It’s time for a change at quarterback for the Panthers.

It’s not junior Andy Vincent and sophomore junior college transfer Andrew Harris can’t handle the job, but the two sharing time under center are not getting the job done.

Perhaps my standards have been set too high because of how well the team has performed in the past three years.

I wasn’t expecting this year’s team to put up the type of numbers it did last year when Tony Romo was leading one of the 10 best offenses in Division I-AA. But this year Eastern has dropped off even worse than I thought it would. The Panthers are ranked 113th in total offense in the nation out of 121 teams and 112th in points scored.

Head coach Bob Spoo is shaking things up though. Harris is scheduled to start for Eastern at Southeast Missouri State Saturday instead of junior Andy Vincent.

This could be a good move if Harris stays in the whole game giving the Panthers some stability at the most key position of the offense.

I also believe Vincent could be Eastern’s starter, but again only if he stayed in the whole game.

Vincent is taking the fall for the lack of offense so far and Harris will get his chance. Harris is more mobile than Vincent, which is a definite plus when teams bombard Eastern’s young offensive line with blitzes forcing the quarterback to improvise.

The numbers haven’t been great this year, but Vincent has impressed me. He’s thrown three interceptions and just two touchdowns in 89 attempts so far, but the key number is completion percentage -nearly 60 percent, 53 of 89 attempts.

Harris has thrown two picks and no touchdowns in 45 attempts.

Both Vincent and Harris could have better numbers, but the problem is there is no definite man at the quarterback spot.

Spoo and offensive coordinator John Carr have been using Vincent and Harris in a platoon-like situation. Both have taken snaps in every game this season, except for the University of Missouri game, which Harris didn’t play in. Vincent didn’t have a great game, but who expected him to against a division I-A team?

The Illinois State game could have had a different outcome.

Vincent led a quality drive for the Panthers in the first quarter of the Illinois State game capped by a 35-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Voss.

Vincent was running the offense very well until Spoo made a switch at QB.

Harris, who offensive coordinator John Carr wanted to start the game, replaced Vincent during the second quarter and failed to create much offense, completing two of four passes for 11 yards.

Vincent returned the next drive and failed to move the ball after sitting out.

If Vincent had been left in the game, Eastern probably would have won.

The problem with Eastern’s current situation is every time I think the offense starts to gain some momentum, Spoo changes the QB.

Establishing a stable starter at quarterback could make all the difference for Eastern’s offense. It probably wouldn’t catapult Eastern’s offense into the record books, but it could provide enough points to break Eastern’s three-game winning streak.

Eastern’s defense has surpassed my expectations by holding opponents to 20.25 points a game.

Eastern’s offense has enough talent to score three touchdowns a game. Harris could be the quarterback that leads Eastern to those three touchdowns a game and so could Vincent. But Vincent and Harris sharing time at quarterback has proven it can’t get the offense to where it needs to be – the endzone.