By: Rixon Lane and Dustin Conkright

RICHMOND, Ky. – EKU football returns to ASUN action for a critical conference game against Central Arkansas on Saturday at CG Bank Field at Roy Kidd Stadium.
 
The game will air on ESPN+ with kickoff scheduled for 5:00 p.m. Greg Stotelmyer, Jim Tirey, and Wes Chandler will be on the call. The live radio broadcast of the game is available in the Richmond area on WCYO 100.7 FM.

The Opportunity Bowl returns for a third season with another chance to highlight special and unique places and people surrounding EKU. The inaugural Opportunity Bowl in 2020 showcased Dr. Shelia Pressley and her legacy through the EKU Scholar House and highlighted the importance of eliminating barriers to education and advocating for early childhood education. The Opportunity Bowl name was a natural fit for EKU as the institution is known as The School of Opportunity. Access plus affordability equals opportunity at Eastern Kentucky University for students from diverse backgrounds and EKU is committed to making sure all students have access to a quality education and strives to nurture their abilities and help them meet the challenges they face when returning to their communities to live and work after completing their degrees. Saturday's game is Military & Hero Appreciation Day and current and retired service members can receive two complimentary tickets at this link.

INSIDE THE SERIES
-  Saturday marks the fourth meeting since 2020 between the Colonels and Bears. EKU leads the all-time series 2-1.
 
-  Last season, EKU rallied from a 22-point deficit to knock off UCA in Conway, 38-35. 

-  The three meetings in the series have been decided by a combined 18 points. 
 
THE COLONELS
-  The Colonels defeated then-No. 15 Southeast Missouri 28-23 last Saturday. 
 
-  Quarterback Parker McKinney threw for a career-high 398 yards and totaled three touchdowns en route to being named the ASUN's Co-Offensive Player of the Week for the second consecutive week. 
 
-  Defensive back Matthew Ballentine notched his second interception of the season in the win over the Redhawks. 
 
-  Running back Braedon Sloan tallied a career-high 97 receiving yards on six catches in the victory. 

-  EKU is ranked No. 1 in the latest ASUN-WAC Power Rankings.
 
-  Making their first career starts, linebackers Jaylen Herrud and Elijah Ford each recorded seven tackles against Southeast Missouri. 
 
-  EKU's offense ranks eighth in FCS in red zone scoring this season. The Colonels have scored on 92.1 percent of their red zone trips this year.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
-  Central Arkansas is coming off a 64-29 victory over North Alabama at home.
 
-  Running back Darius Hale set a new career high with 255 rushing yards and ran for two touchdowns in the win.
 
-  Wide receivers Jarrod Barnes and Myles Butler tallied 103 and 117 receiving yards, respectively. 
 
-  UCA is 3-0 in ASUN play this season
 
-  The Bears are averaging 53.3 points per game over their last four outings.