A team with a 1-8 record usually doesn’t carry much clout or strike fear into the hearts of any foe.

However, Panther head coach hopes his team gives more than just a hoot about this year’s version of the Florida Atlantic Owls. Florida Atlantic flies into O’Brien Stadium 1:30 p.m. Saturday (WHQQ-FM 98.9) in the Panthers’ final non-conference game of the season. Eastern plays at Murray State next week in a game that will decide the Ohio Valley Conference champion.

In other words, Eastern has everything to lose, in terms of the favor of the NCAA Tournament selection committee, and the Owls can only gain everything with an upset win.

“(Florida Atlantic) really played well against a lot of the Division I-AA teams,” Spoo said. “They haven’t really gotten blown out. They are respectable.”

The Owls lost to No. 13-ranked Bethune-Cookman by only 13 points in their second game and lost to perennial power Youngstown State 24-17 in October after holding the Penguins scoreless in the second half. Florida Atlantic plays in what could arguably be considered the toughest Division I-AA schedule in only its second season at that level.

But the school’s biggest battles haven’t been fought on the field – they’ve been fighting a losing battle against academic ineligibility. Many of the school’s blue chip players have fallen off the roster because of grades.

Florida Atlantic head coach Howard Schellenberger has struggled to find any sort of consistency since losing those players.

The Owls’ offensive line is especially weak, providing complications for any sort of running game and giving sophomore starting quarterback Jared Allen little time to throw.

Spoo insisted Allen is still a major threat to Eastern’s defense.

“He is a lot like Southeast Missouri’s quarterback (Jack) Tomko – he can put up some passing numbers,” Spoo said. “They have a power running game like we’ve seen them use before.”

Red-shirt freshman Daveon Barron spearheads the team’s running attack, which has averaged only 1.5 yards per carry.

Barron rushed for 147 yards on 25 carries in last week’s 34-13 win against Morris Brown College.

The Eastern defense corps faces the depleted Owls O’ on the heels of a game that helped the Panther black shirts’ stock rise. The Panthers forced Tennessee-Martin to go three-and-out on six of its first 11 possessions.

The Panthers stock has also risen on offense. Eastern owns the nation’s second-best scoring offense and No. 3 total offense. Senior quarterback and lead Walter Payton Award candidate Tony Romo needs one touchdown to break Sean Payton’s school record for touchdowns in a season. The Panthers have averaged 481 offensive yards per game during their current seven-game winning streak.

The Owls own the nation’s 73rd ranked offense – Eastern is No. 116.

But Spoo won’t take anything for granted.

“You just never know what kind of screwy things happen,” he said. “There are all kinds of little things that could go wrong. We need to play well and get ourselves ready.”

Panther senior tailback J.R. Taylor said Tuesday the team has been more focused in practices and games than earlier this season.

Spoo hopes Taylor is right.

“I’ve seen comments from Murray State about that same thing,” Spoo said. “That’s how important it is. I hope we’re getting closer. If you’ve got a fractured football team, then you’re in trouble.”