PREVIEW STORY BY BRIAN NIELSEN - JG-TC

CHARLESTON -- What will Eastern Illinois' football team do if forecasted rain comes Saturday?

“Play with a wet ball,” coach Bob Spoo said. “We've got to get it in.”

While the quarterback derby that was a toss-up when spring practice started for now is much clearer, too many other positions are still to be determined and too much expansion on this new spread offense is to be refined for the Panthers to be planning to cancel the annual spring game.

A player draft is planned for today dividing into two teams to play the game scheduled to start at 10 a.m. Saturday at O'Brien Field.

The conventional game is to be played a week after a devised scoring system for offense vs. defense was used in last Saturday's scrimmage.

Now the Blue against White game goes for bragging rights throughout summer conditioning.

“It's been competitive the last few years,” Spoo said. “Kids get excited about it.”

The intrasquad game is to have Brandon Large quarterbacking one team and Shadonta Travis the other in a duel of next season's sophomores.

Another sophomore-to-be Doug Reynolds missed the last scrimmage and remains sidelined with a shoulder injury.

“If one were to go down we'd have to put the healthy guy in a red jersey and have him play for both teams,” Spoo said of the quarterbacks.

But to start the game, the quarterbacks with no red jersey signaling hands off can be tackled in full action with the idea of preparing them for times next season they will be running with the football for a spread offense.

“They will be live,” Spoo said. “Because of the offense it's only fair. They have to respond to getting hit, too.”

Eastern has spent much of spring practice working with a new offense.

“We're pleased with it,” Spoo said. “Obviously there are a lot of kinks that have to be ironed out. We think it's the direction we want to go but there is a lot of hard work left to do yet.”

The bright spots have included Large, who a year ago transferred from Scottsdale (Ariz.) Community College and this spring has emerged as the leader for the quarterback job although incoming freshmen Jimmy Garappolo of Rolling Meadows and Taylor Duncan of Marshall are to get their looks in August's preseason camp.

While Eastern would not likely rule out adding a transfer like last summer when former Iowa quarterback Jake Christensen came and wound up the Ohio Valley's second-team all-conference quarterback for the league champion, Large's spring performance may have lessened the need for such a newcomer.

“I'd say certainly the way Brandon Large has progressed has been a very pleasant surprise,” Spoo said. “It's greatly eased our minds in that question. It's not a done deal but the way things have washed out with Doug getting hurt it's elevated Brandon and he has done well. So has Shadonta. What they both needed was more reps and they're getting it.”

Also in that pleasant surprise category is Kevin Cook.

While Cook has established himself as a punter setting the school record with a 44.6-yard average as a freshman in 2007 and ranking ninth in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision last year as a junior at 41.8 yards per punt, this spring he has added place-kicking duties.

Cameron Berra of St. Louis signed in February and could emerge as the freshman kicker but Cook has show the ability to fill the dual role as well. He is to kick for both teams in the intrasquad game.

Last year's second-team All-OVC running back Mon Williams is likely to play in the intrasquad game after missing the past Saturday's scrimmage but another leading running back Jimmy Potempa remains sidelined.

While Potempa showed his running and pass receiving abilities last season, others are still trying to work their way up the depth chart while Eastern tries to build from an 8-4 season that ended with a first-round FCS playoff loss.

“Both sides of the ball have implemented new ways of attacking and that's good,” Spoo said. “It's giving us a better chance to compete. But saying that, we're not where we should be but we're getting there.

“From that standpoint I'm pleased but again it's a matter of making plays and honing our skills and hoping we can put a competitive team on the field. If we do, we can live with that. It's playing with a lot of confidence. That only comes with repetition and work.”