Box Score Final Stats (PDF)

RICHMOND, Ky. –  Eastern Kentucky dropped its home opener 23-21 to the Indiana State Sycamores on Saturday night in front of 14,173 fans at Roy Kidd Stadium.

EKU took its first lead of the night with 49 seconds left to play when Da'Joun Hewitt capped a 14-play, 80-yard drive with a four-yard touchdown run to put the Colonels up 21-17.

After Indiana State recovered a squib kick, the Sycamores drove to the EKU 24-yard line. On the games final play, INS connected on a 24-yard touchdown pass to earn a 23-21 victory. 

Parker McKinney went 23-of-38 through the air for 205 yards and a touchdown. Dakota Allen finished with four catches for a team-high 66 yards, while Kyeandre Magloire tallied 6.7 yards per carry on six attempts. Kyle Bailey led the EKU defense with seven stops

The Sycamores grabbed momentum early, pinning the Colonels deep in their own territory and scooping up a mishandled punt attempt to take a 7-0 lead. Malik Owens put EKU on the board on the ensuing drive, hauling in a 10-yard Parker McKinney pass to tie the game with 2:24 to go in the first quarter.

Indiana State found its way back into the end zone on a 10-yard completion at the 7:48 mark of the second quarter. EKU's defense responded when Davion Ross stepped in front of a Sycamore pass and returned it 18 yards for a Colonel touchdown. The Colonel secondary thwarted Indiana State's final drive of the half as Joseph Sayles picked off a pass in the end zone to keep the score tied at 14-14 entering halftime. 

The Sycamores regained the lead in the third quarter, capping an eight-minute drive with a 32-yard field goal. 

The Colonels welcome the Governors of Austin Peay to Roy Kidd Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 25. The game will kick off at 3:00 p.m.