FINAL STATS
RICHMOND, Ky. – Morehead State football trailed host Eastern Kentucky by only 11 at the half in the 2018 season opener Thursday night at Roy Kidd Stadium, but the Colonels scored 31 points in the final 20 to eventually pull away for a 49-23 defeat of the Eagles.
"Overall we have the makings of the really good football team," said head coach
Rob Tenyer. "We did a lot of good things tonight. That's a team (EKU) that has 85 scholarship players, and we have none. They obviously wore us down a little bit, but I am really encouraged with our performance tonight."
Junior transfer running back
Issiah Aguero was a bright spot for the offense, scoring two touchdowns on runs of two and four yards. Redshirt freshman running back
Jovan Smith paced the rushing attack with 54 yards on just eight carries while scoring once on the ground. He also converted a two-point conversion. The Eagles recorded 16 points in the final quarter.
The Colonels jumped on top 18-0 in the first quarter, using 166 rushing yards to churn up the turf.
Aguero got the Eagles on the board with 7:45 left in the first half on a two-yard plunge. The scoring jaunt followed a 35-yard connection from senior quarterback
Lawson Page to junior transfer receiver
Jordan Huffman. Huffman tight-roped the sideline and hauled in the lofty pass with a defender on him.
Late in the second quarter, the hosts drove to the Eagle two-yard line, but a fourth and goal rushing play was thwarted by senior defensive end
Jamil Butler, who busted through the line for a tackle for loss.
The contest was 18-7 at the intermission and remained at 18-7 until 7:59 left in the third when EKU QB Dakota Allen finished a 14-play, 77-yard drive with a 15-yard scoring toss. QB Austin Scott tossed a TD pass of his own with 4:22 left in the third period to make it 32-7. Another fourth-down stop after a Page interception was spearheaded by senior cornerback
Brandyn Duncan.
Page finished 20-of-34 for 221 yards and two interceptions. Huffman had three catches for 53 yards.
Butler led the defense with nine total stops, including two behind the line of scrimmage. Senior safety
Sayyid Kanu had eight stops, while junior lineman
Jeremiah Draper forced a fumble.
EKU rushed for 404 yards, while the Eagles chalked up 332 total yards.
Morehead State returns home a week from Saturday to host Mount St. Joseph (Ohio) at 6 p.m. ET.
