A new era of Eastern football is set to begin on Thursday night when the Panthers host Southern Illinois-Carbondale at O’Brien Field. The new era has the players, the community and the student fan base anticipating the start of the season with many — players included — having set high expectations for the upcoming season.

“I’m really excited to find out how these guys are going to react and how they are going to play,” head coach Dino Babers said. “I think they are going to play well, and I think they are going to be excited and play with a lot of energy. I’m looking forward to see what happens.”

The Panthers’ offensive attack will be anchored by junior quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, red-shirt senior running back Jake Walker, and senior receiver Chris Wright.

The up-tempo offense will have the Panthers creating a quick-hitting and balanced offensive scheme. Although they may be relying on the passing attack more than in recent seasons, the Panthers will also be providing their running backs with plenty of opportunities for big plays on the ground and through the air.

“You want to have a balanced attack,” Babers said. “We are really pleased with what we have, and we feel that we have a balanced attack and that’s what we are trying to get at Eastern.”

Along with putting in the final preparations for the season opener against Southern, Babers will be making his debut as a head coach at the collegiate level.

“Personally, for me, it would mean a little validation for the players,” he said. “I’ve been through a lot of wins and a lot of losses, unfortunately. I don’t really look at it for me, I look at it for the players and starting this era off the right way for the community and the institution.”

The new era also has students reenergized about Panther football, and Eastern is hopeful that O’Brien Field will see capacity crowds throughout the season.

“I would love for the football games at EIU to be the place to be,” Babers said. “That atmosphere, that chaos, that energy and that excitement is what college football is all about. Whether you are an athlete or student, you should want to be apart of this. Let’s make something special here at Eastern Illinois.”

By the Numbers – Offensive Preview

On offense, the Panthers and the Salukis match up well, as both teams boast a fairly balanced offensive attack. The Panthers hold the advantage in the passing game, recording 240.4 yards per game compared to Southern’s 194.7 yards per game in 2011.

Garoppolo proved to be one of the more prolific quarterbacks in the OVC last season, throwing for 2,644 yards (240.4 per game) and 20 touchdowns. His 2,644 yards ranked second in the OVC and his 20 touchdown passes ranked third.

Although he posted good numbers across the board, Garoppolo is focused on cutting down on his turnovers this season.

“I need to cut down on the turnovers,” Garoppolo said. “I had way too many turnovers the last two years, and if I can cut that down we have a better chance for success.”

Southern’s quarterback, junior Kory Faulkner, will return as the starting quarterback in 2012. Faulkner took over the starting job for the last seven games of the season, averaging 188.6 yards in the games he started. Faulkner’s top performance came against Illinois State as he threw for 334 yards and one touchdown. He also proved to be a dual-threat quarterback, rushing for 241 yards and seven touchdowns, good for second on the team.

In the running game, the Salukis hold the advantage, rushing for 183.1 yards per game in 2011. Although the leading rusher from 2011, Jewel Hampton, is no longer suiting up for the Salukis, they will have a trio of running backs that will contribute this season.

“They have three great tailbacks and a veteran quarterback,” Babers said. “Their offensive line is huge with 300 pounders across the board, but the tailbacks are going to control the game for them.”

The Salukis lead returning running back, senior Steve Strother, rushed for just 277 yards (25.2 yards per game), but senior Mulku Kalokoh and former Iowa Hawkeye running back Mika’il McCall will help strengthen the Salukis rushing attack this fall.

For Eastern, it will be relying on Walker to do the majority of the work on the ground this fall. Walker is coming off of an injury-shortened junior year that had him rushing for 580 yards and 10 touchdowns. His 580 yards ranked first on the team and his 10 touchdowns ranked fourth in the OVC.

Walker’s best game of the 2011 season came against the Salukis as he recorded a career-high three touchdowns in the losing effort.

Although the Panthers new offensive scheme will have them relying more heavily on the passing game, it does not mean Walker will not have the opportunity to pile up the yards this season.

“Walker is one of our better offensive players and we need to find ways to get him the ball; whether it’s handing (the ball) off to him or throwing it to him,” Babers said. “We aren’t giving away any secrets here, to win the game the best players need to touch the football.”

Along with the passing attack, the Panthers also boast a receiving core that one-ups the Salukis. Senior receivers Chris Wright, Chavar Watkins and Von Wise will provide a dynamic passing attack that will rival the best in the conference.

“I think our senior wide receivers are really good,” Babers said. “Chavar Watkins and Von Wise have done a really nice job and Chris Wright is one of our top wide receivers.”

Wright is coming off of a breakout junior season that had him compiling 735 yards on 42 receptions. Wright also proved to be a deep threat as his 10 touchdown receptions ranked first in the OVC.

The Panthers’ host the Salukis at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at O’Brien Field.

Jordan Pottorff can be reached at 581-2812 or jbpottorff@eiu.edu