Panther head coach Bob Spoo is nervous about playing Murray State Saturday. But then, he’s always nervous on game weeks.

But history is good cause for worry.

“They’re dangerous because they’re on a roll right now,” Spoo said. “We’ve got them at the wrong time.”

The Panthers have won only once in their last five trips to Murray, Ky. And many of the games haven’t been without controversy.

In 1990, Eastern lost 14-10 on a late 40-yard touchdown pass. The following year Eastern seemingly had the win locked up to take a 29-28 lead on a two-point conversion.

However, the Panthers were called for offensive pass interference on the play and the conversion was taken away. The Racers won 28-27.

“As far as I’m concerned we won the damn game,” Spoo said in The Daily Eastern News after that game. “I don’t give a crap what anybody else says.”

Spoo said the official who made the calll is no longer in and hopes the league’s best officiating crew is on the field Saturday at Stewart Stadium – after all an Ohio Valley Conference title is on the line.

Murray State is a much improved team from last year’s 37-6 goal-post busting loss to Eastern. The Panthers can win the league title for the second season in a row with back-to-back wins over the Racers, barring its current streak, Eastern hasn’t done that since 1993.

“There’s been some bad memories,” Spoo said. “I’d really like to wipe thsoe out with the win. We want to win so we can win the conference outright. It’s what we’ve been working for since we started in August.”

Spoo has downplayed the possiblity of the Panthers earning a playoff berth without a win at Murray State – he wants to leave nothing to chance.

“There’s different polls,” Spoo said. “The selection committee has their own poll and I really don’t know how that works. I just want to win.”

Murray State marches the OVC’s best running game against the Panthers, who have the league’s best passing attack. Both teams defenses have struggled.

“It’s really going to take our best effort,” Spoo said. “We saw coming in that we had four conference road games, so we knew if we were going to win the conference we were going to have to win on the road.”

While the new-look Racers seek redemption and are playing a must-win game, the Panthers simply look to boost their standing in the Murray State history books, with a league-title clinching win. In other words, it’ll be an instant classic.

“This is the game that will bring out the best in both teams – maybe the worst,” Spoo said. “It’s more important for them. But it’ll really be a classic football game.”