Sophomore Mike Donato has his swagger back.

After having two sub par games, the Panthers starting quarterback rebounded to the tune of completing 22 of 28 passes for 229 yards in a 43-14 victory in the Ohio Valley Conference opener against Samford.

“I could tell he’d lost a little bit of that confidence but after Samford, he’s playing with much more now,” Eastern backup quarterback Kyle Kniss said.

Donato had a pair of games he’d like to forget against BYU and Illinois State when the sophomore went a combined 29 of 61 for 286 yards and 3 interceptions.

“After ISU, I spent more time in O’Brien Stadium watching more film,” Donato said. “I took practice that week more serious and it sure paid off.”

Donato came to practice without having to look over his shoulder because the coaching staff had already given him a vote of confidence.

“(Quarterbacks) coach (Steve) Brickey told me that I was the starter and the staff was completely behind me so getting pulled wasn’t in my head,” Donato said.

Kniss said the thought crossed his mind over the weekend but was happy to see Donato getting his game together last week in practice.

“Mike Donato is the starter and I’m all for him having success. Trust me,” Kniss said.

Donato said that his success in the Samford game has much to do with the game speed slowing down as he gets more game experience.

“The key with playing quarterback (now) is having more repetitions,” Donato said. “The more I get, the better I am.”

One year ago, Donato wasn’t even running any part of Eastern’s playbook. As a scout team quarterback, he was in charge of running the opposition’s plays against the Panthers first-string defense.

Most of his teammates say that’s when they realized Donato could be a premier player for the Panthers.

“Last year, he was giving the defense problems as a freshman,” Eastern wide receiver Ryan Voss said.

Donato wasn’t highly recruited out of Nazareth Academy in Broadview and a coaching change in Eastern nearly cost him his chance of being a Panther. When Donato’s high school coach sent the Panthers coaching staff his tape after his junior year, the Eastern offensive staff received an overhaul.

“When he called Eastern about me, they had no idea who I was and didn’t have my tape,” Donato said.

While at Nazareth, Donato led the Roadrunners to a 7-2 record and state quarterfinal appearance as a junior. In the two years after Donato graduated, Nazareth Academy is 2-18 combined.

“That junior year was so much fun because all of my buddies played better than we ever had,” Donato said.

Eastern liked what they saw on the tape and invited him to tryout and he almost immediately struck a friendship with Eastern starter Matt Schabert.

“Schabert helped me so much improve my game on and off the field,” Donato said. “He helped me with everything between on the field reads to how to handle the media.”

Even as a scout team player, Donato’s dream of playing professional football never wavered which pushed him to winning the starting job in the spring as a sophomore.

“I would love to play at the next level which is why it was so important to me to be a 3-year starter,” Donato said.