RICHMOND, Ky. – The 2012 collegiate football season is finally here and the Eastern Kentucky University football team opens its schedule this Saturday, Sept. 1 at Purdue. The Big Ten Network will be televising the game live beginning at 3:30 p.m.

EKU is the OVC favorite as the Colonels edged out Jacksonville State and Murray State in the preseason poll. Eastern returns nine offensive and seven defensive starters including a league-high nine players who were named to the 2012 preseason All-OVC team

Purdue finished the 2011 season 7-6 overall and 4-4 in Big Ten action. The Boilermakers concluded the season with a 37-32 victory over Western Michigan in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl. Purdue head coach Danny Hope played football at Eastern Kentucky (1977-80) and was the EKU head coach for five years from 2003-07 (35-22, .614). Hope led the Colonels to the 2007 OVC title.

This is the 13th straight year that Eastern has squared off against an NCAA FBS program. Overall, FCS teams went 6-84 against FBS opposition last year. One of those wins was a 37-24 decision for eventual FCS champion North Dakota State over Minnesota on Sept. 24, 2011.

This is just Eastern Kentucky’s second ever game against a Big Ten opponent. The Colonels fell to Indiana, 19-13, in the 2009 season opener.

GAMEDAY INFORMATION

Game Notes
--Click here for EKU game notes.

Opponent Information
--Click here for the Purdue football web site.
--Click here for Purdue game notes.

Television
--Big Ten Network

Live Audio
--Saturday’s game can be heard locally on WCYO 100.7 FM. Click here for live radio broadcast!  WCYO is now streaming on most mobile devices. Download the TuneIn Radio app, available for iPhone/iPod/iPad, Android, Blackberry, Palm and Windows Phone.

Live Stats
--Click here for live stats!

Ticket Information
--Tickets are available by calling the Purdue ticket office at 1-800-497-7678

Directions
--Click here for directions to Purdue University.

Weather
--Saturday’s forecast in West Lafayette, Ind., calls for a rain and a high of 79 degrees.

Storylines
--Eastern ranked sixth nationally (FCS) in turnover margin last year at +15. The Colonels forced at least three turnovers in seven games one year ago and outscored the opposition, 120-48, off turnovers.

--This is the highest preseason ranking (No. 18 – Sports Network) for the Colonels since the 2002 season. Eastern Kentucky ended the 2011 campaign ranked 24th in the Sports Network poll and 21st in the coaches poll.

--Eastern Kentucky is 4-17 against NCAA FBS programs since 1978 when the Colonels joined the ranks of NCAA FCS. EKU’s last win against an FBS school happened in 1985 thanks to a 45-21 victory at Louisville.