Micah Rucker is Eastern’s dominating wide receiver.

He made that clear last year after he caught 49 passes for 966 yards and 13 touchdowns. He has all the physical tools: 6 feet 6 inches tall, 221 pounds and sure hands. He possesses an ability to out-jump any defensive back and an ability to serve as a decoy to open up other receiving options.

If Rucker didn’t have a productive game last season, Eastern’s passing game struggled.

That has changed this year, with every receiver, or tight end, being a viable option to catch a pass on any play.

And some players aren’t big-name guys with extraordinary physical gifts like Rucker – or even contributed much last season.

Senior wide receiver Jason Fisher has eight receptions for 112 yards this year. The 6-foot-2-inch, 198-pound former quarterback has not only mixed it up on special teams this year, he has shown steady hands and has made big catches at big times.

Against Indiana State, Fisher came up with a three-yard reception. Doesn’t sound like much right?

But the play was critical because quarterback Bodie Reeder’s pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage with Eastern on ISU’s 4-yard line in a 3rd-down situation. Fisher waited, jumped in the air for the ball at the 1, and held onto it despite being hit by three ISU defenders.

His reception enabled Eastern to hand the ball off to fullback Chip Keys. Keys bulled his way past ISU’s defensive line and into the end zone to give Eastern an early 20-0 lead.

Alicus Nozinor didn’t even play last year for the Panthers, despite playing in 2004 and 2005. The 6-foot, 172-pound junior missed the 2006 season because of academic ineligibility. He hasn’t let the year off affect his game this year.

Nozinor is second on the team with 15 catches for 193 yards, and had a game-high eight receptions for 93 yards against ISU.

He is used primarily in the open field, with Reeder throwing him a pass at the line of scrimmage and Nozinor using his speed and blockers to get downfield.

But he also does a good job of reading the opposing defense, and stopping his routes off based on the coverage.

Quinten Ponius, a 5-foot-9-inch, 197-pound junior, has five catches for 34 yards and is healthy after suffering an injury at Indiana State. The former defensive back, who was switched to the offensive side of the ball last spring, has solid hands and a potential to break a big play with every catch.

“I would hope with each game, with each little success, they are gaining more and more confidence,” Eastern head coach Bob Spoo said. “And that’s a big part of the game, knowing you can go out there and make plays.”

In the Panthers two losses last year to Football Championship Subdivision teams, Rucker had a combined two catches for 10 yards.

Eastern’s game plan is to establish the run.

Speak to any coach or player, and that sentiment is clear.

But this is not the 1950s. Teams can’t run the ball all game and expect to win.

Eastern got away with running the ball 29 straight times to start the second half of last year’s 20-10 win against Murray State because the Racers defense never adjusted to stop it.

Reeder went 23-for-26 for 298 yards and completed passes to seven different receivers last week. The rushing game also produced 311 yards.

Some of those numbers probably had to do with a porous Indiana State defense. But Reeder didn’t force-feed Rucker the ball. Rucker still had five catches for 86 yards, but on plays where Rucker wasn’t open, Reeder went to another receiver.

“We’re not going to win if we don’t utilize Micah properly,” Reeder said after Saturday’s game. “But at the same time, if we throw it to Micah every time, defenses will figure it out. They’re not stupid. If we spread the ball around a little bit and get everyone involved, that’s going to be better for Micah in the long run because it’s going to open him up so (defenses) can’t just zone in on him.”

Balance is a key word Eastern’s offense has used the last two seasons. While the results against Indiana State won’t mirror how the offense performs every game, the Panthers are showing their entire passing game doesn’t revolve around Rucker.

And with that philosophy, every wide receiver has a chance to dominate.