After the cancelation of last week’s game against Illinois St., Eastern’s football team is like a shotgun ready to go off. The team is coming off two straight weeks of practice heading into Saturday’s 11 a.m. game at Eastern Kentucky, which will be broadcasted live on WEIU-TV.

“We’re anxious to play again, the attitude this week has been very upbeat,” head coach Bob Spoo said.

The week off wasn’t ideal for the Panthers, but it might have been exactly what the team needed. With some players battered and bruised, the team had an extra week to prepare and make sure everyone is mentally and physically sound.

“We took this week as an advantage to get guys healthy and to get more mentally prepared,” senior linebacker Antoine Livingston said. “I see us taking that momentum and fire we have into the game on Saturday.”

This early season game for the Panthers will prove to be a key test that could possibly determine the outcome for the rest of this season. A win could lift the team’s spirits and give the Panthers an edge heading into the mid-stretch of the season.

“This game is going to be a dogfight,” Livingston said. “Eastern Kentucky is a more talented team this year, and with a lot at stake, we’re taking this as the biggest game of the year right now.”

Similar to Eastern’s well-rounded team, the Colonels also have a few weapons of their own.

EKU has one of the top Division I-AA runners in the country. Freshman tailback, C.J. Hudson, is ranked second in the nation with 178 yards rushing per game, and 12th in all-purpose yards per game with 184. Hudson has run for 356 yards and six touchdowns in two games.

“He’s a very good football player,” Spoo said. “He’s a small guy, but he weighs a solid 190 with great speed. Out of high school, he was listed as one of the top three rushers in the country.”

On the other side of the ball, EKU is stingy on defensive. The Colonels defense held Liberty to -18 yards rushing in the season’s second week and only 208 all-purpose yards. The Colonels were one of the top five teams in the nation defensively a year ago.

After being flogged 49-6 last season by the Panthers, EKU has something to prove in front of the home fans.

“They’ll come to play and they’ll have last year in the back of their minds,” Spoo said. “This will be a tough game for both sides. We’ll have to play our best.”

Playing to perfection is something the Panthers have already come close to handling. In the first week’s performance against Indiana State, Tony Romo’s passing was perfect 16-for-16 for 264 yards, with 3 TD’s. To compliment the offense, the defense side held Indiana St. to a measley 14 points, with strong performances by Livingston and Corey Lewis, with 13 and 9 tackles respectively.

“Under the circumstances it was good to get time off, but right now we are definitely ready to go,” senior defensive tackle Brad Metzger said.

All the statistics look good on paper for both teams, but the rivalry on Saturday will be won in those 60 minutes on the field.

“Everything is on the field,” said senior Kourtney Young, a Third Team All-American selection last season. “We feel we can dominate anyone on offense and defense. I don’t see us letting down at all.”

Eastern coming into this game with huge expectations and a plan for going 2-0 in the young season, but EKU will be poised to stop the 10th ranked Panther powerhouse.

“The atmosphere tells me that our guys are ready to play,” Spoo said. “Once that ball is kicked, it’s going to be a slugfest. It will be a dogfight.”