HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Eastern Kentucky University's football team will begin the 2020 season on Saturday at Marshall University.
 
The game will air live on ESPN with kickoff scheduled for 1 p.m. 
 
The live radio broadcast of the game is available in the Richmond area on WCYO 100.7 FM, and can be heard worldwide on EKUSports.com.
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
-  Marshall leads the all-time series 11-8-1.  EKU is 4-7-1 in games played in Huntington.
 
-  The first meeting in the series was in 1926. 
 
-  The most recent meeting came in 2018 when Marshall won 32-16 in Huntington.
 
-  The two perennial FCS national championship contenders met each season from 1985 to 1992.
 
THE COLONELS
-  Eastern Kentucky was 7-5 overall in 2019.
 
-  The Colonels are under the direction of first-year head coach Walt Wells.  Wells served as an assistant under legendary EKU Head Coach Roy Kidd from 1997 to 2002 and was an assistant again with the Colonels in 2015.  Wells most recently served as a quality control assistant at Kentucky during the 2018 and 2019 seasons.
 
-  Seven EKU football players were chosen to the Phil Steele Preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference Team.  Running back Alonzo Booth and offensive lineman Tucker Schroeder were first team selections.  Defensive back Josh Hayes and kick returner Quentin Pringle picked up second team honors.  Wide receiver Keyion Dixon, offensive lineman Jackson Bardall and long snapper Thomas Bowling were third team honorees.
 
-  Booth ranked 16th in the nation with 14 rushing touchdowns in 2019.
 
-  As a true freshman in 2019, running back Quentin Pringle led the OVC and ranked eighth in the nation in kick return average at 27.1 yards per return.
 
-  Schroeder received honorable mention for the HERO Sports 2019 FCS Sophomore All-America Team.
 
-  Two defensive players who missed most of the 2019 season with injuries – defensive back TJ Comstock and defensive lineman Elijah Taylor – are back for the 2020 season.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
-  The Thundering Herd were 8-5 during the 2019 season and lost to Central Florida in the Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl on Dec. 23.
 
-  Running back Brenden Knox, offensive lineman Cain Madden, linebacker Tavante Beckett, defensive back Nazeeh Johnson and punt returner Talik Keaton were selected to the preseason All-Conference USA Team.
 
-  Knox was chosen as the preseason Conference USA MVP.  He was also selected to the watch lists for the Maxwell Award, Wuerffel Trophy and the Doak Walker Award.
 
-  Knox rushed for 1,387 yards and scored 11 touchdowns a year ago.  He averaged 5.1 yards per carry and 106.7 yards per game.
 
-  Marshall does not have a quarterback who has ever played in a game for the Thundering Herd.  The team's five QBs consists of two true freshmen, two redshirt freshmen and one redshirt sophomore.