Prior to the 2005 season, the Ohio Valley Conference’s coaches picked two Panther players at skill positions as the league’s best – junior rusher Vincent Webb and junior wide receiver Ryan Voss.

The pair led Eastern in rushing and receptions in their sophomore seasons; Webb rushed for 1,006 yards and 12 touchdowns, and Voss caught 46 passes for 784 yards and 7 touchdowns.

However through three games (and two losses) this season, Eastern head coach Bob Spoo has seen enough to know one thing.

“Last year was last year,” he said.

As sophomore quarterback Mike Donato has struggled through three starts, both Voss and Webb have sputtered.

Webb still leads the Panthers in rushing with 113 yards on 34 carries. Voss’s 97 receiving yards are the Panthers’ best, and his 8 receptions are second.

Neither has been effective since the Panthers’ season opener, where Webb ran for 73 yards on 14 carries, and Voss caught 5 passes for 64 yards.

“We got to run the ball in order to win,” Spoo said. “I don’t care how good of running back you are, if people don’t block and there’s nothing to run through and you get beat by a better defensive team than your offense is producing, then you’re going to get shut down.”

Webb also has been splitting time with sophomore running back Travorus Bess and freshman running back Norris Smith, which Spoo said was the team’s plan during the preseason.

But splitting time may be part of the reason Webb has yet to hit last season’s stride.

“The more carries you get, the more comfortable you get and the more of a routine you get into,” Webb said. “I think any running back can attest to that, be it a starter, a second-string or third-string guy.”

Voss said opponents haven’t been treating him any differently; he just hasn’t stepped up – and that’s made things even more difficult for the Panthers’ young quarterback.

“Mike’s struggling, but he’s still a young quarterback and it’s to be expected,” Voss said. “The other positions, like myself, the offensive line, the running backs and tight ends, need to play our best games because we’ve all played.”

“It’s hard for him to play well if he’s got a three-year veteran receiver playing crappy. Once we get our game to where it’s supposed to be, that’s going to make Mike a lot more comfortable.”