Opponent Preview: EKU Offense Led by New Signal Caller

Colonels return tight end and four starters along the offensive line for the 2024 season

Eastern Kentucky Colonels head coach Walt Wells reacts during the second quarter against the Kentucky Wildcats at Kroger Field. / Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Mississippi State is set to kickoff the Jeff Lebby era in Starkville this Saturday against Eastern Kentucky and he’ll be doing so with a quarterback also new to the Magnolia state.

Transfer quarterback Blake Shapen will lead a Bulldog offense with 11 new starters, but he won’t be the only quarterback making their debut at Davis Wade Stadium.

Eastern Kentucky will be breaking in its own new quarterback when the two teams meet. Parker McKinney, who threw for 12,751 yards in six seasons at EKU, exhausted his eligibility and the battle to replace him is down to two players.

Matt Morrissey has the most experience as a graduate student (had 1,981 passing yards at Western Illinois last season) and redshirt sophomore Cameron Hergott has also been competing for the starting gig. EKU coach Walt Wells said he expects both Morrissey and Hergott to get playing time against Mississippi State.

“(Morrissey) is a big pocket guy who threw for almost 2,000 yards last year at Western Illinois,” Lebby said at his Monday press conference. “He’s a guy that’s got really good accuracy and we’re planning to see him more than anyone else.”

Whoever lines up at quarterback for EKU will do so with an experience offensive line in front of them and some experienced playmakers around, too.

The Colonels are returning four starters from last year’s team (Isaiah Burn, Payton Collins, Vincent Munlin Jr. and John Stone) that averaged 437 yards per game and 29.5 points per game. That includes tight end Hunter Brown who was named first-team All-UAC after leading the conference with 33 catches for 387 yards and three touchdowns.

EKU is also bringing back one of its two rushers who had more than 700 yards in 2023. Joshua Carter finished just 50 yards short of the Colonels’ rushing title with 714 yards with an average of six yards per carry and 64.9 per game. He also had four touchdowns.

“This is going to be about find ways to stop the run, not give up explosive plays and create turnovers,” Lebby said. “And if we do those things we’re going to like the outcome of how we play defense.”

The EKU receiving corps isn’t as experienced, though. EKU lost four of its top five pass catchers from last year’s team that averaged nearly 300 passing yards per game with Brown being the lone returner from that group.

It’s the second-straight year is opening its season against a Power 5 Conference team. The Colonels opened the 2023 season with a 66-17 loss to Cincinnati and then lost 28-17 the following week against Kentucky.

2023 Statistical Leaders

Passing

Parker McKinney – 3,033 yards, 20 TDs, 12 INT, 63.2 completion percentage

Rushing

Braedon Sloan – 765 yards, 10 TDs, 5.3 yards per carry, 69.5 yards per game

Joshua Carter – 714 yards, 4 TDs, 6 ypc, 64.9 ypg

Receiving

Jaden Smith – 73 catches, 781 yards, 5 TDs, 10.7 ypc

Braedon Sloan – 41 catches, 474 yards, 3 TDs, 11.6 ypc

Jalen Burbage – 33 catches, 403 yards, 4 TDs, 12.2 ypc

Hunter Brown – 33 catches, 387 yards, 3 TDs, 11.7 ypc

Mo Edwards Jr. – 23 catches, 348 yards, 1 TD, 15.1 ypc

*Players in bold are returning in 2024.