Quiet the Doubters
Outside of Richmond, few believed in this EKU team. Saturday’s game kicked off with the Colonels being a 7.5 point underdog and ended the day as legitimate threats in the ASUN Conference after McKinney leads the Colonels to the come back.
The main doubts came for the offense. They started slowly in this game, with some credit going to the Central Arkansas defense, but showed out as the second half came around.
Parker McKinney continues to quiet the doubt of Head Coach Walt Wells. Wells has enjoyed teasing his QB about his athleticism, but each week McKinney continues to get big runs like his 40-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to give the Colonels their first lead of the game, and the winning score.
Defense
The EKU defense has carried this team so far this season but struggled to keep the Bears out of the endzone in the first half. The Colonel defense we all know and love showed up in a big way in the second half, holding the Bears to only one score. Matthew Jackson led the team with 13 tackles and had two pass breakups, including one in the fourth that helped seal the win. The EKU defense recorded eight tackles for loss.
Offense
Patrick McKinney had two touchdown passes to go with his 224 yards, and he led the team in rushing with 65 yards and 1 touchdown. Matt Wilcox Jr carried the pass-catching load with 11 catches, and Freshman Braedon Sloan scored on his first collegiate reception. In a game where the run game could not get going, the passing game stepped up.
Special Teams
Special teams have had their issues so far this season. This game they played great, forcing a fumble and blocking the potential game-tying field goal will go a long way to help to forget those past issues. Kicker, Patrick Nations went 3/3 on field goals and 1/1 on his only PAT attempt.
What Is Next
The Colonels get a well-deserved week of rest before their final run through the ASUN schedule. Three teams are undefeated in the conference, and the Colonels will face the other two before the season ends.
Be sure to catch this week’s episode of The Sports Stove Podcast’s Local Hour for more coverage of EKU athletics. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram for daily coverage as well.
