Eastern Kentucky football’s season ends with dramatic loss in first round of FCS playoffs
One of the most successful seasons in recent Eastern Kentucky football history ended in controversial fashion Saturday afternoon.
The Colonels lost 22-17 in the first round of the FCS playoffs at No. 11 seed Villanova.
The game’s ending itself was dramatic enough: As time expired, EKU graduate student quarterback Matt Morrissey found an open receiver, redshirt freshman Jackson House, in the back of the Villanova end zone from 10 yards out for an apparent winning score. But House had drifted out of bounds while running his route, and when he caught the would-be winning score, his feet were just inches outside the field of play.
Game, and season, over for the Colonels, who finish with an 8-5 overall record.
But in a game filled with hotly contested refereeing decisions, one loomed largest in the game’s outcome.
Late in the third quarter with EKU leading Villanova 17-16, the Colonels appeared to have a touchdown on a strip-sack, scoop-and-score fumble return that would have stretched their lead to 23-16. But, despite the play being initially ruled a touchdown for the Colonels, it was taken off the board after a video review and instead ruled a forward pass attempt by Villanova quarterback Connor Watkins.
The reversal of the on-field ruling incensed EKU head coach Walt Wells, who picked up a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty as a result of his protests to game officials.
That Villanova drive would end early in the fourth quarter with a successful 42-yard field goal, which gave the Wildcats their first lead of the game, 19-17. The hosts tacked on another field goal later in the final period to set the game’s final score.
In addition to the replay reversal of EKU’s fumble return score and the game’s dramatic final play, the end to the 2024 EKU football season will be a tough pill to swallow for other reasons. Chief among these are that EKU led 14-0 after the first quarter and 17-9 at halftime against Villanova.
EKU could have led by more at the break as well, but a 26-yard field goal attempt late in the first half was blocked.
The Colonels were shut out in the second half of Saturday’s game.
EKU had been 5-0 in games this season decided by 11 points or less, all of which had come over the last five weeks.
Redshirt senior running back Joshua Carter again impressed for EKU in his final college game Saturday: He finished with 193 yards of total offense, including 150 rushing yards and a 77-yard rushing touchdown on the game’s second play.
Carter finished the 2024 season with 1,256 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns. Carter ran for the most yards by an EKU player since Dy’Shawn Mobley in 2014.
The loss to the Wildcats extends several unfortunate streaks for the EKU football program when it comes to a lack of recent postseason success.
Eastern Kentucky remains winless in the FCS playoffs since 1994. The Colonels have now lost their last nine games in the single-elimination tournament.
The Colonels have also lost their last 12 road games in the FCS playoffs. The last time that EKU won a road game in the national postseason was 1986.
But despite the tough ending, it’s clear that Wells has the EKU program on a promising trajectory.
Eastern Kentucky has qualified for the FCS playoffs in two of the last three seasons. In 2024, EKU recorded the most overall wins (eight) and the most wins in conference play (six) since Wells was hired in December 2019.
This story was originally published December 1, 2024 at 9:32 AM.
