EKU football plays UK tough again. What can Colonels take away from another close call?

If the script felt familiar for an Eastern Kentucky-Kentucky college football contest, that’s because it was.

In both 2015 and 2017, EKU led in the second half against UK at Kroger Field, only to see those advantages slip away in a pair of close defeats.

That same scenario played out Saturday afternoon.

An eventual 28-17 Kentucky win against EKU wasn’t without a scare for the Wildcats.

EKU led for more than 25 minutes in the first half following an early rushing score by sixth-year quarterback Parker McKinney, and the game was tied 7-7 at halftime.

The Colonels took the lead again early in the third quarter after kicking a short field goal to cap the half’s opening drive.

But a pair of third-quarter passing touchdowns by UK quarterback Devin Leary vaulted the Wildcats in front for good and ensured the SEC program wouldn’t suffer a significant home embarrassment against the Colonels of the Football Championship Subdivision.

A realistic opportunity was there for EKU to record just the eighth win in program history against an FBS opponent, along with a first football triumph over Kentucky.

UK is now 6-0 all-time against EKU, a football series that dates back to 1998.

But at the very least, Saturday’s result signified a major improvement — in all phases — for EKU after last week’s 66-13 season-opening shellacking at Cincinnati.

The Colonels’ defense went from allowing 667 total yards and 30 first downs to the Bearcats to only 414 total yards and 21 first downs to the Wildcats.

UK’s first six offensive drives Saturday ended in four punts, an interception and a turnover on downs.

“We didn’t simplify anything, but we got back to what we do best,” junior defensive lineman Ryan Jackson said. “… Where we run fast, play fast, hit, get excited.”

McKinney, who holds most of the major passing records in EKU program history, went from a 54.2% completion rate against Cincy to a 65.5% success rate against UK.

He finished Saturday’s loss with 219 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception through the air, along with his rushing score.

UK head coach Mark Stoops compared some of McKinney’s work behind center Saturday to that of “a magician.”

“I think Parker showed he belongs,” EKU head coach Walt Wells said. “I think a lot of people questioned that. I think last week proved it. I think this week solidified it.”

“It’s not necessarily the identity we want to put out there on tape,” McKinney added of last week’s loss at Cincinnati. “Then coming in this week, regrouping, having a good week of practice and then coming out here and playing the way we should play.”

But other key players also stepped up for EKU on the big stage of Kroger Field.

Junior running back Braedon Sloan, a former Kentucky high school star at Wayne County, had 48 rushing yards, 40 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown.

Redshirt senior defensive back Franky West Jr., a highly touted offseason transfer from Illinois State, tied for the EKU team lead with 10 tackles in his first action as an EKU player (West didn’t play in the Cincinnati game).

“We’ve got to continue to play hard, strain and out-hit people,” Wells said. “This is a physical, violent game, and we have to be that type of team.”

EKU is one of only two FCS schools (Southern Utah) that have played two FBS opponents this season.

McKinney summed up the value of this experience.

“As far as a team standpoint, those are the two best teams we’re going to play all year,” McKinney said.

EKU plays game while program legend is in poor health

The matchup between Kentucky and Eastern Kentucky came in the midst of a trying time for the EKU program.

It was announced Wednesday that legendary former EKU football coach Roy Kidd, 91, will be entering hospice care.

Kidd spent 39 years on the EKU sideline and piloted the Colonels to four national championship game appearances and a pair of national titles at the Division I-AA level (now known as the Football Championship Subdivision).

Saturday, an emotional Wells reflected on Kidd’s legacy, and his impact on football in the commonwealth.

“All the things that that man’s done for this state is incredible,” Wells said. “That’s our job not to let anybody forget.”

Both the EKU and UK teams wore special stickers on their helmets honoring Kidd, who won 314 games as the head coach of the Colonels.

Saturday’s game was also a homecoming for several members of the EKU program.

Four players on the EKU roster — wide receivers Isaiah Allen and Jalen Burbage and defensive linemen Jayshaun Coffman and John Sualla — are from Lexington.

Wells was a quality control assistant under Stoops at UK in 2018 and 2019.

Two other EKU coaches — quarterbacks coach Maxwell Smith and tight ends coach C.J. Conrad — are former UK players.

EKU sets sights on FCS schedule

Regardless of outcome, what happened in Lexington was always going to be secondary to EKU’s main focus this season: reestablishing itself as a power at the FCS level.

And there’s real reason to think the Colonels can do just that.

EKU went 7-5 last year and made the FCS playoffs for the first time since 2014, with McKinney setting single-season school records for completions, attempts, completion percentage, passing yards and passing touchdowns.

The Colonels will get a chance to show their worth against top-tier FCS competition in the coming weeks.

After next Saturday’s home opener against Western Carolina, EKU will host Southeast Missouri State on Sept. 23 at CG Bank Field at Roy Kidd Stadium in Richmond.

Southeast Missouri State made the FCS playoffs last season as co-champions of the Ohio Valley Conference.

On Oct. 21, EKU will travel for a late-season, non-conference game at Gardner-Webb, the team that came to Richmond and beat EKU in the first round of the FCS playoffs last season.

All of this — including the challenging start against two FBS opponents — is meant to work toward EKU’s goal of winning a postseason game for the first time in 29 years.

Next game

Western Carolina at Eastern Kentucky

When: 6 p.m., Saturday

Where: CG Bank Field at Roy Kidd Stadium

Live video broadcast: ESPN+

Records: EKU 0-2, Western Carolina 0-1

Series: EKU leads 5-2

Last meeting: EKU won 31-28 in September 2021