SPORTS Eastern romps past C

By Gene McLean Herald-Leader staff writer

Just seconds after the horn sounded, signaling the end of Eastern Kentucky’s 45-21 romp over the University of Louisville yesterday, the Colonels’ Harold Torrens reached down, grabbed Coach Roy Kidd and held him in his arms.

“Coach, we kicked their butts,” screamed Torrens, a Louisville native who played his high school football right next door to U of L. “Coach, we kicked their butts.” That was about the size of it as Eastern Kentucky, long a Division I-AA power, beat a Division I-A team for the first time. After the game, Louisville coach Howard Schnellenberger offered Kidd a brief congratulations and a brisk

Then, the wild and crazy contingent of Eastern fans beckoned

Kidd to its corner of the field for a wave and a rendition of the victory song “Cabin on the Hill.”

Kidd waved, smiled, sang, hugged and cried.

“This is wonderful,” he said.

“This was a big win for our team and our program.”

It was a big victory for another reason. Eastern’s overwhelming performance coupled with Murray State’s shocking loss to Western Kentucky throws open the possibility that the Colonels may just make the I-AA playoffs for the seventh straight season. That seemed farfetched just a couple days ago.

Eastern, which has won five of its last six games, is now 8-3. The playoff decision just may come down to a choice between the Colonels, who were unranked last week, and 8-3 Akron, which was ranked No. 13 among Division

I-AA schools last week. Eastern beat Akron in the season opener 16-6 and was angered by last week’s poll.

An NCAA committee is expected to complete the 12-team field today. Six spots are already tied up by conference champs, and two spots are guaranteed to independents. That leaves Eastern hoping for one of the last four spots.

“Before the game, I really didn’t think we had a chance at the playoffs,” Kidd said. “It just seems that the guys voting didn’t want us in for some reason. I mean, we didn’t even get ranked last week. So I told the kids that we’ll just make this game our playoffs. I already have plans to take off on Monday.

“But I think it’ll be a shame if we don’t make it now. We are peaking at just the right time. Our team is just now starting to get it together. I saw it coming when we lost to

Murray. After today, I know we’re one of the top 12 teams in the country. You know, I can always change my plans for Monday.”

Yesterday, though, was for celebration. Even if Eastern doesn’t make it to the playoffs, the Colonels proved their ability with their best performance since 1982 when they went 13-0 and won the Division I-AA national championship.

“Coach, you guys embarrassed us,” muttered Louisville’s Eric Givens to Kidd as he walked off the field.

This was a game that Schnellenberger thought his team could win. U of L president Donald Swain said on TV the Cards would win.

No wonder the optimism ran high for this 2-8 team. They were playing a I-AA team, which means 30 fewer scholarships, 95-65.