JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – Eastern Kentucky University football renews a longtime rivalry Saturday night as the Colonels face Jacksonville State for the 20th time at AmFirst Stadium.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Eli Gold, Jeff Burger and Erica Schoeman on the call.
Fans can also listen to the action for free on Colonels All-Access with Wes Chandler and
Terry Johnson on the call for the EKU Sports Network. The Kentucky 811 Pregame Show begins one hour prior to kickoff.
Colonel fans making the trip to Jacksonville can purchase single-game tickets
online here.
Eastern Kentucky (0-1) will look to bounce back after suffering a 45-21 road loss to Western Carolina in its season opener.
Sophomore quarterback
Tyler Travers shined in his first collegiate start, completing 22 of 34 passes for 305 yards and three touchdowns. He became the first EKU quarterback since 2023 to throw for 300 yards in a game.
Defensively, EKU safeties
Jeffrey Kinley and
Derek Taylor combined for 22 tackles as the Colonels held the Catamounts to 10 points in the first half. Kinley, a Richmond native, recorded a career-high 12 tackles, including seven solo stops.
Former Ohio Valley Conference heavyweights Eastern Kentucky and Jacksonville State played annually from 2003-20 and combined to win 11 of 17 conference championships during that span.
EKU captured OVC titles in 2007 and 2008 before sharing the 2011 championship with Jacksonville State. The Gamecocks won seven other OVC titles in 2003, 2004, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, including five consecutive championships from 2014-18.
Eastern Kentucky enters Saturday having won two of its last three meetings with Jacksonville State, earning a 29-23 victory in 2019 and a 39-31 double-overtime win in 2021. Jax State leads the all-time series 11-8. Both teams' depth charts can be found
online here.
Scouting Jacksonville State
Like EKU, Jacksonville State enters Saturday at 0-1 after suffering a 33-7 loss at North Dakota State during Week Zero.
Senior quarterback Caden Creel scored on an 8-yard run to tie the game at 7 with four minutes remaining in the first quarter before North Dakota State responded with 26 unanswered points.
Creel finished 12 of 23 passing for 85 yards with one interception. He also led Jacksonville State on the ground with 52 rushing yards and the Gamecocks' lone touchdown.
Defensively, sophomore cornerback JQ Brooks led the Gamecocks with six tackles and added one pass breakup.
Jacksonville State was one of three Conference USA teams to receive a unanimous 100% score in the league's 2026 preseason Bowl Confidence Index, joining Liberty and Western Kentucky.
