Eiu Football History
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EIU FOOTBALL HISTORY THE BEGINNING as the lone score came when EIU's punter stepped back of Football at Eastern Illinois has also been a passion of the endzone line on a punt. The only other blemish on the the EIU student body along with the surrounding community record was a 0-0 tie with Bradley. dating back almost as long as the University has been in existence. EIU'S FIRST ALL-AMERICAN While it may not have been a priority when the campus EIU opened the 1940's with admitted its first student body in the fall of 1899, football another solid season as the Panthers quickly became one of the first extra curricular activities went 6-1-1 under the direction on campus. Three weeks into that opening semester, the of senior quarterback Bill Glenn. athletic association was formed, and 45 days after the first Glenn earned second team Little doors opened EIU played its initial intercollegiate game. All-American honors that year as he Oits Campbell, the university's auditor of accounting, completed a then school record 65.1 was named the first head coach and EIU played its early percent of his passes. Glenn would games on a field located where the current Student Services go on to play two years with the Building resides. EIU played a team from neighboring Chicago Bears to become the first Oakland in its first game and later played a game in EIU player associated with a National Effingham against Austin College. EIU lost both contests. Football League team. THE CORN BOWL SQUAD The 1948 version of EIU football coached by Maynard (Pat) O'Brien appeared to be off to a slow start following a 1- 1 showing in the first two games. However, EIU righted the ship to win six of its next seven contests including wins over in-state rivals Northern Illinois, Illinois State and Southern Illinois. Those wins landed EIU in the second annual Corn Bowl played on Thanksgiving Day in Bloomington, Illinois as EIU won the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title. EIU would lose their only bowl game appearance to Illinois Wesleyan by a score of 6-0. Initial Football Team in front of Old Main, 1899 LEAN TIMES IN CHARLESTON Following EIU's 1948 appearance in the Corn Bowl, THE FIRST COACH EIU had only three winning seasons over the next 30 years Until 1911 volunteer faculty coached the team. That and only one of them came after 1951. During that 30-year year Charles Lantz from Harrisburg, Penn., was hired as span, EIU witnessed the break-up of the IIAC conference the school's first athletic/physical education staff member. as many Illinois schools moved to offering scholarships Lantz would coach football for 24 seasons during his 42 while EIU did not. Despite not having a winning season on year stay on the Charleston campus. the field, EIU did produce several players who went on to During his tenure Lantz was undefeated at home professional careers. Included in that lot was Ray Fisher, during his first eight seasons which included a 104-0 rout of who was an original member of the 1960 Dallas Cowboys Pana, the Panthers most lopsided victory. His 1928 team expansion franchise. became the last undefeated squad in school history with a In 1969, EIU moved into a renovated Lincoln Field 7-0-1 record that earned a share of the Little 19 Conference and offered athletic scholarships for the first time. Though title. the end of year records remained on the losing side, on the Also during that time period, internationally known field performances increased as Nate Anderson became folk singer Burl Ives was a two-way lineman on the team. the first 1,000 yard running back in EIU history with back- The Panthers also had their only fatality in an athletic event to-back 1,200-plus yard performances in 1972 and 1973. come in 1915 when Paul Root was injured on a hard tackle Anderson would earn All-American honors both seasons against Illinois State. He played one more down, collapsed becoming the first EIU player in more than 32 years to earn on the field and later died at the hospital of a broken neck. that honor. The early 1970's also produced two long time NFL THE UNCROSSEd GOAL LINE products as center Ted Petersen was drafted by the Lantz's 1930 team may have been one of the best Pittsburgh Steelers and played on two Super Championship defensive units in school history as the were known as the teams. Jeff Gossett also earned recognition at EIU going "uncrossed goal line club." EIU was 6-1-1 that season and on to a 16-year career in the NFL that included one Pro did