Panther head football coach Bob Spoo doesn’t have many worries these days.

The 64-year-old has job security after signing a three-year contract last year. His coaching staff consists mostly of second-year assistants who now know the territory. His team returns almost all of its key components from last season’s undefeated Ohio Valley Conference squad.

That core of returnees is hungry to advance deep into the Division I-AA playoffs – a goal that went unfulfilled last season after a first-round 49-43 loss to Northern Iowa.

“That’s still fresh in our mind,” senior quarterback Tony Romo said. “If we stay close together as a team we’ll get back there and go beyond that.”

Romo, a 6-foot-3, 215-pound preseason Walter Payton Award favorite posted the highest pass efficiency rating of any I-AA quarterback last season (138-for-207 with 21 touchdowns).

Senior running back J.R. Taylor returns after scoring 21 touchdowns, a new school record.

Florida natives Nick Ricks (junior linebacker) and Fred Miller (junior strong safety) both earned all-American honors last season.

Sophomore offensive tackle Mike Bujnak of Belleville, Naperville senior guard Kevin Hill and senior center Scott Sholl also earned all-conference honors. Ten of 11 offensive starters from last year’s squad return.

The defense is no slouch either.

Ricks, Miller, senior cornerback Roosevelt Williams, junior defensive tackle Damien McCottrell and senior linebacker Lance Thompson lead a high profile list of returnees on defense.

Despite 11 first place votes in the preseason conference poll and no ratings lower than No. 8 and as high as No. 4 in the I-AA polls, Spoo said Eastern would be one puzzle piece away from disaster all season.

He’s not losing sleep over the issue, but it is a cause for worriment.

“I never want to count on just one guy,” said Spoo, who begins his 16th season at the helm Saturday. “But an injury to Tony Romo or Nick Ricks would really hurt us.”

While disaster didn’t quite strike last season after

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losing split end Will Bumphus in Week 2 and running back Andre Raymond at the season’s midpoint, the Panthers didn’t pack the same punch last November as was on the opening day roster. Both Raymond, a junior and Bumphus, a senior, are at full strength percent entering the season opener Saturday in Hawaii.

Spoo knows his team isn’t bullet proof. In fact, a glaring weakness could be on special teams in the kicking position.

Freshman Steve Kuehn and sophomore Dennis Cole will share the kicking duties in absence of first-team all-OVC kicker Bill Besenhofer, who graduated last year.

“(Cole and Kuehn) will definitely be tested in the first few games somewhat – they have potential,” said Spoo, who needs only four more wins to become Eastern’s all-time win leader. “We were definitely spoiled with Bill around.”

It doesn’t get any easier after a trip to Kansas State Sept. 14 with the OVC schedule beginning in October. Many coaches around the league believe an undefeated campaign is impossible.

Spoo said his team’s mental toughness would be able to guide through the choppy league waters.

“I think our leadership now really makes a difference,” Spoo said. “We’ve got a lot of seniors to provide a great bulk of that.”

And the “unity council” installed by first-year defensive line coach Charlie Partridge provides another forum for those leaders to step up. The senate-like forum provides a place to discuss discipline and other team issues.

“The unity council is going to be able to provide us with some extra ingredients,” Spoo said. “We’re going to have to be able to have a much more disciplined team. That’s what the council does – it helps us with discipline and it helps us to overcome any adversity that may befall us otherwise.’

Spoo said it’s all about togetherness.

“I think we need to stay as close together as a team as we can,” he said. “I really think that we need to stay from injuries. That’s just the nature of I-AA football – you don’t have the depth.”