Though Dan LeFevour has never faced Eastern Illinois, he will have a flashback of sorts when CMU plays the Panthers on Thursday.

The junior quarterback, while at Benet Academy in Downers Grove, Ill., overcame star defensive end Pierre Walters and defeated Westchester St. Joseph in 2003.

LeFevour hopes for a repeat performance against Walters, now an All-American as a right end at EIU, when CMU opens the season at 7 p.m. Thursday at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.

“He’s about as agile as a linebacker,” LeFevour said. “What their defensive line does, they do it effectively.”

Walters started 12 games last season, leading the defensive line with four sacks, 47 tackles and 6.5 tackles for loss. He was named third-team Associated Press All-American and first-team all-Ohio Valley Conference.

“He’s got a lot of tools,” said Eastern Illinois coach Bob Spoo. “I hope he can stay healthy and perform up to his ability.”

EIU, which finished 8-4 last season and was ranked No. 18 in the Football Championship Subdivision, also is looking for breakout seasons from several of its key positions.

Junior quarterback Bodie Reeder, a transfer from Wyoming, started nine games last season, throwing for 1,726 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Travorus Bess and Norris Smith are expected to compete for playing time as running back after injury-plagued seasons, but junior Ron Jordan is listed as the starter for the game Thursday. Jordan, who transferred from Hawaii in 2006, had 257 yards on 44 carries in 2007 for EIU, scoring one touchdown.

“(Bess and Smith) are veteran players, and we expect them to step up in this go-around,” Spoo said.

As for the Chippewas, they hope their second game in two seasons against FCS competition goes better than the last.

They suffered a 44-14 loss in the hands of North Dakota State on Sept. 22 at home in what many thought was the low point of last season.

CMU boasts a 21-2 record against the Panthers, in a series that dates back to 1951. EIU was a member of the Division II Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, which CMU took part in from 1950 to 1969. The Chippewas’ last game against EIU was a 33-17 win in 1999 at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.

Some players, anxious to play their first game of the season, are not taking anything for granted this time around.

“We learned our lesson last time,” said senior defensive tackle Casey Droscha. “We’ll be prepared for them – they’re a very good football team. They bring a lot of challenges on the offensive side of the ball.”

Droscha leads a defensive unit that ranked last in the Mid-American Conference in total defense at 460 yards surrendered per game.

While the defense lost valuable leaders in defensive tackle Steven Friend and linebackers Red Keith and Ike Brown, it returns seven starters and each of its coaches.

“I think now, we can play with more confidence,” Droscha said. “We’ll come out better against Eastern Illinois.”

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