Friday, October 24, 2008 10:56 PM CDT
Pre-med Johnson operating on field
By BRIAN NIELSEN, Sports Editor
bneilsen@jg-tc.com
Unlike other pre-med students, Donovan Johnson is not spending the fall semester of his senior year applying for medical schools.
That would mean weekend interviews and Johnson’s Saturdays are usually booked.
As a defensive end for Eastern Illinois’ football team, before treating patients Johnson is still trying to tackle ball carries, a practice he does not want to give up quite yet.
“It means a lot,” Johnson said of this football season. “It’s my last year. I want to put everything into it.”
While ranking seventh in the Ohio Valley Conference in tackles for loss this season, Johnson did not delay those medical school interviews with the idea of his Eastern Illinois team having this 3-4 record and 1-2 OVC mark.
“It could be better,” he said, “but that’s why we play five more games.”
That stretch starts with today’s 2 p.m. game at Eastern Kentucky, which at 4-3 and 3-1 is among the teams the Panthers are chasing in the OVC race.
“No, we don’t feel out of it,” Johnson said. “Back to what coach (Bob) Spoo says, this conference is so close. It’s just a matter of a few points. This conference, anybody can win.”
That has appeared to be the case so far in an OVC where a week ago first-place Tennessee State edged
last-place Austin Peay by a tie-breaking field goal with two seconds remaining.
In Thursday night’s ESPNU game, a missed extra point allowed UT Martin to edge Jacksonville State 31-30, dropping Jacksonville State to among the two-loss teams in the conference race.
The two Easterns have had their close games recently as well. Both games the past two years have ended 28-21 with Eastern Kentucky holding off a comeback bid last year in Charleston after EIU did the same in 2006 at Richmond, Ky.
Both teams made the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoffs last year – Eastern Kentucky as the undefeated OVC champion and Eastern Illinois as an at-large selection.
Now both are fighting to stay in the conference race.
That’s if Spoo is correct in projections that the OVC has enough parity for three or more teams to tie for the championship with two losses each.
For now, the Panthers are just trying to avenge last year’s loss when Eastern quarterback Allan Holland helped build his OVC Offensive Player of the Year credentials passing for 321 yards including two touchdowns when eluding near sacks.
“It seems like we had him in our hands but he made plays,” Johnson said.
This year Holland is doing some of the same but also taking his share of hits in the spread offense under new Eastern Kentucky head coach Dean Hood and offensive coordinator Mike Springston.
When Holland has spent time sidelined by injury, Eastern Kentucky has moved Cody Watts from wide receiver to quarterback providing more speed.
If the Colonels switch quarterbacks during the course of today’s game, EIU might have been helped from last week when Southeast Missouri turned to freshman Mike Scheible for much of the game in place of starting quarterback Houston Lillard in the Panthers’ 24-21 win.
“It didn’t affect us,” Johnsons said of SEMO’s quarterback change. “It surprised us because they had the OVC passing leader.
“The best we can do is prepare for their offense. (Watts) is good but you can’t forget about Holland. He hurt us last year.”
Johnson, who has two quarterback sacks this season playing the defensive end opposite All-American Pierre Walters who leads EIU with three sacks, is looking to continue to do his best in this third year season since transferring from Arkansas.
“He’s a great student,” Spoo said. “He’s been good for us getting him from Arkansas. He’s been a plus for us.
“He’s been a leader for us, getting us inspired. He’s played as well for us as he ever has.”
Contact Brian Nielsen at bnielsen@jg-tc.com or 238-6856.
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