After historic road win, EKU football still has hopes of reaching the national postseason
After recording a historic road win last weekend, Eastern Kentucky football is still very much alive for a potential spot in the national postseason.
Last Saturday night, the Colonels went on the road to Central Texas and defeated then-No. 7 Tarleton State, 17-13. The triumph marked EKU’s first road win over a top-10 team since 2006.
The victory — highlighted by a bruising late rushing touchdown by standout running back redshirt senior Joshua Carter and a game-sealing interception by star senior defensive back Mike Smith Jr. — gave EKU serious on-field momentum as the regular season winds to a close.
The Colonels (5-4 overall, 3-2 United Athletic Conference) are now part of a crowded picture near the top of the UAC standings. Leading the way is Abilene Christian (5-1) and Tarleton State (4-1). After that, three schools all boast 3-2 records in UAC action: Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky and Southern Utah.
EKU has the chance to continue its late-season surge — and take out one of these potential contenders — on Saturday afternoon when the Colonels host No. 16 Central Arkansas for a 2 p.m. game at Roy Kidd Stadium in Richmond.
“We went down and really played all three phases … extremely well,” EKU head coach Walt Wells said Tuesday of the Tarleton State win. “We played extremely hard and played with a ton of passion. I think that’s what we’ve been searching for, is consistency in all three groups, and we found that.”
Of course, continuing to stay alive for a possible UAC regular season championship also means the Colonels can continue to harbor hopes for a possible return to the FCS playoffs.
EKU last appeared in the FCS playoffs — which includes 24 teams: 10 conference champions who automatically qualify and 14 at-large selections — in 2022. The Colonels hosted a first-round game that year, but were soundly beaten by Gardner-Webb.
EKU hasn’t won a game in the national postseason since 1994.
Obviously, the Colonels still have work to do between now and Nov. 24, when the 24-team bracket for the FCS playoffs will be announced. Following Saturday’s home game against Central Arkansas, the Colonels close the season with a trip to Austin Peay (4-5, 3-3) and a home game against North Alabama (3-7, 3-3).
The Colonels are 4-0 at home this season.
EKU football has made significant defensive improvements this season
Unlike recent EKU teams, it’s the Colonels’ defense that is providing a solid foundation for Wells this season.
Eastern Kentucky has allowed only three touchdowns in its last nine quarters. Across the board, EKU’s defensive numbers have significantly improved this season compared to 2023. A smattering of those figures:
▪ EKU is allowing 24.4 points per game this season compared to 33.2 last season.
▪ EKU is allowing 234.9 passing yards per game this season compared to 312.5 last season.
▪ EKU is allowing 5.9 yards per play this season compared to 6.6 last season.
EKU forced three turnovers — all interceptions — in last weekend’s upset win at Tarleton State.
You won’t confuse those numbers for the Doomsday Defense of the Dallas Cowboys’ heyday, but these improvements from defensive coordinator Jake Johnson’s unit have helped give the Colonels a fighting chance at reaching the FCS playoffs.
“We found out who we are (defensively), a little better,” Wells said, referencing lessons learned by EKU from road losses earlier this season to Southern Utah and Abilene Christian.
Offensively, it took the Colonels a while to settle into things under the stewardship of transfer quarterback Matt Morrissey, a grad student who was previously the signal caller at Trinity Valley Community College (Texas), Northern Iowa and Western Illinois.
Morrissey has completed just 16 passes for 106 yards, combined, over the last two weeks. But those performances came in a pair of EKU wins over Utah Tech and Tarleton State. They also came as Morrissey flexed his versatility in the running game. Over the last two weeks, Morrissey has a combined 21 rushing attempts for 103 yards.
This included several punishing runs against Tarleton State that led to Wells privately praising his quarterback postgame.
“I told him ‘You earned some deep respect from your team tonight,’” Wells recalled. “Because of the physicality that you ran the football with.”
“It meant a lot hearing that from Coach, just seeing that he appreciated how I played,” Morrissey added.
EKU’s potent ground game also prominently features Carter, who began his college career as a walk-on linebacker at South Alabama. Carter has 861 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns in nine games this season. He’s cracked the 100-yard mark in four contests.
With at least three games still to play, Carter already has the most rushing yards by an EKU player since 2019.
“It’s the toughness that he brings when he runs,” Wells said of Carter, who has combined for 314 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns over the last two weeks.
Saturday projects to be a stern examination of EKU’s ability to keep up its rushing attack against a Central Arkansas squad that allows only 3.5 yards per carry and has surrendered only nine rushing touchdowns this season. The Bears defense is led by senior linebacker David Walker, who is tied for the most tackles for loss (18.5) in the country.
Central Arkansas also boasts an elite running back in senior ShunDerrick Powell, who leads all of FCS in average yards per rush (8.2).
Whether as the result of Morrissey and Carter’s combined efforts in the ground game or another stingy showing from EKU’s defense, Wells and his players know this week’s matchup is paramount to keeping their postseason hopes alive.
“A thing we said in the players’ board meeting is (that) we still felt like ‘Yeah, we did pretty good. But we still felt like we haven’t played as well as we can,’” Morrissey said. “… It still kind of gives us that edge to keep going, as this is the most important stretch of the season for us.”
Saturday
No. 16 Central Arkansas at Eastern Kentucky
When: 2 p.m.
Online: Watch ESPN
Records: Central Arkansas 6-3 (3-2 UAC); Eastern Kentucky 5-4 (3-2 UAC)
Radio: WCYO 100.7 FM
Series: Eastern Kentucky leads 3-2
Last meeting: Central Arkansas won 27-24 on Nov. 11, 2023, in Conway, Ark.
