STARKVILLE, Miss. — The Eastern Kentucky University football team opened its 2024 season with a 56-7 loss on the road to Mississippi State on Saturday night.

"Obviously not happy with the outcome of the game, but I think there are some bright spots," said head coach Walt Wells. "When we watch the film tomorrow, we'll see some young guys making some good plays, some older guys making some good plays, and then we've got to correct the mistakes we made. Those are the things that didn't give us a chance in the fourth quarter… I believe you can continually improve, and we have to do that."

Mississippi State was led by its new quarterback, Blake Shapen, who threw for three touchdowns and 247 yards, adding one score on the ground.

EKU's Matt Morrissey accounted for the Colonels' lone score of the night, leading the team on a 14-play, 75-yard drive that culminated in a nine-yard touchdown pass to Ron Vann Jr. over the middle with three seconds remaining in the first half.

The Colonels will now prepare to renew the Battle of the Bluegrass against Western Kentucky next Saturday, Sept. 7.

How It Happened
Mississippi State opened the game quickly, scoring touchdowns on its first two drives to go up 14-0 with 11:07 remaining in the first quarter.

The Bulldogs added three more scores in the second quarter before Morrissey led the Colonels on their scoring drive, making it 35-7 at halftime.

EKU started the second half strong as Morrissey led the Colonels into Bulldog territory, reaching the 35-yard line before an incomplete pass on fourth-and-2 resulted in a turnover on downs.

The Colonels had another scoring opportunity early in the fourth quarter, reaching MSU's 31-yard line before another turnover on downs.

Mississippi State added three more touchdowns in the second half via a one-yard rush, a blocked punt, and an interception return.