First test comes to EKU

One game down, one game canceled and nine games to go.

That’s what the Panther football team faces entering this weekend’s road game at Eastern Kentucky.

The 11 a.m. Saturday game broadcast live on Fox Sports South from Richmond, will mark just the Panthers’ second game in this four-week old football season.

With a bye week to open the season, and the cancellation of the Illinois State game last weekend, Saturday’s conference opener will prove to be more crucial than it did on paper at the beginning of the season.

The Illinois State game was to be the early season test for Eastern. The Redbirds were ranked as high as No. 21 in the Sports Network poll and had handed the Panthers losses in each of the last three seasons.

If Eastern could defeat ISU and, better yet, win convincingly, the game had the potential to provide the Panthers with a critical burst of momentum to start the season.

The Ohio Valley Conference opener against the Colonels this weekend has now turned into that game. EKU plays well at home in Roy Kidd Stadium, and their head coach, for whom the facility is named after, is coming off his 300th career win two weeks ago.

Like the Panthers, EKU also canceled its game last week at Elon. Eastern Kentucky, Elon and as Illinois State all received votes for the Top 25 this week, while the Panthers are ranked No. 11 in the Sports Network I-AA poll.

It’s obvious on paper that the Panthers are a more talented team. Kidd knows that.

“This is going to be a tough game. They look to be the same team from last year,” Kidd said. “But we’ll still get after them. I’m confident our guys will be ready to play.”

The Panthers do return most of a team that routed EKU 49-6 last year at O’Brien Stadium.