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RICHMOND, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky and Tennessee State entered Saturday’s game as the only remaining undefeated teams in the Ohio Valley Conference, but after EKU’s 49-7 victory at Roy Kidd Stadium the Colonels stand alone atop the conference standings at 5-0. Eastern rushed for over 300 yards and turned four Tiger turnovers into 28 points on its way to improving to 6-2 overall.
Tennessee State falls to 3-4 overall and 2-1 in OVC play.
After TSU tied the game at 7-7 in the first quarter, Eastern Kentucky scored three unanswered touchdowns to end the first half with a 28-7 lead.
The Colonel offense was quick and efficient. EKU did not have a single possession that lasted longer than 2:57 but the offense scored 42 points, completed 60 percent of its passes and averaged 8.5 yards per rush.
Senior Bobby Washington scored a pair of touchdowns on the ground and added a receiving touchdown. Washington finished with a career-best 134 yards on 18 carries. C.J. Walker came on in relief in the second half and ran for 138 yards on 10 carries and scored once.
Allan Holland completed 13 of 21 passes for 155 yards and threw two scoring passes.
Eastern outgained the Tigers 537 to 296. The Colonels finished with 364 yards on the ground.
EKU wasted little time taking the early lead. A 21-yard punt by Tennessee State allowed Eastern’s first possession to begin at the EKU 48 yard line. After Washington picked up eight yards on a pass from Holland, he broke numerous tackles on a 25-yard run to move the ball to the TSU 19. Two plays later Holland found Washington in the flat and the senior took it to the house from eight yards out. The extra-point made it 7-0 Colonels with 12:11 remaining in the first quarter.
Tennessee State answered with an 11-play, 86-yard drive that took 5:29 off the clock. The Colonels helped the Tigers by committing three penalties for 27 yards on the drive. Williams and Heffner covered 31 yards on the ground. Heffner also had pass completions of 25 and 19 yards. Williams tied the score with a touchdown run from two yards out to cap the drive.
The Colonels didn’t let the score remain tied for long. On the ensuing drive, Washington broke loose for a 52-yard run on the opening play to move the ball to the three yard line. Two more runs by Washington resulted in the go-ahead score and Eastern led 14-7 with 2:27 left in the first quarter.
Eastern Kentucky extended the lead to 21-7 when Derrick Huff intercepted a Heffner pass and returned it 68 yards for a touchdown.
The Tigers drove to the EKU 30-yard line on their next possession but Antwan Molden ended the drive with an interception. The Colonels turned the interception into a touchdown with a seven-play, 83 yard scoring drive.
Washington moved the ball 24 yards on three carries, including a 15-yard gainer. Holland gained nine yards on the ground before throwing a 26-yard pass to Evan Cromer. Holland finished off the drive two plays later with a 28-yard scoring strike to Quinton Williams and following the extra-point EKU led 28-7 with 4:21 left before halftime.
Tennessee State held the ball for over 10-and-a-half minutes of the first quarter. Time of possession was closer in the second quarter but the Tigers still controlled the ball for 18:42 of the first half. The Colonels three scoring drives timed-out at 1:07, 0:56 and 2:46.
Washington ran for 120 yards on 12 carries in the first half. Holland completed 11 of his 15 pass attempts for 131 yards and two touchdowns.
Eastern Kentucky went ahead 35-7 early in the third quarter when the Colonels turned a TSU fumble on a punt return into a touchdown. EKU was forced to punt from its own 47 yard line but the Tigers fumbled on the return and the home team recovered at the 17 yard line. Washington followed a four-yard run by Holland with a 1one-yard scoring run, his second rushing touchdown of the game.
When Holland completed an 18-yard pass to Williams, his final pass attempt of the game, with 4:29 left in the third quarter he broke the EKU record for consecutive passes without an interception with 175.
The Colonels tacked on a touchdown with two minutes to go in the third quarter on the back of C.J. Walker. The sophomore carried it all four plays of the drive, covered 73 yards and scored his first career touchdown. One of Walker’s carries covered 57 yards.
After a two-game home stand Eastern hits the road for a game at Murray State on Saturday (Oct. 27). Kickoff in Murray, Ky., is scheduled for 1 p.m.
NOTES
--Senior starting running back Mark Dunn missed today’s game due to an illness. He is hopeful to return next week.
--Bobby Washington’s touchdown reception in the first quarter was his second of the season and the fourth of his career.
--Bobby Washington’s rushing touchdown in the third quarter was his second of the game, his team-leading eighth of the season and 15th of his career.
--Derrick Huff’s interception in the second quarter was his fifth of the season and 10th of his career. It was his first interception return for a touchdown.
--Antwan Molden’s interception in the second quarter was his second of the season and the third of his career.
--When Holland completed an 18-yard pass to Williams with 4:29 left in the third quarter he broke the EKU record for consecutive passes without an interception with 175. Simon Fuentes set the previous record of 174 in 1997.
--EKU improved to 5-0 in OVC play for the first time since 1997 when the Colonels went a perfect 7-0 and claimed their last OVC championship.
--Eastern Kentucky had two running backs eclipse the 100-yard rushing mark for the second time this season. On Sept. 8, Bobby Washington (133) and Mark Dunn (122) both reached the century mark against Western Carolina.
--EKU improved its turnover margin to +17, the best among all 116 Division I FCS teams.
