The Colonels are coming off a solid performance in a loss to Kentucky, but still with a lot to prove. It has been an emotional week on the campus for EKU with the passing of legendary coach Roy Kidd. The anticipation is for a full house of Colonel fans to pay homage to Coach Kidd and support the 2023 Colonels. The last time EKU and Western Carolina met was in 2021 when the Colonels won 31-28. Here is the EKU vs. Western Carolina preview.
Western Carolina Offense
The Catamounts stunned Samford last week behind the strong play of QB Cole Gonzales and RB Desmond Reid. Gonzales passed for 262 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another 68 yards. Reid piled up 170 rushing yards and a touchdown. Five WCU receivers caught four or more passes in the game.
EKU Offense
Parker McKinney surpassed 10,000 career passing yards last week but has still not found his groove in the 2023 campaign. After facing two Power 5 schools, he should look sharper in week three. Jaden Smith has seen a heavy load of targets so far, but look for Parker to spread the ball around a little more this week. Joshua Carter had a solid week one, while Braedon Sloan had a better week two. The two running backs will look to complement each other this week.
Western Carolina Defense
In last week’s win over Samford, the Catamounts held Samford to only 46 yards rushing. They did however allow 315 yards through the air. WCU forced two fumbles as well.
EKU Defense
The Colonels looked sharp against UK last Saturday, and the debut of Franky West did not disappoint. LB Logan Blake leads the team with 20 tackles over two games. Frank Lee officially got an interception with a heads-up play after hitting the QB, and Albert Nunes got his first sack of the season off a nice delayed blitz. The rush defense for EKU has been very good, holding UK Running Back Ray Davis to only 52 yards. The competition the Colonels faced in the first two weeks, should have them ready to be dominant in week three.
Prediction
Western Carolina will not be an easy game for EKU, but it is a game the Colonels should win. The passing of Roy Kidd has been prominent this week, but Walt Wells knows how to use this loss to motivate his team to carry on the winning traditions Coach Kidd left. This week is truly a “matter of pride” for the Colonels, and I expect a big game from Parker McKinney. Give me the Colonels 45-24 this week.
Vince covers EKU sports every Monday on the Sports Stove Local Hour. Follow him on Twitter for more EKU coverage. All photos used in this article were taken by members of the EKU staff.
