Colonel fans would never have known Monday Eastern Kentucky head coach Danny Hope has Eastern’s number.

The Colonels’ leader on the sidelines was not overconfident when he addressed the local media about Saturday’s Homecoming contest against the Panthers at O’Brien Stadium.

“It’s going to be a huge challenge. They are a very good football team,” Hope said. “The score from (previous years) is not indicative of how good a football team they are.”

The third-year coach has won his first two games against Eastern by an embarrassing 90-6. In his only appearance at Charleston, Eastern Kentucky humiliated the Panthers (4-2, 3-0) on Family Weekend 41-0.

“This obviously is the biggest game of the year so far,” Eastern head coach Bob Spoo said.

Eastern Kentucky enters the game with the 19th best passing offense averaging 273 yards through the air. Colonel players talked about how the offense has taken pressure off the defense that Hope feels is being overlooked during its three-game winning streak.

“The offense has been playing well, which takes the pressure off us a little,” Eastern Kentucky linebacker Marcus Mayes said. “We know our offense can came out and score at any time in case we don’t stop (the opponent).”

The Colonels (3-3, 3-0) are winning against conference opponents by an average of 34 points.

“Eastern Kentucky has won each league game by a lopsided margin, which indicates their strength on both sides of the ball,” Spoo said.

Eastern’s defense is what Hope’s players focused on when talking about game planning for the Panthers.

“They’re a hard-hitting defense from what I’ve seen so far and no team is going to go out and lay down for you,” senior center Will Heineman said.

The last time these two teams faced each other on Homecoming was ironically the time Eastern got a victory. In 2002, when the Panthers beat Eastern Kentucky 25-24, Eastern Illinois quarterback and former Walter Payton Award winner Tony Romo scored on an 8-yard scramble on the last play of the game, which culminated arguably one of the best games in the 35-year history of O’Brien Stadium.