Sunday, November 1, 2009 10:45 PM CST
'Good enough' Panthers stay in first
BY BRIAN NIELSEN, Sports Editor
bnielsen@jg-tc.com
MURRAY, Ky. — With a lost fumble and Murray State’s game-tying field goal with 13:03 remaining, Eastern Illinois’ slim lead was gone.
Current EIU players probably did not even know about that phantom penalty costing the 1991 Panthers a win at this same Stewart Stadium or that Shane Andrus’ last-second 52-yard field in 2002 in a return to the scene ended Eastern’s 14-game Ohio Valley Conference football winning streak.
The Panthers just knew things were getting scary on this Halloween when their only touchdown was scored by the defense and the offense had managed just 131 yards through three quarters.
“We struggled early on,” EIU quarterback Jake Christensen said. “We got a couple of bad calls. But we made plays when we needed to.”
Yes, with lead in the OVC standings hanging by a thread, Christensen fired downfield on back-to-back plays for 24- and 23-yard pass completions to Lorence Ricks.
That had the Panthers on the way to giving Austin Signor a chance to kick his second 37-yard field goal of the day.
After a Murray State turnover, Signor connected again from 36 yards and Eastern’s defense completed this 16-10 victory.
“I’m prouder of these guys than I was last week, coming up and playing the way we did,” EIU coach Bob Spoo said. “We fought hard and got a big win. I’m very proud of the defense. The defense kept us in the game. It wasn’t our best game but it was good enough to win.”
One week after a 28-20 upset win over Jacksonville State, the team that is ineligible for the OVC title or NCAA playoff berth because of Academic Progress Report penalties but thought to be the league’s giant, Eastern also went down to the wire with Murray State, which now stands just 2-6 overall and 1-4 in the OVC.
But the Panthers came through to improve to 6-2 overall and 5-1 in the OVC while the team that had been their closest pursuer Tennessee State fell to 2-2 in the league with Saturday’s 20-13 loss at Tennessee Tech.
Eastern Kentucky, 5-2 after beating Southeast Missouri 20-6, remains on the Panthers’ heels and would win a tie-breaker with a head-to-head win over EIU.
But that would not matter if the Panthers, ranked 19th and 20th in last week’s NCAA Football Championship polls, after this bye week can win home games Nov. 14 against UT Martin and Nov. 19 in a regular season finale against Tennessee State to clinch an NCAA playoff berth.
The Panthers avoided one pitfall Saturday at Murray State despite their lowest scoring game of the year other than the 52-3 loss at Penn State.
“Our hats off to the defense,” Christensen said. “They made plays all days. Kevin Cook did a good job punting. He showed he’s the best punter in the OVC.”
Left out of national leaders lists much of the season because he did not have the minimum attempts to be included, Cook no longer has that problem.
He had to punt eight times on Saturday, averaging 46.0 yards with five pinning Murray State inside its 20-yard line as the junior punter moved to the top of the OVC and 12th in the nation with a 41.5 average.
“It’s fun to contribute to the win,” Cook said. “My long snapper Adam Baker is getting it to me every time.”
Despite punts of 52, 54 and 57 yards in the first quarter, Cook was merely contributing to Murray State’s upset-in-the-making as Ja-Von Trotter returned the first punt 54 yards to the EIU 14 setting up Charlie Jordan’s 3-yard touchdown and the Racers’ 7-0 lead.
That is how things stood until Eastern’s defense provided the jump start.
On third-and-10 Murray State’s Nico Yantko tried a pass near the right sidelines.
Rashad Haynes was ready.
Without an interception to that point this season after getting five as a freshman and four as a sophomore, the junior cornerback got in front of the receiver, picked off the pass and ran 34 yards for a second-quarter touchdown.
“Coach said when the situation presents itself, you have to make a play,” Haynes said.
Defensive coordinator Roc Bellantoni said, “They like to throw a lot of bubble screens so we repped that all week.”
Eastern’s offense did mount provide a 31-yard, penalty stalled drive that allowed Signor to kick his first a 37-yard field goal of the day giving the Panthers a 10-7 lead 28 seconds before halftime.
That’s how things stood until Kienan Cullen’s 29-yard field goal with 13:03 to play pulled Murray State into a tie, getting the chance after EIU’s Mon Williams lost a fumble at the Panthers’ 27-yard line.
But the Panthers still had Signor who with his 12th and 13th field goals moved to sixth on Eastern’s season record list topped by the 16 converted by Dave Strauch in 1982 and matched by Steve Largent in 1995.
More importantly he provided Eastern’s margin of victory.
“No question he’s an extraordinary weapon,” Spoo said.
“I’m just happy to get a win on the road. I’m tired but satisfied.”
EIU’s Signor, Cook share OVC award
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — Eastern Illinois kicker Austin Signor and punter Kevin Cook share the Ohio Valley Conference football Special Teams Player of the Week award.
Signor hit all three of his field goal attempts, connecting from 37, 37 and 36 yards to move into sixth place on the Panther single-season list of 13 made. He ranks 16 nationally in field goals made per game (1.44). Signor also averaged 65.8 yards per kickoff, including a touchback.
Cook averaged 46 yards per punt on eight attempts, including pinning the Racers inside their own 20-yard line five times and having three of his attempts go over 50 yards. Cook had a long punt of 57 yards and increased his season average to an OVC-best 41.5 yards per punt, which is 12th nationally.
Contact Brian Nielsen at bnielsen@jg-tc.com or 238-6856.
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