The Eastern Kentucky University Colonels face tough challenges in opening the 2017 football season.
Games against two in-state schools are first and second on this fall’s schedule.
Fans filed onto the field at RoyKidd Stadium Friday to get an up-close experience with this year’s Colonel squad.
Coach Mark Elder says there were more than 50 players not in maroon and white last fall. But, he says returning players are showing solid leadership.
Elder says year two certainly offers advantages. “But having some ground work already laid on that, it’s night and day from the first year where literally every guy, every play your trying to teach how you want to do it,” said Elder.
Eastern opens September 2 in Bowling Green against Western, a team that won eleven games last year. The next week the Colonels take on the University of Kentucky in Lexington. Eastern finished last year at three and eight.
