Coming off a convincing win in its season opener, the NC State football team looks to continue its success Saturday at Carter-Finley Stadium against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels.
The Wolfpack (1-0, 0-0 ACC) and Colonels (1-0, 0-0 OVC) meet after both teams crushed their opponents in the opening week of the season. The Pack trounced Troy 49-21, while Eastern Kentucky dominated. The Colonels mark the second nonconference opponent State faces this season, and the Pack’s last home game before ACC play begins.
The Colonels hail from the Ohio Valley Conference in Division 1-AA, right below Division 1-A where the Wolfpack competes. Finishing a respectable 9-4 last season, the Colonels were the second best team in the conference, only behind the Jacksonville State Gamecocks in the standings.
“It’s a really good Eastern Kentucky team,” NC State head coach Dave Doeren said. “They scored 52 points in their opener and are the 14th ranked team in the FCS. It’s a team that has a lot of tradition. I think the second-winningest program as far as trips to the playoffs.”
With junior quarterbacks Kyle Romano and Bennie Coney both returning from last season’s nine-win performance, the Colonels will have plenty of experience in the pocket. Although Romano started the game, Coney had the better performance Saturday against Valparaiso. Coney completed 11-of-20 throws for 153 yards and two scores, while Romano was more accurate, completing 8-of-10 passes for 102 but no touchdowns.
Sophomore running back Kentayvus Hopkins, another returning player for the Colonels, carried the ball seven times for 60 yards and one touchdown.
“Their tailback makes their offense go,” Doeren said. “He was a preseason All-American. He averaged 5.8 yards per carry and had 20 touchdowns last season.”
However, the most experienced player on the Colonels’ offense is senior wide receiver Jeff Glover. Catching five passes for 95 yards and two touchdowns Saturday, Glover provides an offensive threat the Pack needs to keep in check.
The Wolfpack comes off a stellar performance in its opening game against the Troy Trojans. Senior quarterback Jacoby Brissett looked poised as ever, completing all but two of his 23 throws for 196 yards and two touchdowns.
“I’m very proud of the execution we had on offense,” Doeren said. “We were able to control the clock and execute on third and fourth down. The way we threw it and caught it was very efficient.”
Junior running back Matt Dayes is coming off a career day, totaling 191 all-purpose yards and two scores. With senior running back Shadrach Thornton serving the final game of his two-game suspension, Dayes will receive the majority of the carries on offense against the Colonels.
Defensively, the Pack looked much better than last season; however, the defense did seem shaky at times after allowing several big plays to the Trojans last week.
“There were four plays that took away from a pretty good defensive performance,” Doeren said. “It was a good learning experience for those guys. We can’t be a defense that gives up 150 yards on four plays, and they know that.”
The coaching staff is preparing the team for Saturday’s matchup, and Coach Doeren feels his staff is doing its job right.
“You get what you emphasize,” Doeren said. “It’s something we talk about, and one of the foundations of our program is not beating ourselves. That’s on the field and off the field.”
After Saturday’s contest with the Colonels, the Pack hits the road for the next two weeks to visit Old Dominion and South Alabama. The Pack returns to action at Carter-Finley Stadium Oct. 3 for its ACC opener against the Louisville Cardinals.
