Final Stats

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Eastern Kentucky scored 25 unanswered points in the second half to get within a touchdown, but couldn't completely overcome a 32-point halftime deficit in a 35-28 loss at Tennessee State on Saturday at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.
 
EKU quarterback Bennie Coney completed 29-of-45 passes for 350 yards, but threw four interceptions.  Ryan Markush caught two passes for 67 yards and Devin Borders hauled in six receptions for 60.  Freshman Daryl McCleskey Jr. totaled a career-best 68 rushing yards on eight carries.  He also caught four passes for 54 yards.
 
After going into the locker room down 35-3 at halftime, the Colonels scored 25 straight points in the second half to get within a touchdown late in the fourth quarter.  Eastern opened the second half by driving 75 yards in nine plays to score its first touchdown of the game.  Henry Enyenihi's 29-yard scoot up the middle got the Colonels deep in TSU territory.  Kentayvus Hopkins finished it off with a three-yard touchdown run.  The extra-point made it 35-10.
 
Lucas Williams made a 31-yard field goal with 4:08 left in the third quarter.  On the first play of the fourth quarter, Enyenihi polished off a quick 32-yard scoring drive with a one-yard touchdown run.  Dan Crimmins caught the two-point conversion attempt just inside the goal line to make it a 35-21 game.  McCleskey's three-yard touchdown run with 5:46 to go in the game made it a seven-point margin. 
 
EKU had one last chance in the final minute but the game-tying drive ended with the fourth interception of the night.
 
Eastern turned the ball over on each of its first three possessions of the game, and Tennessee State turned those turnovers into a 21-0 lead.
 
Ronald Butler's 20-yard touchdown run got the Tigers on the board earlier in the period.  Andrew Knox followed a 30-yard pass completion by Butler with a three-yard touchdown run to give the home team a 14-0 lead with 2:01 left in the first quarter.  Ezra Robinson's 93-yard interception return with 12:15 left in the second quarter put Tennessee State in front 21-0.
 
EKU (2-4, 1-2 OVC) was down 28-0 before an 11-play, 67-yard drive resulted in a 25-yard field goal by Williams to get the visitors on the board with 4:47 left in the second quarter.
 
Butler finished 13-for-24 for 181 yards for the Tigers (5-1, 2-1 OVC).  He rushed for 81 yards on five carries and scored two rushing touchdowns. 
 
Eastern Kentucky will be back in action at Roy Kidd Stadium next Saturday for its Homecoming game against No. 3 Jacksonville State University.  Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m.
 
NOTES
Coming into Saturday's game at Tennessee State, quarterback Bennie Coney had thrown for 801 yards and seven touchdowns over the last two games.  He completed 55-of-86 passes for 64 percent and had a quarterback rating of 164.40. 
 
The Colonels entered the game second in the OVC and 26th in the nation with an average of 432 yards of offense per game.  Eastern Kentucky had totaled 500 yards of offense or more in each of its previous two games.  EKU had 584 yards at TSU on Saturday.
 
EKU came into Saturday's game second in the OVC and 18th in the nation with an average of 282.4 passing yards per game.  The Colonels totaled 350 passing yards on Saturday.
 
Tennessee State has scored 30 or more points in each of its first six games of the 2016 season.
 
TSU entered the game seventh in the nation in turnover margin (+1.2/game).
 
In the second quarter, Bennie Coney moved past Allan Holland into fourth place on EKU's all-time career passing yards list.  He began the game 79 yards away from fourth.
 
Both teams entered the game receiving votes in the STATS Poll and the HERO Sports Top-25 Media Poll.  EKU was 42nd in the STATS Poll.