Indiana State at Eastern Kentucky, Saturday, 1:00
Indiana State was rewarded for their tough schedule and earned one of the last spots in the FCS Playoffs. By my count, they were the last team in. But any team that has wins over Ball State, Liberty, Northern Iowa and Youngstown State is a very dangerous playoff team. Eastern Kentucky, meanwhile, heads into the playoffs with a 9-3 record, which includes a win over Miami (Ohio). Both teams have some great wins, but they go about it in very different ways. Indiana State is a passing team and Eastern Kentucky is happiest when the ball is on the ground.
Sycamores quarterback Mike Perish nearly reached the 3,000 passing yard plateau during the 2014 campaign and is a very efficient passer. He threw just eight interceptions on 444 passing attempts. EKU’s offense works through running back Dy’Shawn Mobley who rushed for 1,395 yards. The Colonels must establish Mobley on the ground. If that happens, the quarterback-receiver combination of Jared McClain and Jeff Glover becomes extremely dangerous. But what this game will likely come down to is turnovers. Indiana State has the best turnover margin in the country. Much of that has to do with Perish’s efficiency, but the secondary is full of ball hawks, most notably Mark Sewall, Travis Starks and Dejuan Lang. It is defensive lineman Connor Underwood that sets up the secondary to make plays by getting to the quarterback. This should be a close contest and both teams should be able to move the ball, so it very well could come down to a turnover or two.
Projected Score: Indiana State 31, Eastern Kentucky 28
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