CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Eastern Kentucky University football held a halftime lead before Western Carolina scored three touchdowns in the third quarter to pull away for a 45-21 victory Saturday night at E.J. Whitmire Stadium in the 2026 season opener.
The Colonels led 14-10 at the break after sophomore quarterback
Tyler Travers found
Elijah Caldwell and
Brayden Latham in the end zone. Western Carolina (1-0) responded with three unanswered touchdowns to begin the second half, taking a 31-14 advantage before EKU answered late in the third quarter.
Travers finished his first collegiate start completing 22-of-34 passes for 305 yards and three touchdowns. Travers, a Mount Juliet, Tennessee, native, is the first Colonel since Parker McKinney in 2023 to throw for more than 300 yards in a game.
Caldwell found an early connection with his new quarterback, leading EKU with six receptions for 102 yards and a touchdown, while
Jarvis Hayes added five catches for 47 yards and a score.
Defensively, Richmond product Jeff Kinley led the Colonels with a career-high 12 tackles, while
Derek Taylor added 10. EKU finished with 370 yards of total offense, including 305 through the air.
Eastern Kentucky (0-1) took the opening kickoff and immediately put together a 10-play, 75-yard scoring drive. Travers completed six passes on the possession before finding Caldwell for an 18-yard touchdown to give the Colonels a 7-0 lead with 9:38 remaining in the first quarter.
The EKU defense kept Western Carolina off the scoreboard on its first two possessions before the Catamounts tied the game late in the opening period. WCU's Marlin Cochran capped an 89-yard drive with a 34-yard touchdown run with 15 seconds remaining, sending the game to the second quarter tied at 7-7.
Neither side scored through the first 13 minutes of the second quarter before Eastern Kentucky put together its second lengthy touchdown drive of the night. The Colonels marched 81 yards in 12 plays and took 6:28 off the clock, with Travers connecting with Latham for a nine-yard touchdown with 1:57 remaining in the half.
Western Carolina drove into EKU territory in the closing seconds, but the Colonel defense kept the Catamounts out of the end zone. Catamount Bryan McCollum connected on a 20-yard field goal as time expired to send Eastern Kentucky into halftime with a 14-10 advantage.
The Cats took their first lead on the opening possession of the third quarter when NC State transfer quarterback Lex Thomas found Bode Burns for an 18-yard touchdown, putting Western Carolina ahead 17-14 with 12:47 remaining.
Western Carolina added to its lead following an EKU turnover, with Thomas finding Josh Perry for a 12-yard touchdown to make it 24-14. The Catamounts struck again later in the quarter as Thomas connected with Perry for his second touchdown reception, this time from six yards out, to extend the margin to 31-14.
Eastern Kentucky answered with its third 75-yard touchdown drive of the game. Travers completed a 30-yard pass to
Brady Hensley to move the Colonels into Western Carolina territory before finding Hayes for a 15-yard touchdown with 37 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
Buzz Flabiano's third extra point cut the deficit to 31-21 entering the fourth.
The Colonels had opportunities to draw closer in the final period but were unable to find the end zone. Western Carolina put the game away with two touchdowns in the final 2:27, as Thomas scored on a 15-yard run before Anthony Benjamin added a 14-yard touchdown run to produce the final margin.
WCU finished with 508 yards of total offense, including 320 through the air and 188 on the ground. Thomas completed 27-of-35 passes for 320 yards and three touchdowns while adding 69 rushing yards and a score.
EKU returns to action Saturday, Sept. 5, when the Colonels travel to face FBS Jacksonville State. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
