Eastern red-shirt sophomore cornerback Rashad Haynes had two things written on the black strips he wore under his eyes to reduce glare from the sun.

“Dad” was written on the strip under his right eye, and “As 1” was under his left eye.

“As 1” is the motto of Eastern’s secondary. If one defensive back makes a good play, it’s like the entire secondary made a good play.

So when Haynes intercepted Indiana State sophomore quarterback Chuck Dowdell and returned it 20 yards for a touchdown, the rest of the Panthers’ defensive backs had lots to celebrate Saturday night.

“Everybody gets pumped up after an interception or fumble recovery,” Haynes said. “It’s like a momentum shifter. It’s going to keep everybody amped to play. If we make a good play on defense, the offense wants to beat us, be one up.”

Despite the excitement of the interception and subsequent touchdown, Haynes said he was shocked he even had the opportunity. And not because he’s playing with his broken right hand in a full cast. He said Dowdell threw the ball right to him.

“I don’t know if the wide receiver and the quarterback weren’t on the same page, but I read it and I just jumped it,” Haynes said. “I had to get to the end zone because last year I caught five and couldn’t get to the end zone.”

Indiana State head coach Trent Miles said Dowdell didn’t identify Eastern’s cover two formation.

“(Dowdell) didn’t recognize the coverage,” Miles said. “And boom, you have an interception for a touchdown.”

Haynes has played with the cast during all three of Eastern’s games this season, but he said he has adapted to playing with it.

He said he couldn’t always get two hands on the ball for an interception, and he batted away one pass he barely dropped.

“If I had two hands, I would have caught it,” Haynes said of his near interception. “As long as the wide receiver didn’t catch it, I’m OK with it. I have a week left, and I’ll have both my hands back.”

Eastern head coach Bob Spoo said it has been encouraging to see the Panthers’ defense getting takeaways and finding the end zone. Eastern had two interceptions against Illinois and recovered two fumbles including one for a touchdown.

“When they can get us the ball like that or score points, that’s big,” Spoo said. “If it’s reminiscent of that 2005 team, then that would be great.”

The Panthers led the nation during the 2005 season with 41 takeaways (20 interceptions and 21 fumbles recovered). Eastern also broke up 51 passes that season, hurried the quarterback 39 times and had 18 sacks.

“If you ever listen to one of Coach (Roc Bellantoni’s) meeting he says turnovers probably 1,500 times,” Eastern red-shirt junior defensive tackle Trevor Frericks said. “That’s all everybody goes back to, the fact we led the nation in 2005 in turnovers. That’s what we want to get back to.”

Red-shirt junior quarterback Bodie Reeder said the Panthers’ defense this year is the best he’s been around in his three years at Eastern. Reeder spent the 2005 season at Wyoming.

“The back four are tremendous, and the front seven are one of the better ones that we’ll see all year,” Reeder said about the Panthers’ defense. “They create pressure up front, which turns into turnovers.”

Scott Richey can be reached at 581-7944 or at srrichey@eiu.edu.