RICHMOND, Ky. – Junior running back
Brady Hensley rushed for 138 yards and a touchdown, surpassing 1,000 career rushing yards as the Eastern Kentucky University football team defeated West Georgia, 30-20, Saturday night at CG Bank Field at Roy Kidd Stadium.
The Colonels (2-4, 1-1 UAC) scored 21 unanswered points in the second quarter and added three fourth-quarter field goals to secure their first conference victory of the season.
Hensley carried 29 times to lead an EKU offense that totaled 391 yards, including 196 on the ground. Fellow senior running back
Brayden Latham added 49 rushing yards on 13 carries and caught two passes for 16 yards.
Junior quarterback
Jordyn Potts completed 17 of 24 passes for 195 yards and a touchdown, while adding another touchdown on the ground. Richmond native and senior wide out
Jayden West led the Colonels with 62 receiving yards and a touchdown on three catches, while
Elijah Caldwell hauled in four passes for 45 yards.
EKU held the ball for 39 minutes, 8 seconds, ran 76 plays to West Georgia's 56 and converted eight of 17 third-down attempts. The Colonels scored on all four trips inside the red zone and finished without a turnover, while forcing a season-high two defensive stops.
Junior placekicker
Devin Orr accounted for 12 points, making all three field-goal attempts and three extra points. Orr connected from 30, 38 and a career-long 48 yards in the fourth quarter to seal the victory for the Colonels.
Senior cornerback
Aden Tagaloa-Nelson led Eastern Kentucky with eight tackles and two pass breakups.
Caleb Redd recorded 1.5 sacks,
Keshawn Hayden recovered a fumble, and
Cristian Conyer intercepted a pass late in the fourth quarter. The Colonels limited the Wolves to just 79 rushing yards.
West Georgia (1-5, 0-1 UAC) opened the scoring in the first quarter after the teams combined for five punts to begin the game. Christian Monfort capped a six-play, 35-yard drive with a 6-yard touchdown run with 3:17 remaining, giving the Wolves a 7-0 lead after one quarter.
EKU answered early in the second quarter as Hensley scored from 13 yards out with 13:35 remaining, finishing an 81-yard drive to tie the game at 7-7.
Hayden recovered a fumble near the EKU goal line on West Georgia's next possession, and the Colonels turned the takeaway into the go-ahead touchdown. Potts finished a 12-play, 87-yard march with a 1-yard touchdown run at the 6:57 mark.
Potts then directed a 12-play, 82-yard scoring drive before halftime, finding West for a 7-yard touchdown with 19 seconds remaining. EKU entered the break ahead 21-7 after scoring touchdowns on three consecutive possessions.
West Georgia accounted for the only scoring in the third quarter. Logan Lopez made a 38-yard field goal with 11:53 remaining and added a 49-yarder at the 2:48 mark, trimming EKU's lead to 21-13 entering the fourth.
Orr opened the fourth-quarter scoring with a 30-yard field goal to extend the advantage to 24-13. The Wolves responded with a 4-yard touchdown pass from Colton Fitzgerald to DK Daniel with 12:09 remaining, pulling within 24-20.
The Colonels answered with a 10-play drive that consumed nearly five minutes, ending with Orr's 38-yard field goal for a 27-20 lead with 7:07 remaining. After the defense forced a three-and-out, EKU used another 3:56 before Orr connected from 48 yards to make it 30-20 with 2:11 left.
Conyer intercepted Fitzgerald with 1:43 remaining to end West Georgia's final possession and seal the victory.
The Colonels return to action Saturday, Oct. 17, at Tennessee Tech on the road. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
