Eastern Illinois offensive coordinator Jorge Munoz kept the Panthers offense after practice last Wednesday at O’Brien Stadium for about 10 minutes. It wasn’t for any extra time spent working on drills, but for Munoz to deliver a point. Munoz spoke about how the Panthers offense needs to come out with intensity right from the start of the game, and not wait around.

Munoz’s motto with the offense, one he repeats constantly during practice, is ‘Play fast.’

For the past two weeks, the Panthers haven’t exactly played fast right away.

They led Murray State 6-3 at halftime two weeks ago, and trailed Tennessee-Martin 20-7 last Saturday. Yes, Eastern came back to win both those games so what’s the big deal, right?

If Eastern doesn’t start to come out right away, get the lead and put teams away, there will be no sighs of relief after the Panthers pulled another close game out.

In last year’s game against Tennessee State, the Panthers scored first and kept the pressure on throughout the entire game en route to a 29-3 win.

Against UTM, the 8,151 fans certainly left excited, with booster members coming down from the press box with smiles and a look of relief on their faces.

This year’s team is as good, if not better than the last two playoff caliber teams for Eastern. But these slow starts need to end.

Don’t forget about JSU

Jacksonville State is still in a position to win the league. And with its players, and the coaching of Jack Crowe, expect the Gamecocks to come into their Nov. 10 game against Eastern Illinois with a 5-1 OVC record. And expect the Panthers to come in with a 5-1 conference record in a game that will determine who might get the league’s second playoff berth this year.

It’s EKU’s to lose

Eastern Kentucky’s last three conference games should not pose a problem for the Colonels. However, in this year of extreme parity in college football, nothing is certain. But the Colonels should cruise against Murray State, Austin Peay and Tennessee Tech en route to the conference crown. The experience, and ability to cut down on mistakes, is why EKU will win the league.

What Others are Saying

“Bobby Washington was stunned. ?

His teammates were more than just a little upset.?

But, ultimately a rather unsportsmanlike decision didn’t have any real impact on the outcome of Saturday’s first-place showdown between Eastern Kentucky University (6-2, 5-0 OVC) and Tennessee State.?

In the opening half of the Colonels’ 49-7 win at Roy Kidd Stadium, Washington was tackled and in the process the band containing the team’s offensive plays that he wears came loose.

It was reportedly picked up by Tennessee State’s Shaun Richardson.

EKU players later said that they saw the 6-foot-3, 250-pound senior defensive end shove it down his pants before taking it back to the Tiger sidelines.”

-Richmond Register Sports Editor Nathan Hutchinson in his Oct. 23 story about Eastern Kentucky’s 49-7 win against Tennessee State.