Dameron circles UA homecoming

FAYETTEVILLE -- Over the past 39 years, Kim Dameron has been part of some memorable college football games as a player and coach.

Dameron, a Rogers native, was a walk-on freshman at the University of Arkansas in 1979 when injuries thrust him into a starting role at cornerback in victories over Texas A&M and SMU that clinched a share of the Southwest Conference title for the Razorbacks. A Sugar Bowl berth against Alabama followed.

As a junior, Dameron played safety when the Razorbacks beat No. 1 Texas 42-11. Moving to receiver as a senior in 1982, his final game for Arkansas was a 28-24 victory over Florida in the Bluebonnet Bowl.

Dameron was Louisiana-Monroe's defensive coordinator when the Warhawks won 21-14 at Alabama in 2007 during Nick Saban's first season as the Crimson Tide's coach.

Ole Miss won back-to-back Cotton Bowls over Texas Tech and Oklahoma State in 2008 and 2009 when Dameron was the Rebels' safeties coach.

In Dameron's third season as Eastern Illinois' head coach in 2016, the Panthers won 21-17 at Miami (Ohio), which went on to share the Mid-American Conference Eastern Division title.

But EIU's season opener Saturday, Dameron said, is going to be as big as any game in which he's played or coached.

Dameron is bringing his Panthers into Reynolds Razorback Stadium to take on his alma mater in Chad Morris' debut as Arkansas' coach.

"A guy asked me the other day where does this game rank on my all-time list," Dameron said. "It ranks right up there at the top with the biggest games."

Dameron, who played for coach Lou Holtz at Arkansas, will face the Razorbacks for the sixth time, but first time as a head coach.

In the previous five games, Dameron was Louisiana-Monroe's defensive coordinator when the Razorbacks beat the Warhawks in 2005 and 2006, and Ole Miss' safeties coach from 2008-10 when the Rebels were 2-1 against Arkansas.

"Coming back as a head coach to Fayetteville -- where I played and is 20 minutes from where I grew up -- means a lot," Dameron said. "I love Arkansas. It's a special place."

Fond memories of Arkansas aside, Saturday's game is still a business trip.

"I've never gone into a football game that I didn't think I could win," said Dameron, who has a 24-22 record at EIU going into his fifth season, including 21-11 in Ohio Valley Conference play. "So we're going to come down there to play our butts off against Arkansas, hopefully play the best we can. I think we've got some good players and a good staff."

Dameron understands the challenges of playing at Arkansas.

"I've been talking to our guys about how it's going to be a hostile crowd, how it's as good a crowd as there is in the country," he said. "When they call the Hogs and they play the fight song, it can get intimidating.

"But the old Lou Holtzisms come out also. The field is exactly the same as our field here at Eastern Illinois. They can't bring those people out of the stands. They can only play 11 at a time."

EIU, an FCS program, returns 12 starters -- six each on offense and defense -- from a team that finished 6-5 last season, including 5-3 in the OVC.

"Any time you go into a game a big underdog, you're just trying to get to the second half, get to the fourth quarter," Dameron said of keeping the score close. "Then you never know what can happen."

The Panthers are likely to start one of two transfer quarterbacks: sophomore Harry Woodbury from Navarro (Texas) Junior College or junior Johnathan Brantley from Tulane.

"I've got an idea," Dameron said with a laugh about who will start. "But I'm not going to tell anybody."

New EIU offensive coordinator Scott Parr held the same position at Navarro the previous three seasons.

"Woodbury's probably a little more comfortable in the system because he played for coach Parr at Navarro," Dameron said. "I guess you would characterize him as a little bit more of a passer. Brantley's more of a dual-threat guy. He was at Tulane running the option, but he can throw it.

"They're both making really good decisions right now and protecting the football. If they'll continue to do that, they'll both play. I've still got enough defensive guy in me to know that whatever system you're playing, you can't turn the football over."

The Panthers have preseason All-OVC players in senior running back Isiah Johnson and senior receiver Alexander Hollins, and their starting offensive line averages 305 pounds.

"The good thing is, we're not small," Dameron said. "We've got some big dudes. That helps."

Iziah Gulley, a redshirt sophomore safety from Camden Fairview who had 45 tackles last season, is among the starters on defense.

"I just want to be sound and solid in everything we do, especially in the kicking game," Dameron said. "The biggest thing for us is we can't afford to give them anything.

"If we start giving the ball away on offense or special teams or have penalties, that'll make it doubly hard. So want to play hard and play clean."

Dameron began his coaching career at Arkansas as a graduate assistant in 1983. He was an assistant coach at 11 colleges and in the CFL with Toronto before landing his first head coaching job at EIU in 2014.

"I love being a head coach," he said. "I'm having a ball doing it."

EIU was looking for a game against an FBS team when Arkansas agreed in the spring of 2017 to play the Panthers.

"I'm so excited about the opportunity," Dameron said. "I've been looking forward to it since the ink was dry on the contract."

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Sports on 08/27/2018