CARROLLTON, Ga. – Eastern Kentucky University fell in its 2025 United Athletic Conference opener to No. 22 West Georgia on Saturday night on the road, 33-12.
 
The loss sees the Colonels move to 1-3 on the season and 0-1 in conference play while the Wolves improve to 4-0, 1-0 in the UAC.
 
"We are not good enough to overcome the mistakes that we made," said EKU head coach Walt Wells. "Those mistakes put you behind the eight-ball … Credit to West Georgia because they made us pay. I think we did some good things, but that all gets negated because we didn't win."
 
In the loss, the Colonels outgained the Wolves, with 357 yards of total offense to UWG's 242, but two turnovers and untimely penalties hampered EKU on the road.
 
How It Happened
 
The Colonels got on the board first courtesy of a 27-yard field goal by Buzz Flabiano, finishing a 13-play, 69-yard drive with 6:15 left in the first quarter.
 
West Georgia answered on its next drive, scoring in just six plays on a 31-yard touchdown pass, taking a 7-3 lead.
 
After both teams traded punts, the Wolves' defense capitalized on a fumbled snap by EKU, returning the loose ball 53 yards for a touchdown, going up 14-3 with 12:18 remaining in the second quarter.
 
On the ensuing drive, the Colonels were knocking on the door of the end zone, reaching the Wolves' nine-yard line, but were unable to convert on a third-and-four followed by an unsportsmanlike penalty resulting in a 41-yard field goal by Flabiano.
 
EKU found the endzone on its next drive as running back Brayden Latham gashed UWG's defense up the middle for a 45-yard touchdown run with 1:15 remaining in the half.
 
The Colonels' two-point conversion attempt came up short as the Wolves broke up a Myles Burkett pass intended for tight end Caeleb Schlachter, leaving the score at 14-12 in favor of UWG.
 
The Wolves earned the last points of the half, however, going 68 yards in just 57 seconds, connecting on a 28-yard touchdown pass to go up 21-12 heading into the break.
 
In the third quarter, EKU looked to have scored on a 22-yard fade route as Burkett found wide receiver Marcus Calwise Jr., but it was nullified by an offensive pass interference penalty.
 
The Colonels were then pushed out of field goal range three plays later as Jordyn Potts (who entered due to Burkett losing his helmet on the previous play) was sacked for a 12-yard loss.
 
The Wolves scored on their next drive, going 80 yards on 8 plays, finished off with a four-yard touchdown run, putting UWG up 28-12 with 4:07 left in the third stanza.
In the final quarter, the Wolves added a safety and a 47-yard field goal to put the game on ice, bringing the final score to 33-12.
 
 
Up Next
 
The Colonels return home next Saturday, September 27, facing Nicholls State at 6 p.m. for EKU's final non-conference game of the regular season.