‘Great for us going into the offseason.’ EKU football ends wild year with blowout.
An unusual season likely came to a highly satisfying conclusion for the Eastern Kentucky University football team on Saturday.
Behind a big effort in his first career start from redshirt freshman quarterback Isaiah Velez and a huge game from bruising junior running back Alonzo Booth, the Colonels dominated Western Carolina, 49-17, in the Opportunity Bowl at Roy Kidd Stadium in Richmond.
“To get this win ... with everything we had going on this year — with all the doubters about playing a season and how we could handle it ... it was tough on those young men,” EKU first-year head coach Walt Wells said. “So for them to get celebrated and have the chance to raise a trophy ... that’s great for us going into the offseason.”
Velez got the nod under center one week after coming off the bench and leading the Colonels back from a 24-0 deficit at Central Arkansas to take a 25-24 lead. EKU (3-6) eventually fell to the Bears, 37-25, but Velez impressed Wells enough to earn the start against Western Carolina after it become clear this week in practice that Parker McKinney had not sufficiently recovered from a shoulder injury.
In Saturday’s win, Velez completed 18 of 32 passes for 310 yards and two touchdowns.
“I’m really proud of Isaiah coming in there moving the ball … and the way he’s progressed throughout the year,” Wells said.
Booth chewed up Western Carolina (0-2). The 6-foot-1, 250-pound bruiser pounded out 178 rushing yards and three touchdowns and added a 69-yard TD catch.
After the Colonels’ defense forced a three-and-out on the first possession of the game, Velez marched EKU down the field on a 10-play, 95-yard drive that culminated in a 4-yard touchdown run by Booth. Velez completed five of six passes for 68 yards on the drive. He later connect with Booth on a wheel rout and the bulky back rumbled for a 69-yard touchdown to make it 21-10 Colonels.
EKU delivered the back-breaker with a nifty trick play early in the fourth quarter. Velez tossed a backward pass to Jackson Beerman, who lofted a deep ball to Jacquez Jones for a 63-yard touchdown and a 28-10 lead. Beerman later caught a 66-yard touchdown from Velez to make it 42-10.
When the Ohio Valley Conference announced in August it was postponing league play until spring of 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic, EKU decided to forego that option and instead play a full non-conference schedule in the fall.
“I can’t imagine going out in Richmond, Kentucky, in mid-January and starting training camp,” Wells said. “I’m not saying it’s wrong, it was wrong for us.”
There’s still an outside chance EKU could play one more home game, but as of Saturday the Colonels had been unable to find an opponent and it’s most likely the season is over. Wells echoed that prediction.
“I think it’s the end. I don’t see it happening,” Wells said of the possibility of adding another game.
The Colonels created a schedule that included three games against Football Bowl Subdivision opponents and two matchups with perennial Football Championship Subdivision power Central Arkansas. It was an up-and-down season for EKU, but there were multiple memorable achievements.
The Colonels nearly toppled FBS opponent Troy, falling 31-29 on a late field goal. They got a huge home win over No. 11 Central Arkansas, 31-28.
Assuming the Colonels are unable to schedule one more game, Wells and his staff will now pivot to offseason mode and begin preparing for the 2021 fall season while the other eight OVC programs gear up for a seven-game spring slate.
“I’ve always told my players since day one; it’s my job to bring in guys to take their job, it’s their job to keep their job,” Wells said. “We’ll get back in January and we’ll start an extensive offseason program.”
One bit of great news heading into the offseason: The Colonels appear to have plenty of talent in the quarterback room. McKinney started the first six games before injuring his shoulder during the first half of the win over Central Arkansas. He had been playing well up to that point, averaging 226 passing yards per game while tossing 12 touchdowns and five interceptions.
Dakota Allen came on in relief of McKinney and led the Colonels to victory. Two weeks later when the team needed a spark, Velez made his debut and quickly showed he’s also capable of leading the offense.
“It’s always a plus when you’ve got some guys with experience coming back at quarterback,” Wells said. “That’s always a plus. It provides competition, so all offseason long they’ll be out throwing and getting ready to have that chemistry with the receivers and the tight ends and the backs. It’s a luxury that you need to have.”
This story was originally published November 21, 2020 at 8:28 PM.
