Eastern Kentucky pulls upset over FBS opponent after marathon overtime game

In one of the more memorable college football games played this season, Eastern Kentucky pulled an FCS-over-FBS upset against Bowling Green on Saturday night.

Eastern Kentucky secured a 59-57 upset win on the road after seven overtime periods, giving the Colonels a signature win despite the absence of head coach Walt Wells, who is recovering from a cardiac episode.

EKU’s first win over an FBS opponent since 2014 (Miami of Ohio) came in historic fashion thanks to the marathon nature of the game. The result also gave Eastern Kentucky its first win over Bowling Green since 1950.

The seven overtimes it took to separate Eastern Kentucky and Bowling Green tied the for second-most needed in Division I college football history.

Only a nine-overtime marathon between Illinois and Penn State last season lasted longer.

In the seventh and ultimately defining overtime, EKU forced an incompletion on defense before redshirt junior quarterback Parker McKinney completed a pass to sophomore running back Braedon Sloan, who dove inside the pylon to secure the victory.

Wells — who was hired as EKU’s head coach in December 2019 — experienced a cardiac episode on Aug. 28, and his chief of staff, Garry McPeek, has served as the acting head coach for EKU’s games at Eastern Michigan and Bowling Green.

Wells was able to attend Saturday’s game and spoke to the team following the Colonels’ historic win.

“It’s the culture that we want to build here, somebody goes down, the next man steps up,” Wells told his team in the locker room following the game.

McKinney finished Saturday’s game with 33 pass completions for 324 yards and three touchdowns. During the game, McKinney became Eastern Kentucky’s career completions leader.

Despite trailing 10-0 after the first quarter and 17-7 later in the first half, EKU led 31-17 early in the second half.

But, after 21 straight points from the Falcons, Bowling Green led 38-31 with less than four minutes to go.

A 14-play, 75-yard drive ended with McKinney finding sophomore wide receiver Jayden Higgins for a 3-yard touchdown catch as regulation time expired. Redshirt sophomore kicker Patrick Nations converted the extra point to send the game to OT.

“As long as we have (No.) 18, we have a chance,” McPeek said. “We had to get that one at the end there and used every second of that last drive. In that situation to go 70 I wouldn’t want anybody but 18 to run that show for me.”

“It feels good,” Higgins said of making catch that forced OT. “My coach always tells me when the opportunity comes, you know, just take full advantage of it. And that’s what I feel like I did in that play.”

The victory over Bowling Green gave EKU just its third win over an FBS opponent since 1985.

In addition to the 2014 victory over Miami (Ohio), EKU also defeated Louisville in 1985.

Eastern Kentucky aims for return to FCS playoffs

While Eastern Kentucky’s non-conference exploits will add increased attention and expectations to the program, the goal remains for the Colonels to return to the FCS playoffs for the first time since 2014.

EKU, the Division I-AA champions in 1979 and 1982 and the runner-up in 1980 and 1981, hasn’t won a postseason game since 1994.

Eastern Kentucky plays its first home game of the season at 6 p.m. Saturday against Charleston Southern in Richmond, and EKU’s first ASUN Conference game of the season will be Sept. 24 on the road at Austin Peay.