added 80 yards rushing with a score for South Dakota State (4-1), ranked second in the Stats Perform poll. Johnson had an 18-yard touchdown run in the first quarter and Basinger added a 39-yard TD run midway through the second as the Jackrabbits took a 14-7 lead into halftime.Basinger broke loose for a 48-yard touchdown run, Blair scored from 61 yards out and Johnson's 55-yard run into the end zone made it 35-7 late in the third quarter. Josh Holst's 16-yard touchdown pass to Ben Brooks ended the scoring with 10:33 left in the game. The Jackrabbits generated 597 yards of offense, 408 on the ground, and held the Panthers to 196 overall. Cole LaCrue completed 6 of 16 passes for 85 yards and had a 9-yard touchdown run in the second quarter for Eastern Illinois (1-4). Popular ReadsEastern Illinois: At Gardner-Webb on Oct. 10South Dakota State: At Illinois State on Saturday. ___Sign up for Top 25 poll alerts here. Visit the Top 25 here and see AP’s full college football coverage here.Sponsored Content by Taboola