Last year’s Panther offense was unable to score a touchdown on the Western Leatherneck defense. Eastern scored a total of five points in the game, a field goal by junior Nick Bruno and a blocked PAT return by junior Bradley Dewberry.

Eastern’s offense was shut down in the first two weeks of 2015, scoring just five points against Western to open the season, and getting shut out by Northwestern 41-0. The Panthers finished the season scoring at least 21 points in eight of the final 10 games.

But for right now, the focus for coach Kim Dameron and his Panthers is Western and improving the way they play them.

“We need to make sure we perform a heck of a lot better than we did a year ago at this time,” Dameron said in an OVC conference call. “We kind of got off to a slow start. (We) turned the ball over too much in the first and didn’t give ourselves a chance to compete.”

Eastern will bring a two-quarterback look to O’Brien Field to take on the Leathernecks each teams first game of the 2016 campaign. Redshirts juniors Austin Green and Mitch Kimble will both get snaps in the opening game.

Neither quarterback has seen starting minutes, Green, however, saw some playing time in 2015, but this will be Kimble’s Eastern debut.

The Panthers saw a different quarterback than the one used by Western after their season opening matchup.

“For the most part, we know who they are,” Dameron said. “We just have to wait and see what they are when they get here.”

Even though Green and Kimble have yet to start a game under the center for the Panther offense, Dameron likes where both quarterbacks are mentally, and is planning on giving both a chance to compete.

“They’ve been good for each other and they’ve been good for this football team,” he said.

The reason for the two-quarterback look for Dameron and the Panthers is simple. After Eastern Kentucky had to use three quarterbacks against the Panthers in 2015

Dameron wants to have a second quarterback ready at all times, who can come into the game, because anything can happen in football.

Dameron is the type of coach to have players competing every single day in practice for positions to get on the field for the game, and have good depth, where anyone can be relied on at any moment.

Defensively, the Panthers bring experience at linebacker with senior Seth McDonald leading the way there. As a junior he led the team in tackles with 109 including 57 solo stops.

But the two corners that will be taking the field Thursday night have yet to play a game, and only one defensive lineman has saw playing time.

“We’ve got a lot of question marks on defense,” Dameron said. “We feel like we’re athletic, we feel like we have good kids, but until you see them go out and play as a unit on Saturday, you really don’t know.”

A difference between the two teams is that Western brings experience in many more places. They have offensive experience, defensive experience, and experience at kicker at punter.

“There’s not a spot where Western Illinois really has a weakness,” Dameron said. “They do have a new coaching staff, so that will be interesting to see how that plays out, but for the most part we’re going to see a really good football team come in here.”

Sean Hastings can be reached at 581-2812 or smhastings@eiu.edu