As WKU football prepares to face the Eastern Kentucky Colonels for the first time since 2017, College Heights Herald Sports Editor Jake McMahon sat down with Nicholas Speer, sports editor of the Eastern Progress, to discuss the Battle of the Bluegrass.
In a similar fashion to WKU, the Colonels will be heading to the Houch following a blowout loss to Mississippi State on the road. Speer said he expects “a little more gung-ho air raid style offense and no blown coverages” against the Hilltoppers.
The air-raid style offense Speer anticipates will be led by quarterback Matt Morrissey. Speer said Morrissey “looked great” against Mississippi State, despite a less than stellar statline of 169 yards, one touchdown and a pick.
“I think they’re kind of holding him back a little bit,” Speer said of Morrissey. “[He had a] great arm rotation when they were letting him throw the ball, so I’m hoping they let him throw the ball a little bit more because he is the reason we scored that touchdown.”
Speer said he is “expecting a little more letting the training wheels off” of Morrissey against WKU.
On the other side of the ball, Speer said he “hopes to see better defensive play” following EKU’s 56-7 week one loss. He noted defensive back’s Vito Tisdale, a Bowling Green native, as well as Mike Smith Jr. as possible difference makers on the defensive side of the ball.
Speer said there is a lot of excitement surrounding the game in Richmond and hopes that the two programs can “reunite the Battle of the Bluegrass and get this to be a yearly thing again.”
“It [the Battle of the Bluegrass] means a lot,” Speer said. “It means a lot that we get to showcase, along with Western, that we do love our football down here in Richmond.”
