Bob Spoo’s biggest problem two weeks ago concerning his running backs was who would get the most carries.

That “problem” for Eastern’s head football coach has now turned into a legitimate concern.

Eastern has employed a running back-by-committee this season. Travorus Bess, Ademola Adeniji, Ron Jordan and Norris Smith have all produced during the season.

Throw in fullback Chip Keys, and Eastern’s running game has the potential to change games.

But the Panthers rushing game has gone from a five-pronged attack to possibly a one-man show.

The loss of Keys (a team-high six touchdowns) for the year because of a right ankle injury he sustained last Saturday at Southeast Missouri is devastating enough.

Bess, the starter through the first four games, did not play at all last weekend because of a left hamstring injury. He has been limited this week in practice, barely getting any repetitions with the offense.

Smith, the projected starter coming into the year, is still recovering from tearing his posterior cruciate ligament in late April. The 5-foot-9, 220-pound Smith saw his first action against Indiana State but did not travel to SEMO last weekend. He hasn’t practiced all week, and Spoo said he’s not counting on Smith playing anytime soon.

But even with those three not at full strength, the Panthers still have depth with Adeniji and Jordan.

After all, the duo rushed for a combined 207 yards on 39 carries, with Jordan picking up his first 100-yard game of his career. The two offer a contrasting running style, with Adeniji earning the tough yards between the tackles, and Jordan bouncing outside and using his speed to his advantage.

But there’s a catch.

Jordan is nursing a sore right ankle he suffered at SEMO. At the end of practice on Wednesday, Jordan stood around the Panthers team huddle, with no shoulder pads and a big bag of ice on his right ankle.

“It’s not as healthy a situation as it once was,” Spoo said. “So it’s a day-to-day thing.”

Which leaves Adeniji as the only healthy running back. Junior wide receiver Quinten Ponius, a running back in high school, has received a portion of the carries at practice this week out of necessity.

“If (Bess and Jordan) can’t go, then we’re down to Ademola, so we have to have somebody else prepared to be able to at least take the ball and run with it,” Spoo said. “That’s why we had to work Quinten Ponius in there.”

The 5-9, 197-pound Ponius is quick and can take a hit or two from opposing defenders. But going into the team’s most important game of the season, it is not ideal to use a player who hasn’t played that position in four years. The 5-10, 215-pound Adeniji isn’t afraid to take on any tacklers and usually seeks the contact.

He shouldn’t change his running style at all this Saturday, but his health is now a foremost concern for the Panthers.

The injuries couldn’t have come at a worse time: heading into the Panthers biggest game of the year.

And it doesn’t look like the injury problems for Eastern will run away fast enough.