10-29-2017, 02:01 AM
MURRAY, Ky. â With a dominate defense and running game, EKU picked up its second straight win with a 26-13 victory at Murray State on Saturday at Stewart Stadium.
The EKU defense forced three turnovers, held Murray State to 63 yards rushing and 273 yards of total offense, including minus-4 yards in the third quarter.
One game after rushing for a season-best 229 yards, the Colonels (3-5, 3-3 OVC) churned out 180 in the first half against the Racers and finished with a new season-high 279 yards on the ground.
One week after setting a new career high with 137 yards on 22 carries, Daryl McCleskey Jr. finished with 144 yards on 21 carries against Murray State (2-6, 1-3 OVC).
Dan Paul caught a 22-yard pass just inside the goal line with 6:44 left in the first quarter for the first score of the game. The extra-point made it 7-0. The Colonels took advantage of two costly unsportsmanlike conduct penalties on Murray State, including a 15-yarder on 4th-and-10, early in the second quarter to stretch the lead to 14-0. LJ Scott capped the 16-play, 73-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run. The drive ate up 7:12 of clock time.
Eastern pulled away with two touchdowns in the final four minutes of the first half. Ryan Markush caught a 38-yard pass over the middle from Tim Boyle to give the visitors a 20-3 lead with 3:32 to go before intermission. Scott ran for another short touchdown, this time from one yard out, with 1:30 remaining in the second quarter to push the score to 26-3. The Racers added a late first half field goal to make it 26-6.
Neither team added points to the board until Murray State scored a touchdown with 2:44 left in the game. The Colonels ran the clock to less than a minute on their ensuing possession and then time ran out on any Racer comeback attempt.
Boyle finished 15-of-25 for 201 yards and threw two touchdown passes. Scott had 35 yards with his two touchdown runs. Ralph Patton contributed 54 rushing yards on nine second half carries.
Defensive lineman Luder Jean Louis totaled six tackles, including two sacks for a loss of 12 yards. Corey Glass forced two fumbles and had three tackles.
Murray State quarterback Shuler Bentley finished 20-for-40 for 210 yards and threw one touchdown pass.
Eastern Kentucky will play at Eastern Illinois University next Saturday, Nov. 4. Kickoff in Charleston is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET.
NOTES
A 72-yard run by Daryl McCleskey Jr. in the first quarter is the longest rush of the season by a Colonel.
The 72-yard run by Daryl McCleskey Jr. in the first quarter was the longest rush by an EKU player since Ethan Thomas ran for an 80-yard touchdown against Tennessee State on Oct. 24, 2015.
Dan Paul's 22-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter was his first career scoring catch.
Daryl McCleskey Jr. finished with 144 rushing yards on 21 carries. He had 137 yards on 22 carries last week against UT Martin. He is the first Colonel to rush for 100 yards in back-to-back games since Dy'Shawn Mobley did it four games in a row in 2014.
LJ Scott's two rushing touchdowns were his fourth and fifth of the season.
Eastern Kentucky now leads the all-time series with Murray State, 46-27-4. The Colonels are 23-15-2 all-time in games played in Murray.
http://www.ekusports.com/news/2017/10/28...-road.aspx
The EKU defense forced three turnovers, held Murray State to 63 yards rushing and 273 yards of total offense, including minus-4 yards in the third quarter.
One game after rushing for a season-best 229 yards, the Colonels (3-5, 3-3 OVC) churned out 180 in the first half against the Racers and finished with a new season-high 279 yards on the ground.
One week after setting a new career high with 137 yards on 22 carries, Daryl McCleskey Jr. finished with 144 yards on 21 carries against Murray State (2-6, 1-3 OVC).
Dan Paul caught a 22-yard pass just inside the goal line with 6:44 left in the first quarter for the first score of the game. The extra-point made it 7-0. The Colonels took advantage of two costly unsportsmanlike conduct penalties on Murray State, including a 15-yarder on 4th-and-10, early in the second quarter to stretch the lead to 14-0. LJ Scott capped the 16-play, 73-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run. The drive ate up 7:12 of clock time.
Eastern pulled away with two touchdowns in the final four minutes of the first half. Ryan Markush caught a 38-yard pass over the middle from Tim Boyle to give the visitors a 20-3 lead with 3:32 to go before intermission. Scott ran for another short touchdown, this time from one yard out, with 1:30 remaining in the second quarter to push the score to 26-3. The Racers added a late first half field goal to make it 26-6.
Neither team added points to the board until Murray State scored a touchdown with 2:44 left in the game. The Colonels ran the clock to less than a minute on their ensuing possession and then time ran out on any Racer comeback attempt.
Boyle finished 15-of-25 for 201 yards and threw two touchdown passes. Scott had 35 yards with his two touchdown runs. Ralph Patton contributed 54 rushing yards on nine second half carries.
Defensive lineman Luder Jean Louis totaled six tackles, including two sacks for a loss of 12 yards. Corey Glass forced two fumbles and had three tackles.
Murray State quarterback Shuler Bentley finished 20-for-40 for 210 yards and threw one touchdown pass.
Eastern Kentucky will play at Eastern Illinois University next Saturday, Nov. 4. Kickoff in Charleston is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET.
NOTES
A 72-yard run by Daryl McCleskey Jr. in the first quarter is the longest rush of the season by a Colonel.
The 72-yard run by Daryl McCleskey Jr. in the first quarter was the longest rush by an EKU player since Ethan Thomas ran for an 80-yard touchdown against Tennessee State on Oct. 24, 2015.
Dan Paul's 22-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter was his first career scoring catch.
Daryl McCleskey Jr. finished with 144 rushing yards on 21 carries. He had 137 yards on 22 carries last week against UT Martin. He is the first Colonel to rush for 100 yards in back-to-back games since Dy'Shawn Mobley did it four games in a row in 2014.
LJ Scott's two rushing touchdowns were his fourth and fifth of the season.
Eastern Kentucky now leads the all-time series with Murray State, 46-27-4. The Colonels are 23-15-2 all-time in games played in Murray.
http://www.ekusports.com/news/2017/10/28...-road.aspx