#34 Eastern Kentucky FCS Football Preview


Eastern Kentucky Colonels

Overall Rank: #34
#4 Ohio Valley
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Eastern Kentucky Team Page


2010 Record: (6-5, 5-2)
2010 Postseason: none
Coach: Dean Hood (19-15 at Eastern Kentucky, 19-15 overall)

Returning Leaders:
Rushing: T.J. Pryor, QB, 505 yards
Passing: T.J. Pryor, QB, 1,613 yards
Receiving: Orlandus Harris, WR, 940 yards
Tackles: Patrick McClellan, S, 68
Sacks: Anthony Brown, DE, 6.5
Interceptions: Jeremy Caldwell, CB, 3

Two years in a row of not making the FCS Playoffs is a long time for Eastern Kentucky. The Colonels were consistently on top of the Ohio Valley Conference standings for a while, but they have slipped the past couple of seasons. Coach Dean Hood has had to rebuild and the fruits of his labor are paying off. However, a couple new promoted coordinators may change things up a little bit.

Strengths:
The big losses are on the defensive side of the ball, most notably lineman Andrew Soucy and linebacker Jordan Dalrymple, but the unit is still the strength of this team. The front four has a nice mixture of experience and potential. Anthony Brown led the team with 6.5 sacks as a freshman in 2010 and he will team up with Robert Knowles to try and get consistent pressure, yet again, in the backfield. The biggest issues are in the linebacker corps. Tyson Patrick is a great playmaker who can get into the backfield or drop back in coverage. Probable new starters Ichiro Vance and Kevin Hamlin will have to handle a lot of the tackling if the opposition can get past the front four. At 6-4, Hamlin is an intriguing prospect after sitting on Iowa State’s bench for three years. What makes this defense so special is the secondary. Strong safety Patrick McClellan led the team in tackles last season and free safety Brooklyn Fox is back to be by his side. Cornerback Jeremy Caldwell is an amazing athlete with a knack for making big plays. Not only is he a solid coverage corner who picked off three passes last year, but he can flip field position for the Colonels in other ways as well. In 2010 he returned one interception for a touchdown, two kickoffs for scores and ran back a punt for a touchdown.

Weaknesses:
The offense is full of potential with 2009 Freshman of the Year T.J. Pryor leading the way. Pryor is a fine dual threat quarterback, but he has been wildly inconsistent. He threw for 1,613 yards and a dozen touchdowns last season, but he also threw 12 interceptions. With a bulk of the offensive line returning, Pryor should have more time in the pocket, but that may not be enough to help his decision making. The good news is Pryor is a year older and a year wiser and his top receiver, Orlandus Harris, is back, but the better news may be that the ground attack should be much improved. H.B. Banjoman is an experienced senior who tallied 423 yards on the ground last season, but he will be pushed for carries by Matt Denham. Denham did not get much of an opportunity to make an impact during his sophomore season, but he had a great spring and is expected to take over the starting job in the fall.

The Bottom Line:
Eastern Kentucky has enough talent to win the OVC, but there are quite a few things that need to go right for that to happen. The most important is the maturity of Pryor. He can really open up the offense with his ability to run and pass and that could be a huge weapon for EKU, as it has been on and off over the last two years. However, he has to stay under control and make smart decisions. The defense can only take the Colonels so far and the rest will be up to Pryor.

Projected Postseason: none

2010 Team Stats:
Rushing Offense: 151.82 (55th in nation, 7th in conference)
Passing Offense: 169.18 (82, 5)
Total Offense: 321.00 (86, 7)
Scoring Offense: 27.55 (39, 3)
Rushing Defense: 125.55 (24, 1)
Pass Defense: 244.00 (107, 9)
Total Defense: 369.55 (79, 5)
Scoring Defense: 22.73 (45, 2)
Turnover Margin: -.09 (64, 5)
Sacks: 2.91 (10, 1)
Sacks Allowed: 3.45 (112, 9)