not allow an opponent to score a touchdown the entire Bowl appearance with the Oakland Raiders. season. The only loss was a 2-0 setback to Southern Illinois 2011 EASTERN ILLINOIS FOOTBALL... ...13-TIME NCAA FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYOFF PARTICIPANT EIU FOOTBALL HISTORY MUDRA SAVES PANTHER FOOTBALL INTO THE GATEWAY Amid grumbling from students and faculty alike, EIU Darrell Mudra moved on from EIU in 1982, but his President Gilbert Fite withstood the pressure to disband successor, Al Molde was equal to the task. Molde developed football and decided one more coach would be given a an early version of the run-and-shoot and had Sean Payton chance to salvage EIU football. as the perfect quarterback to run it. Payton would pass for Athletic director Mike Mullally was able to convince more than 10,000 yards in his career as the Panthers made Darrell Mudra to come out of his two-year retirement after two NCAA playoff appearances under Molde including a being fired at Florida State in 1975. Mudra had performed quarterfinal run in 1986, Payton's senior year. miracles at other universities and was intrigued to take one Under Molde the Panthers also became one of the more challenge. founding members of the Gateway Football Conference Mudra's first order of business was to hire a 25-year- (1985) which blended members of the old Mid-Continent old offensive wizard and EIU alumnus, Mike Shanahan as Conference and football playing schools in the Missouri his offensive coordinator. Bringing in some junior college Valley Conference. The Panthers also added lights to transfers and convincing the returning players they could O'Brien Stadium in 1985 as part of the "Brighten O'Brien" win, EIU went from 1-10 in 1977 to 12-2 in 1978 capturing campaign. the NCAA Division II National Championship. Molde also served as head coach in what most believe to be the most exciting game in EIU history. In front of a standing-room-only homecoming crowd of 11,000, Rich Ehmke hit a 58-yard field goal as time expired to lift EIU to a 31-30 win over Northern Iowa. THE BOB SPOO ERA While Mudra and Molde combined to win 77 games in nine seasons, no other coach has become more recognized with EIU football than current leader Bob Spoo. Spoo took over the coaching reigns following the 1986 season and has since guided EIU football to 140 wins, ten post-season appearances and numerous All-American selections. With a philosophy based on a solid run game and Poke Cobb rushed for 1,609 yards as a senior in 1979 sound kicking game, Spoo's program has churned out 12 1,000 yard rushers under his watch. The Panthers have also The 1978 season started at 4-0 and following back-to- churned out several NFL products including former Green back losses to Youngstown State and Akron, the Panthers Bay Packers defensive lineman John Jurkovic, Buffalo Bills would not lose again. EIU won the national championship defensive back Chris Watson and current Dallas Cowboys over Delaware 10-9 as Mudra was tabbed "Dr. Victory" by pro bowl quarterback Tony Romo. the Chicago Tribune for curing a patient that appeared to be Spoo also helped guide the Panthers into a new terminal. conference as EIU became a member of the Ohio Valley Included in the Mudra Years were the rushing of Poke Conference in 1996. Over that 13 year period, Panther Cobb, the pass catching of James Warring and defense of football has won more than 60 percent of its games with Pete Catan and Randy Melvin. Mudra would leave EIU seven post-season appearances in the last ten years. after five seasons with a 47-15-1 record that also included EIU athletes have also excelled as members of the a national runner-up finish in 1980 as they were ranked No. OVC with Tony Romo 1 in the nation all season, losing only to Cal Poly in the title winning three-straight game. Offensive Player of the Year awards (2000-02) I-AA CALLING that culminated in the Following two National Championship game winning of the 2002 appearances in three years at the NCAA Division II level, Walter Payton Award. EIU made the jump along with fellow members of the Other EIU players of Mid-Continent Conference to the NCAA I-AA level in 1981. the year have been The Panthers faltered in their first season but rebounded Nick Ricks, Clint Sellers with a 10-0-1 regular season in 1982 that saw EIU climb to and Donald Thomas No. 5 in the rankings. The Panthers would advance to the as OVC Defenders of quarterfinals of the NCAA I-AA playoffs that season in the the Year while Vincent first of 12 NCAA Division I playoff appearances.