I wouldn’t have believed it unless I saw it with my own eyes, but Panthers’ head football coach Bob Spoo was right – the defense is much better.

Yes, that defense. The same defense that looked more like a human sieve because the opposition ran and passed through it like water.

The same Eastern defense that allowed 35 points per game and nearly 2 1/2 miles of offensive production last season has done a complete U-turn from, the road to mediocrity. This unit is now cruising down the road of success.

That’s right, if Eastern wishes to be successful next season, the game will not look like a shootout at the O.K. Corral anymore.

The focus of Eastern’s spring intersquad game was the quarterback competition, but the Panthers’ defense quietly made an impression Friday evening. The Blue and White squads allowed a total of 21 points and forced a total of five turnovers. What makes this performance even more impressive is that it was accomplished without star linebacker and 2002 Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year Nick Ricks, who was recuperating from off-season surgery, and the freshmen recruits who will arrive in the fall.

“I’m very pleased about how the defense has taken the bull by the horns,” Spoo said.

Eastern fans are going forced to be incredibly patient with an offense that will need game experience to improve. However, the easiest way to get instant results out of a unproven offensive unit is putting them in a situation to succeed.

How will Spoo and the rest of the staff accomplish this? Simple; give the offense a short field to work with by creating turnovers. Eastern picked off four passes and got a recovered a fumble late in the spring game which gave Panther fans an indication of what they can expect in 2003.

The fumble recovery was the most important defensive player of the year, not because it allowed the Blue team to win a meaningless scrimmage, but because of the apparent attitude change by the defense.

The play started with the ball on the goal line and was a hand-off to Andre Raymond, Eastern’s most reliable offensive player. Raymond uncharacteristically fumbled before crossing the plane and, from looking at defensive coordinator Roc Bellantoni, one would think the Panthers won the national championship. It’s very possible the defense would’ve opened up a hole big enough to drive an 18-wheel semi-truck through and turned the fate of the game over to 2002 Walter Payton Award winner Tony Romo and the Panthers’ offensive juggernaut.

So, the key to the Panthers’ success will be very simple. It doesn’t matter if the quarterback is Andy Vincent, Ben King or Justin Duhai. The crucial factor will be their ability to be on the positive side of the 50-yard line because of a big defensive play.