RICHMOND, Ky. - Eastern Kentucky University head football coach Roy Kidd knows his team had better be prepared Saturday night when the Colonels hit Horace Jones Field for a 6:00 p.m. (CDT) Ohio Valley Conference contest with Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, TN.
The Colonels come into the game at 2-1 and ranked 12th in both the USAToday/ESPN and The Sports Network I-AA polls. MTSU has dropped back-to-back decisions to Illinois (48-20) and Jacksonville State (10-7), after opening the year with a 28-27 OVC win over Tennessee State.
The Blue Raiders sit at the top of the OVC standings at 1-0 with Murray State, while the defending league-champion Colonels will be playing their initial conference game of '98 Saturday night. MTSU's 1-0 standing and remaining league schedule at home concerns Kidd and his staff.
"We've talked to our team all week about how important this game with Middle is," said Kidd. "It's not only important for us to get off to a good start, but looking down the road, Middle has two of the toughest teams in the conference at home later in the year in Murray State and Eastern Illinois.
"Boots does a great job down there and we know they're going to be highly motivated to play us. We have a lot of respect for their program and we know our kids better be ready to play Saturday night. As important as the win over Western was, this game is just as important, and probably more important, looking at the conference race down the road as it shapes up as to who plays where."
The good news for Eastern Kentucky is that senior All-American wide receiver Rondel Menendez will return to the starting lineup after sitting out two games with a separation of his right shoulder. Although only playing in the 43-13 season-opening win over Kentucky State, Menendez leads the Colonels this season in TD pass receptions with two. He caught three passes in the opener for 110 yards and two scores before being injured.
Eastern has enjoyed some success in the recent series as the Colonels have won the past five meetings and eight of the last nine contests with Middle Tennessee. The veteran head coach has downplayed this fact, recalling some of the great battles his team has had with MTSU.
"Middle Tennessee has a defense that has a year of experience under its belt in most positions and, on offense, they have the usual set of good, quick runningbacks that Boots always seems to have. This is their last year in the OVC and we know they would like nothing better than to go out with the OVC championship. I believe Saturday's game has all the makings of a great football game," said Kidd.