Eastern Illinois

Navy opens its home football season tomorrow night at 7 against the Panthers of Eastern Illinois at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium.The Division I-AA visitors, a preseason pick to finish last in the Gateway Conference or to be the sleeper, is led by seventh-year coach Bob Spoo.They come in with a 1-1 record to date, having lost to McNeese State last week, 49-7, after winning their opener at Murray State, 34-17.During the weeks leading up to the 1993 football season, the challenge facing Navy was to rebound successfully from two disastrous seasons.

Cincinnati Bengals Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma (1st round, 21st overall) Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida (2nd round, 54th overall) Jordan Shipley, WR, Texas (3rd round, 84th overall) Brandon Ghee, CB, Wake Forest (3rd round, 96th overall) Geno Atkins, DT, Georgia (4th round, 120th overall) Roddrick Muckelroy, ILB, Texas (4th round, 131st overall) Otis Hudson, OG, Eastern Illinois (5th round, 152nd overall) Dezmon Briscoe, WR, Kansas (6th round, 191st overall)

MIDWEST Arizona defeats * Eastern Illinois 101-76 * Butler 73-52 * Mississippi 66-56 * Illinois 87-81 SOUTH Michigan State defeats * Alabama State 69-35 * Fresno State 81-65 * Gonzaga 77-62 * Temple 69-62

Saint Joseph's and Gonzaga have attracted a great deal of attention this season being among the nation's top ranked teams, but there's another mid-major conference school that could make its share of noise in next month's NCAA tournament. At 21-2, including 15-0 in the Missouri Valley Conference, Southern Illinois is one of the country's big surprises. The Salukis were picked to finish fifth in the conference after losing their coach and their two leading scorers. "Everybody had a chip on our shoulders," said junior guard Darren Brooks, the team's leading scorer this season.

For Navy defensive coordinator Dennis Murphy, how well he hTC sleeps on Saturday night is determined by how well his team plays that afternoon. So what's your guess on how Murphy slept after his team was beaten by Virginia, 38-0, last week?"

It's an occurrence that has become so unlikely, and so rare, that you almost have to repeat it again and again to believe it: Navy in a rout, Navy in a rout, Navy in a rout. . . .As strange as that sounds, it is true. With fullback Brad Stramanak rushing for three touchdowns, Navy routed Eastern Illinois, 31-10, last night at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.It was the largest margin of victory for Navy in a home game since 1988, when the Midshipmen beat Yale, 41-7, in the fourth game of the season.

As Navy defensive back Grover Favors fielded one question after another about how a team with two wins in two seasons could possibly be confident going into a game, quarterback Jim Kubiak apparently had heard enough. Seated across the table, Kubiak put down his sandwich."We are not going to lose," said Kubiak, who then picked up his sandwich and continued to eat.That type of attitude is what Navy (0-1) will carry onto the field tonight when it plays host to Eastern Illinois (1-1) at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

Normally, the parking lot surrounding Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium isn't exactly a happening place after a Navy football game. Since the Midshipmen defeated Yale, 41-7, in 1988, Navy has gone 5-17 in home games.But the mood was far different Saturday after Navy beat Eastern Illinois, 31-10, in the home opener for the Midshipmen. The 21-point win was the largest margin of victory for Navy since that Yale game, which also happened to be the last time Navy scored more than 31."We finally looked like a I-A team tonight," Navy coach George Chaump said about the win that evened the team's record at 1-1. "We have something to build on after the first two games.

Cincinnati Bengals Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma (1st round, 21st overall) Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida (2nd round, 54th overall) Jordan Shipley, WR, Texas (3rd round, 84th overall) Brandon Ghee, CB, Wake Forest (3rd round, 96th overall) Geno Atkins, DT, Georgia (4th round, 120th overall) Roddrick Muckelroy, ILB, Texas (4th round, 131st overall) Otis Hudson, OG, Eastern Illinois (5th round, 152nd overall) Dezmon Briscoe, WR, Kansas (6th round, 191st overall)

Seth Willingham, the quarterback for Wilde Lake's 1992 state championship team, signed a letter of intent last Thursday with Eastern Illinois.Willingham, who passed for 1,700 yards and 15 touchdowns in 1993, his senior year, accepted a full scholarship to the Division I school.He hopes to follow a trail of outstanding college quarterbacks to have played for Wilde Lake, including Tony Tsonis (Towson State), Jim Traber (Oklahoma State) and Jim Starnes (Princeton)."I liked everything about the school, and especially the team quarterback situation," Willingham said.

