EIU coach seeks players who can lead

CHAMPAIGN -- Eastern Illinois struggled last season in ways the Panthers haven't been used to in head coach Bob Spoo's 23 seasons in Charleston.

The 5-7 finish (3-5 and in sixth place in the Ohio Valley Conference) masked a disastrous 1-5 start that left the Panthers all but certain at the season's halfway point that they'd miss the Football Championship Subdivision Bowl Championship Series playoffs.

That's harsh reality for a team that's put up winning records in 10 of its previous 14 years.

Spoo says the Panthers lacked leadership and intensity, and made a bad habit of turning the ball over in key situations.

"All those things came to haunt us as the season progressed," Spoo said. "Unless we make improvements in those areas, we'll go through a similar thing."

The coach says he's targeting two closely linked areas to improve on those weaknesses when the season starts Sept. 3 against Illinois State: the offensive backfield and the line that blocks in front of it.

Eastern turned the ball over 19 times last season, 12 on fumbles, and forced its opponents into five more turnovers.

But the Panthers can probably pin two of their losses Ȣ₈¬" 29-26 to Tennessee-Martin and 15-13 to Austin Peay Ȣ₈¬" on late-game turnovers.

"We turned the ball over in some extreme situations and it cost us dearly," Spoo said.

Eastern lost its most experienced running back Ȣ₈¬" Travorous Bess, who had 1,086 yards his senior year Ȣ₈¬" and will lean heavily on backs with far less experience.

Chevon Walker, a 5-10, 197-pound redshirt junior, will carry much of the load.

Walker carried the ball 74 times last season for 365 yards Ȣ₈¬" almost 5 yards a carry Ȣ₈¬" and two touchdowns. He's likely to share time with Desmin Ward, a 6-0, 223-pound sophomore who had 322 on 93 carries last season, but a team-high 11 touchdowns.

"I think they've got some ability," Spoo said.

The coach was quick to turn from questions about his backs to his own thoughts on the line in front of them.

That's where he's looking for they obvious Ȣ₈¬" solid blocking that opens holes and can turn a 300-yard back into a 1,000-yard ball carrier Ȣ₈¬" but also the less obvious.

This is one place where Spoo is looking for the leadership he says last year's team lacked.

The Panthers bring back linemen who started at least a handful of games at every position.

The best of them, and a player who could provide that leadership, is redshirt senior right guard Chaz Millard, Spoo said.

Millard, at 6-3 and 291 pounds, has started since his sophomore season. He is the only Panther selected to the preseason all-conference first team.

"Chaz is a tough guy and we need that; we need that leadership, which we didn't have last year," Spoo said. "He plays to the whistle."

Eastern is picked to finish third in the conference's preseason poll, something Spoo says doesn't mean "a whole hell of a lot."

Back before Spoo and the other conference coaches made their picks in that poll, he and his staff started sitting down with players looking for ways to fill the leadership vacuum that had become apparent to them.

The result sounds like it's one part corporate training exercise and one part "Survivor."

"We have what we call a unity council, and they're kids that are voted on by their teammates. We spent a lot of time going over what leadership means, the various traits," Spoo said.

"Heaven knows we need it."