RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University football team continues its four-game homestand and opens United Athletic Conference play Saturday night against North Alabama at CG Bank Field at Roy Kidd Stadium.
Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET. Gates will open 90 minutes prior to kickoff, with a full timeline of pregame activities set to be announced Friday. Fans looking to attend Saturday's game can purchase single-game tickets
online here.
Saturday's game will stream live on ESPN+ with
Wes Chandler, Jonathan Duff and Maggie Davis on the call.
Fans can also listen for free on Colonels All-Access and the EKU football X account with Sam Gormley and Michael Watkins of the EKU Sports Network on the radio. The Kentucky 811 Pregame Show begins one hour prior to kickoff.
Eastern Kentucky (1-3) will welcome back members of its 1979 and 1982 NCAA I-AA national championship teams and its 1980 and 1981 NCAA I-AA national runner-up teams Saturday as part of a championship reunion weekend in Richmond.
The four-year run from 1979-82 marked one of the most successful stretches in college football history, as EKU advanced to four consecutive NCAA Division I-AA national championship games under legendary head coach Roy Kidd.
The Colonels captured national titles in 1979 and 1982 and finished as national runners-up in 1980 and 1981, compiling a 46-7 record across the four seasons. EKU went 11-2 in 1979 before defeating Lehigh, 30-7, for the program's first national championship and capped the run with a 13-0 season in 1982, defeating Delaware, 17-14, to claim its second national title.
The Colonels look to bounce back after a 17-14 loss to Dayton on Sept. 19 at home. EKU totaled 426 yards of offense in the loss behind senior quarterback
Jordyn Potts, who went 23-for-36 for 273 yards and connected on a 54-yard touchdown pass.
Junior running back
Brady Hensley rushed for 93 yards and scored his third touchdown of the season against Dayton. Hensley has rushed for at least 90 yards in three consecutive games entering Saturday and leads EKU with 318 rushing yards this season.
Defensively, sophomore linebacker
Cam Jessee and fifth-year defensive back
Derek Taylor share the team lead with 29 tackles apiece. The duo has combined for 3.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, three pass breakups, one quarterback hurry and one forced fumble.
Jessee, who earned UAC Defensive Player of the Week honors following EKU's win over Chattanooga earlier this season, recorded six solo tackles and forced a fumble against Dayton.
Saturday marks the fifth meeting between Eastern Kentucky and North Alabama since the programs became conference opponents in 2022. EKU leads the all-time series 3-1 and owns a 2-0 record against the Lions at Roy Kidd Stadium.
Scouting North Alabama
The Lions enter the conference opener with a 3-2 record under fourth-year head coach Brent Dearmon. North Alabama has won its last two games, defeating Alcorn State, 38-20, before earning a 23-20 win over Western Illinois in the opening game at the new Bank Independent Stadium on campus.
North Alabama is led by junior quarterback Destin Wade, a former University of Kentucky and University of Colorado player who has thrown for 1,122 yards and five touchdowns.
Wade's leading target, Xavier Johnson, has earned UAC Freshman of the Week honors four times this season and leads the FCS with 593 receiving yards. Johnson is averaging 118.6 receiving yards per game through the first five contests.
Defensively, junior lineman Avery Howard leads North Alabama with 30 tackles, including 10 tackles for loss and six sacks, while adding two forced fumbles. The Florida native ranks third nationally in both sacks and tackles for loss.
