* During the month of July, www.EIUpanthers.com will take a look back at the Top 13 moments that shaped the 2009-10 school year. Stories will be posted each Monday, Wednesday and Friday of July * 

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What on paper was predicted to be a down year for Eastern Illinois football ended with a 13th appearance in the FCS playoffs and the Panthers fifth Ohio Valley Conference Championship of the decade as EIU ended the year at 8-4 overall, 6-2 in the OVC.

The Panthers opened the season with the 98th edition of the Prairie State Rivalry Game picking up a decisive 31-6 win over rival Illinois State in front of 10,000-plus fans at O'Brien Field. The win streak continued for the next three weeks on the road as EIU rolled over Indiana State 31-0 before picking up wins at Southeast Missouri and at Austin Peay.

Sitting at 4-0 on the year EIU hosted Eastern Kentucky for an early season OVC show down. Playing in front of the 9th largest home crowd in school history the Panthers could not rally late falling 31-26. The following week EIU played in front of the largest crowd in OVC history as 104,488 fans watched two legendary coaches square off with EIU facing Penn State and head coach Joe Paterno.

With two straight losses, EIU had its season hanging in the balance with a homecoming tilt against Tennessee Tech. EIU would post a 23-15 win over the Golden Eagles sparking a second four-game win streak. The next week EIU knocked off No. 12 ranked Jacksonville State before clinching a share of the OVC title with wins over Murray State and UT Martin.

A home loss in the regular season finale to Tennessee State on ESPNU almost cost the Panthers a playoff berth but things played out in their favor two days later with an EKU loss at Jacksonville State. EIU would drop its FCS playoff opener at Southern Illinois.

EIU would have four players earn first team All-OVC honors with senior Chaz Millard being named an All-American for the third straight season. Head coach Bob Spoo was named the OVC Coach of the Year and was one of five finalists for the Liberty Mutual FCS Coach of the Year Award.