1988 Eastern Illinois Panthers football team

1988 Eastern Illinois Panthers football
Conference	Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference
Record	5–6 (2–4 GCAC)
Head coach	Bob Spoo (2nd season)
Home stadium	O'Brien Stadium

1988 Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings

	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 3 Western Illinois $^	6	–	0	–	0			10	–	2	–	0
Southwest Missouri State	4	–	2	–	0			5	–	5	–	0
Indiana State	4	–	2	–	0			5	–	6	–	0
Northern Iowa	3	–	3	–	0			5	–	6	–	0
Eastern Illinois	2	–	4	–	0			5	–	6	–	0
Southern Illinois	2	–	4	–	0			4	–	7	–	0
Illinois State	0	–	6	–	0			1	–	10	–	0
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll

The 1988 Eastern Illinois Panthers football team represented Eastern Illinois University during the 1988 NCAA Division I-AA football season. The Panthers played their home games at O'Brien Stadium in Charleston, Illinois.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Rank	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 3	at Illinois State		Hancock Stadium Normal, IL (rivalry)	W 16–7
September 10	Austin Peay*		O'Brien Stadium Charleston, IL	W 44–0
September 17	Liberty*		O'Brien Stadium Charleston, IL	W 28–27
September 24	Youngstown State*	No. T–13	O'Brien Stadium Charleston, IL	L 13–33
October 1	at Indiana State		Memorial Stadium Terre Haute, IN	L 12–24
October 8	Southern Illinois		O'Brien Stadium Charleston, IL	W 34–3	9,415
October 15	at No. 2 Western Illinois		Hanson Field Macomb, IL	L 8–45	9,680
October 22	Northern Iowa		O'Brien Stadium Charleston, IL	L 15–17
October 29	at Southwest Missouri State		Briggs Stadium Springfield, MO	L 21–41
November 5	No. 5 Western Kentucky*		O'Brien Stadium Charleston, IL	W 6–0
November 12	No. 15 Boise State*		Bronco Stadium Boise, ID	L 7–12	12,871
*Non-conference game Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee Poll released prior to the game