Goliath got a raw deal.

Remember him? He’s that guy who got stoned (not the Randy Moss way) by the little guy. It was quite the upset.

Really though, Goliath lost before the fight even started. If he won, he would certainly be labeled a bully, and if he lost, his name would be used as a cheesy metaphor by columnists everywhere.

But the thing is, if Goliath would’ve won, who cares? He was a giant compared to his opposition.

Let’s say he manages to duck the mythical sling-shot blow. Goliath slaps the hell out of David.

It’s probably what should have happened.

But it didn’t.

Fast forward to 2005 and to Provo, Utah.

When the Panthers take the field at Brigham Young Saturday afternoon, they probably should get the hell slapped out of them.

First of all, BYU players are bigger and they’re fatter. Okay, maybe it isn’t a fat issue – but they are bigger.

The BYU starting offensive linemen are all over the 300-pound mark; Eastern has one 309-pound lineman – senior center Pascal Matla.

The Cougars’ starting defensive front also tip the scales over 300 pounds. Eastern’s d-line features senior left end Travis Wanzeck, who is 218 pounds.

But luckily for Eastern, and, for that matter, luckily for me, size doesn’t matter (so they tell me).

But, maybe some numbers are actually in Eastern’s favor.

For instance, Eastern is already used to winning on the road – the Panthers beat Indiana State 24-13 in the 2005 season opener.

Also, BYU has struggled in front of its home crowd, going 0-1 so far this season at LaVell Edwards Stadium. The Cougars lost to Boston College 20-3.

And if those two trends don’t bode well for the Panthers, here’s another.

Eastern’s record in September is 1-0. BYU’s is 0-1. This is what people mean when they say the words “concrete evidence.”

While these stats really don’t mean much (sorry to fool you), what does matter here is possibility.

BYU, like Goliath, is a clear favorite. However, the Panthers do have a slingshot and a chance.

Maybe they’ll hit the target. But, if they miss, it won’t be cause for panic.

Dan Woike is a senior journalism major. Email him at [email protected] if you’d like to verbally slap the hell out of him.