The 2019 Eastern Kentucky Colonels football team represented Eastern Kentucky University during the 2019 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by fourth-year head coach Mark Elder and played their home games at Roy Kidd Stadium as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference. They finished the season 7–5, 5–3 in OVC play to finish in fourth place. Elder was fired following the season. He finished with a record of 21–24.[1]
Preseason
Preseason coaches' poll
The OVC released their preseason coaches' poll on July 22, 2019. The Colonels were picked to finish in third place.[2]
| Predicted finish
|
Team
|
Votes (1st place)
|
| 1 |
Jacksonville State |
135 (15)
|
| 2 |
Southeast Missouri State |
115
|
| 3 |
Eastern Kentucky |
99
|
| 4 |
Austin Peay |
84
|
| 5 |
Tennessee State |
75
|
| 6 |
UT Martin |
58
|
| 7 |
Murray State |
55
|
| 8 |
Eastern Illinois |
38
|
| 9 |
Tennessee Tech |
16
|
Preseason All-OVC team
The Colonels had three players at three positions selected to the preseason all-OVC team.[3]
|
Offense
Daryl McCleskey Jr. – RB
|
Defense
Aaron Patrick – DL
Leodis Moore III – DB
|
Schedule
| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
|---|
| | 7:00 p.m. | Valparaiso* | | ESPN+ | W 53–7 | 11,130
|
| September 7 | 7:00 p.m. | at Louisville* | | ACCN Extra | L 0–42 | 48,808
|
| September 14 | 1:00 p.m. | at Indiana State* | | ESPN+ | L 7–19 | 4,416
|
| September 21 | 1:00 p.m. | at Presbyterian* | | ESPN+ | W 35–10 | 2,152
|
| September 28 | 6:00 p.m. | Tennessee State | - Roy Kidd Stadium
- Richmond, KY
| ESPN+ | W 42–16 | 8,861
|
| October 5 | 3:00 p.m. | UT Martin | - Roy Kidd Stadium
- Richmond, KY
| ESPN3 | L 28–38 | 11,260
|
| October 19 | 3:00 p.m. | at Murray State | | ESPN+ | W 34–27 | 9,029
|
| October 26 | 3:00 p.m. | at Eastern Illinois | | ESPN+ | W 33–6 | 4,000
|
| November 2 | 1:00 p.m. | Austin Peay | - Roy Kidd Stadium
- Richmond, KY
| ESPN+ | L 21–28 OT | 7,330
|
| November 9 | 2:00 p.m. | at No. 17 Southeast Missouri State | | ESPN3 | L 31–38 | 3,750
|
| November 16 | 1:00 p.m. | Tennessee Tech | - Roy Kidd Stadium
- Richmond, KY
| ESPN+ | W 22–10 | 2,987
|
| November 23 | 2:00 p.m. | at Jacksonville State | | ESPN3 | W 29–23 | 14,477
|
- *Non-conference game
Homecoming- Rankings from STATS Poll released prior to the game
- All times are in Eastern time
|
[4]
Game summaries
Valparaiso
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
| Crusaders
|
0
|
0
|
7
|
0 |
7 |
| Colonels
|
15
|
17
|
7
|
14 |
53 |
At Louisville
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
| Colonels
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0 |
0 |
| Cardinals
|
14
|
0
|
14
|
14 |
42 |
At Indiana State
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
| Colonels
|
0
|
0
|
7
|
0 |
7 |
| Sycamores
|
3
|
7
|
0
|
9 |
19 |
At Presbyterian
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
| Colonels
|
7
|
14
|
0
|
14 |
35 |
| Blue Hose
|
10
|
0
|
0
|
0 |
10 |
Tennessee State
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
| Tigers
|
3
|
6
|
7
|
0 |
16 |
| Colonels
|
7
|
14
|
7
|
14 |
42 |
UT Martin
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
| Skyhawks
|
7
|
10
|
14
|
7 |
38 |
| Colonels
|
7
|
7
|
7
|
7 |
28 |
At Murray State
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
| Colonels
|
7
|
10
|
17
|
0 |
34 |
| Racers
|
3
|
7
|
7
|
10 |
27 |
At Eastern Illinois
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
| Colonels
|
7
|
7
|
3
|
16 |
33 |
| Panthers
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
6 |
6 |
Austin Peay
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Total |
| Governors
|
7
|
0
|
7
|
7 | 7 |
28 |
| Colonels
|
10
|
0
|
0
|
11 | 0 |
21 |
At Southeast Missouri State
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
| Colonels
|
7
|
17
|
7
|
0 |
31 |
| No. 17 Redhawks
|
7
|
7
|
7
|
17 |
38 |
Tennessee Tech
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
| Golden Eagles
|
7
|
0
|
3
|
0 |
10 |
| Colonels
|
7
|
9
|
0
|
6 |
22 |
At Jacksonville State
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
| Colonels
|
6
|
3
|
14
|
6 |
29 |
| Gamecocks
|
6
|
3
|
7
|
7 |
23 |
Ranking movements
Ranking movements
Legend: RV = Received votes | Week |
|---|
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Final |
|---|
| STATS FCS | RV | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|---|
| Coaches | RV | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|---|
References
|
|---|
| Venues | |
|---|
| Bowls & rivalries | |
|---|
| Culture & lore |
- The Colonel
- "Rally Maroon and White"
- Marching Colonels
|
|---|
| People | |
|---|
| Seasons | |
|---|
National championship seasons in bold |