MIDWEST Arizona defeats * Eastern Illinois 101-76 * Butler 73-52 * Mississippi 66-56 * Illinois 87-81 SOUTH Michigan State defeats * Alabama State 69-35 * Fresno State 81-65 * Gonzaga 77-62 * Temple 69-62

Seth Willingham, the quarterback for Wilde Lake's 1992 state championship team, signed a letter of intent last Thursday with Eastern Illinois.Willingham, who passed for 1,700 yards and 15 touchdowns in 1993, his senior year, accepted a full scholarship to the Division I school.He hopes to follow a trail of outstanding college quarterbacks to have played for Wilde Lake, including Tony Tsonis (Towson State), Jim Traber (Oklahoma State) and Jim Starnes (Princeton)."I liked everything about the school, and especially the team quarterback situation," Willingham said.

After his first three years in the Naval Academy football program, Brad Stramanak's greatest claim to fame was being the answer to a magazine trivia question."

Normally, the parking lot surrounding Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium isn't exactly a happening place after a Navy football game. Since the Midshipmen defeated Yale, 41-7, in 1988, Navy has gone 5-17 in home games.But the mood was far different Saturday after Navy beat Eastern Illinois, 31-10, in the home opener for the Midshipmen. The 21-point win was the largest margin of victory for Navy since that Yale game, which also happened to be the last time Navy scored more than 31."We finally looked like a I-A team tonight," Navy coach George Chaump said about the win that evened the team's record at 1-1. "We have something to build on after the first two games.

It's an occurrence that has become so unlikely, and so rare, that you almost have to repeat it again and again to believe it: Navy in a rout, Navy in a rout, Navy in a rout. . . .As strange as that sounds, it is true. With fullback Brad Stramanak rushing for three touchdowns, Navy routed Eastern Illinois, 31-10, last night at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.It was the largest margin of victory for Navy in a home game since 1988, when the Midshipmen beat Yale, 41-7, in the fourth game of the season.

As Navy defensive back Grover Favors fielded one question after another about how a team with two wins in two seasons could possibly be confident going into a game, quarterback Jim Kubiak apparently had heard enough. Seated across the table, Kubiak put down his sandwich."We are not going to lose," said Kubiak, who then picked up his sandwich and continued to eat.That type of attitude is what Navy (0-1) will carry onto the field tonight when it plays host to Eastern Illinois (1-1) at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

'Tis the day before the NCAA tournament and all through the landFolks are wondering on whom to lay a buck, fiver or grand.So, in the interest of assisting your postseason gleeHere's a look at the field from A to Z:A is for the All-Name team, which includes Kentucky's Aminu Timberlake, Evansville's Sascha Hupmann and Chaka Chandler, Delaware's Spencer Dunkley and Louisville's Brian Hopgood.B is for Banned from these spaces, like the phrases "March Madness," "on the bubble" and "The Big Dance."

After his first three years in the Naval Academy football program, Brad Stramanak's greatest claim to fame was being the answer to a magazine trivia question."

Navy opens its home football season tomorrow night at 7 against the Panthers of Eastern Illinois at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium.The Division I-AA visitors, a preseason pick to finish last in the Gateway Conference or to be the sleeper, is led by seventh-year coach Bob Spoo.They come in with a 1-1 record to date, having lost to McNeese State last week, 49-7, after winning their opener at Murray State, 34-17.During the weeks leading up to the 1993 football season, the challenge facing Navy was to rebound successfully from two disastrous seasons.

For Navy defensive coordinator Dennis Murphy, how well he hTC sleeps on Saturday night is determined by how well his team plays that afternoon. So what's your guess on how Murphy slept after his team was beaten by Virginia, 38-0, last week?"