Final Statistics

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Eastern Kentucky picked up its seventh win of the season after dispatching Tennessee Tech, 37-6, on Saturday at Tucker Stadium.
 
The Colonels have concluded their regular season schedule.  After finishing the season with a 7-4 record, the team will find out Sunday if the program has earned its 22nd playoff appearance.  The selection show for the NCAA Division I Football Championship will air live on ESPNU at 12:30 p.m. ET.
 
The defense got off to a good start and anchored EKU throughout the game, holding the Golden Eagles to 237 yards of offense and forcing four turnovers. 
 
Eastern forced punts on TTU's first four possessions.  With a 3-0 lead midway through the second quarter, the Colonels allowed the only Golden Eagle sustained drive of the first half.  Tech tied it on a 45-yarder to finish a 10-play 54 yard drive.
 
Freshman quarterback Parker McKinney had the answer for Eastern Kentucky.  He drove the visitors 72 yards on 13 plays over 5:51.  On 4th-and-4, McKinney hooked up with BK Smith over the middle for 10 yards to the Tech 22 yard line.  L.J. Scott carried for six yards and then caught a screen pass and turned it into a 7-yard gain.  McKinney found Jackson Beerman for six yards over the middle to get to the three yard line.  After a TTU timeout, McKinney rolled to the right, tucked the ball, broke a tackle and scored his first rushing touchdown of the season.
 
On the first play of the ensuing Golden Eagle possession, Tre Turner forced a fumble and recovered it at the TTU 25 with 54 seconds left in the second quarter.  Samuel Hayworth finished the half by hitting his second field goal, this one from 33 yards for a 13-3 EKU lead.
 
The Colonels (7-4, 5-2 OVC) put the game away early in the third quarter.  Jared Tucker intercepted a pass on the opening possession of the second half to give Eastern the ball at the TTU 38 yard line.  McKinney capped off a 5-play drive with a fourth-down, 8-yard pass to Daryl McCleskey Jr.  The extra point made it 20-3.
 
Eastern put up 17 points in the fourth quarter.  McKinney hit Dan Paul from 11 yards out for a touchdown.  TJ Comstock picked off a pass and returned it 27 yards for a score in the final two minutes.
 
McKinney finished 31-of-42 for 333 yards and threw two touchdown passes.  Smith caught 12 of those passes for 163 yards.
 
Aaron Patrick and Gavin Bryant led the team with six tackles each.  Patrick had two tackles for a loss, including a sack.
 
NOTES
Parker McKinney's 333 yards is the most by an EKU quarterback since Bennie Coney through for 365 yards at Tennessee State on Oct. 15, 2016.
 
BK Smith's 163 receiving yards were the most by an Eastern Kentucky receiver since Tyrone Goard totaled 175 yards on seven catches at Tennessee-Martin on Sept. 29, 2012.
 
The Colonels entered Saturday's game ranked third in the nation with 17 interceptions this season.  EKU added two more to that total.  Eastern totaled just five picks during the 2017 season.
 
Aaron Patrick's fourth quarter sack was his 7.5th of the season and 17.5th of his career.  He moved to fifth on EKU's all-time sacks list.
 
Eastern Kentucky now has a record of 602-386-38 in 105 seasons of football.  No other Ohio Valley Conference school has more than 564 football victories (Tennessee State).
 
Samuel Hayworth's second quarter 43-yard field goal was a career long.  His previous best was 41 yards, twice, against Southeast Missouri earlier this season.
 
Tre Turner's second quarter forced fumble was his second of the season.
 
Jared Tucker's third quarter interception was his second of the season and second in EKU's last two games.
 
Parker McKinney's third quarter 8-yard touchdown pass to Daryl McCleskey Jr. was his third touchdown toss of the season.  It was McCleskey's second scoring catch of the season.
 
Eastern Kentucky is now 55-20 all-time against Tennessee Tech and 25-11 against the Golden Eagles in games played in Cookeville.