For nearly two years, Eastern has won games with a less than complicated formula: stop the run, cause turnovers and attack the quarterback.

Last Saturday, none of those objectives were satisfied and it led to the Panthers 44-30 loss to Illinois State.

“I think maybe our guys sort of forgot how they got so good,” Eastern defensive coordinator Roc Bellantoni said.

Through the first three weeks last year, the Panthers allowed a quarterback to throw for more than 200 yards.

The 2006 version has the same issue.

“We haven’t been playing EIU defense at all,” Eastern senior linebacker Clint Sellers said.

Sellers hasn’t played since the opening kickoff at Illinois and was forced to watch his teammates struggle last week.

“It’s frustrating not being out there but I’m trying to help the team as much as I can,” Sellers said.

The most frustrating aspect of Saturday’s loss was the Panthers offense kept the team within striking distance with a top-10 team on the road.

“I don’t think we can play any worse defensively and we still had a chance to beat the number seven team in the country,” Bellantoni said.

“I thought that was a very beatable football team but we didn’t play the way we’re capable,” Sellers said.

Currently, the Eastern defense, which led the OVC in scoring defense, rushing defense and turnover margin in 2005, is ranked No. 108 (of 116) in the nation in total defense, 104th in points allowed and 95th against the pass.

“I don’t know how much I have to tell them because this is basic things,” Bellantoni said. “Some of these guys have to step up and figure it out.”

After having so much cohesion and success for the past two seasons, the Panthers may have been suffering from a mental letdown.

“I think if there’s one positive from Saturday, it’s that it was a reality check,” Eastern senior cornerback Ben Brown said. “We didn’t play well as a secondary, I thought the front seven played okay.”

This week the Panthers will face a high-powered passing attack as they travel to Birmingham, Ala., to face Samford.

“I know they are going to try and spread us out too,” Bellantoni said.

The Bulldogs mostly use a shotgun offense that will test the Eastern defense with veteran quarterback Jefferson Adcock.

Brown feels like after Illinois State, they will be more prepared for the Ohio Valley Conference opener.

“They like to throw it so I think we’ll be ready and need to work a little harder in practice,” Brown said.

In order to slow down Samford’s attack, the Panthers will need to have senior preseason All-American safety Tristan Burge who left late into Saturday’s game with the Redbirds with what is being called a severe knee sprain.

“I don’t know what his status is and it’ll depend upon how he reacts this week,” Bellantoni said.