2018 Eastern Kentucky Colonels football team

2018 Eastern Kentucky Colonels football
Conference	Ohio Valley Conference
Record	7–4 (5–2 OVC)
Head coach	Mark Elder (3rd season)
Offensive coordinator	Tommy Zagorski (1st season)
Defensive coordinator	Kurt Maddix (3rd season)
Home stadium	Roy Kidd Stadium
Seasons ← 2017 2019 →

2018 Ohio Valley Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 10 Jacksonville State $^		7	–	1					8	–	3
No. 15 Southeast Missouri State ^		6	–	2					8	–	3
Eastern Kentucky		5	–	2					7	–	4
Murray State		5	–	3					5	–	6
Tennessee State		3	–	4					4	–	5
Eastern Illinois		3	–	5					3	–	8
Austin Peay		3	–	5					5	–	6
UT Martin		2	–	6					2	–	9
Tennessee Tech		1	–	7					1	–	10
$ – Conference champion ^ – FCS playoff participant Rankings from STATS Poll

The 2018 Eastern Kentucky Colonels football team represented Eastern Kentucky University during the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by third-year head coach Mark Elder and played their home games at Roy Kidd Stadium as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference. They finished the season 7–4, 5–2 in OVC play to finish in third place.

On July 20, 2018, the media covering the OVC released their preseason poll with the Colonels predicted to finish in sixth place.^[1] On July 23, the OVC released their coaches poll with the Colonels predicted to finish in fifth place.^[2]

Media poll

Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
1	Jacksonville State	134 (14)
2	Austin Peay	114 (1)
3	UT Martin	96
4	Tennessee State	91
5	Eastern Illinois	83
6	Eastern Kentucky	64
7	Murray State	39
8	Southeast Missouri State	35
9	Tennessee Tech	19

Coaches poll

Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
1	Jacksonville State	126 (14)
2	Austin Peay	112 (4)
3	UT Martin	95
4	Eastern Illinois	73
5	Eastern Kentucky	69
6	Tennessee State	64
7	Southeast Missouri State	62
8	Murray State	24
9	Tennessee Tech	23

The Colonels had three players selected to the preseason all-OVC team.^[3]

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 30	7:00 p.m.	Morehead State*	Roy Kidd Stadium Richmond, KY (Old Hawg Rifle)	ESPN+	W 49–23	10,230
September 8	6:30 p.m.	at Marshall*	Joan C. Edwards Stadium Huntington, WV	ESPN+	L 16–32	24,304
September 15	4:00 p.m.	at Bowling Green*	Doyt Perry Stadium Bowling Green, OH	ESPN3	L 35–42	17,542
September 22	4:00 p.m.	Southeast Missouri State	Roy Kidd Stadium Richmond, KY	ESPN+	W 23–14	7,720
October 6	4:00 p.m.	No. 8 Jacksonville State	Roy Kidd Stadium Richmond, KY	ESPN+	L 7–56	6,820
October 13	3:00 p.m.	at UT Martin	Graham Stadium Martin, TN	ESPN+	W 35–34	1,769
October 20	3:00 p.m.	Murray State	Roy Kidd Stadium Richmond, KY	ESPN+	L 6–34	10,440
October 27	1:00 p.m.	Eastern Illinois	Roy Kidd Stadium Richmond, KY	ESPN+	W 31–23	4,400
November 3	5:00 p.m.	at Austin Peay	Fortera Stadium Clarksville, TN	ESPN+	W 17–13	6,094
November 10	1:00 p.m.	Robert Morris*	Roy Kidd Stadium Richmond, KY	ESPN+	W 40–39 OT	4,165
November 17	2:30 p.m.	at Tennessee Tech	Tucker Stadium Cookeville, TN	ESPN+	W 37–6	4,559
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from STATS Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

^[4]

	1	2	3	4	Total
Eagles	0	7	0	16	23
Colonels	18	0	14	17	49

	1	2	3	4	Total
Colonels	0	6	7	3	16
Thundering Herd	13	7	7	5	32

	1	2	3	4	Total
Colonels	14	7	14	0	35
Falcons	0	28	6	8	42

	1	2	3	4	Total
Redhawks	7	0	0	7	14
Colonels	3	7	7	6	23

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 8 Gamecocks	14	14	7	21	56
Colonels	0	0	0	7	7

	1	2	3	4	Total
Colonels	21	0	7	7	35
Skyhawks	7	24	3	0	34

	1	2	3	4	Total
Racers	0	10	14	10	34
Colonels	3	0	3	0	6

	1	2	3	4	Total
Panthers	10	7	0	6	23
Colonels	3	7	7	14	31

	1	2	3	4	Total
Colonels	3	0	7	7	17
Governors	7	6	0	0	13

	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Colonials	10	13	0	10	6	39
Colonels	6	10	7	10	7	40

	1	2	3	4	Total
Colonels	0	13	7	17	37
Golden Eagles	0	3	3	0	6