The CMU football team’s first opponent finished last season ranked No. 18 in the nation.

In fact, it’s a perennial top 25 finisher and boasts Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and three National Football League coaches as alumni.

While the Football Championship Subdivision’s Eastern Illinois University, located in Charleston, Ill., does not have the same flair to it as Georgia or Purdue, it boasts several qualities that make it formidable as a football program and university.

“That’s the topic in the headlines these days,” said EIU coach Bob Spoo, referring to Romo and coaches Mike Shanahan (Denver Broncos), Brad Childress (Minnesota Vikings) and Sean Payton (New Orleans Saints). “Those are things that are very prominent with us.”

Romo, a Pro Bowl quarterback with the Cowboys, won the 2002 Walter Payton Award, the FCS’ equivalent of the Heisman Trophy, after throwing for 3,165 yards and 34 touchdowns for EIU.

Sean Payton was an All-American quarterback at Eastern Illinois from 1983 to 1986, throwing for a school-record 10,655 yards. Shanahan also played quarterback but later became offensive coordinator and helped lead the team to its 1978 NCAA Division II National Championship.

Childress, in his third season as the Vikings’ head coach, graduated from EIU in 1988.

The Panthers’ recent football teams are showing plenty of success as well. They have finished nine times since 1995 in the Sports Network’s FCS/Div. I-AA top 20, finishing as high as No. 9.

They also are ninth in the country in playoff appearances, with 12.

“They’re a Division I football team,” said CMU coach Butch Jones. “They’ve got great tradition in their program and have a lot of playoff experience. They’re very talented.”

Spoo, in his 21st year, has an impressive résumé of his own. He came to the Panthers in 1987 after two seasons as Purdue’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

Spoo won I-AA National Coach of the Year honors in 2000 and Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year in 2001 and 2005, winning conference championships in all three seasons.

Despite the honors, Spoo remains humble about his football program.

“A lot of teams have ups and downs, but most recently we’ve had success in terms of our subdivision and making the playoffs,” he said.

Winning against Mid-American Conference teams is not new to Spoo, either. EIU has won four games against Football Bowl Subdivision schools, all MAC teams.

The last was a 31-28 win against Eastern Michigan in 2004. The Panthers also beat Northern Illinois (1998), Western Michigan (1996) and Akron (1989).

CMU is well-aware of EIU’s credentials, even as a FCS team.

“We’re not going to overlook anybody,” said sophomore linebacker Nick Bellore. “(EIU) seems to always come out with a solid showing. They can execute.”

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