The 2019 Eastern Kentucky Colonels football team represented Eastern Kentucky University during the 2019 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by fourth-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 7–5, 5–3 in OVC play to finish in fourth place. Elder was fired following the season. He finished with a record of 21–24.[1]
Preseason
Preseason coaches' poll
The OVC released their preseason coaches' poll on July 22, 2019. The Colonels were picked to finish in third place.[2]
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) | 
| 1 | Jacksonville State | 135 (15) | 
| 2 | Southeast Missouri State | 115 | 
| 3 | Eastern Kentucky | 99 | 
| 4 | Austin Peay | 84 | 
| 5 | Tennessee State | 75 | 
| 6 | UT Martin | 58 | 
| 7 | Murray State | 55 | 
| 8 | Eastern Illinois | 38 | 
| 9 | Tennessee Tech | 16 | 
Preseason All-OVC team
The Colonels had three players at three positions selected to the preseason all-OVC team.[3]
| Offense
 Daryl McCleskey Jr. – RB
 
 | Defense
 Aaron Patrick – DL
 Leodis Moore III – DB
 
 | 
 
Schedule
| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | 
|---|
|  | 7:00 p.m. | Valparaiso* |  | ESPN+ | W 53–7 | 11,130 | 
| September 7 | 7:00 p.m. | at   Louisville* |  | ACCN Extra | L 0–42 | 48,808 | 
| September 14 | 1:00 p.m. | at   Indiana State* |  | ESPN+ | L 7–19 | 4,416 | 
| September 21 | 1:00 p.m. | at   Presbyterian* |  | ESPN+ | W 35–10 | 2,152 | 
| September 28 | 6:00 p.m. | Tennessee State | Roy Kidd StadiumRichmond, KY
 | ESPN+ | W 42–16 | 8,861 | 
| October 5 | 3:00 p.m. | UT Martin   | Roy Kidd StadiumRichmond, KY
 | ESPN3 | L 28–38 | 11,260 | 
| October 19 | 3:00 p.m. | at   Murray State |  | ESPN+ | W 34–27 | 9,029 | 
| October 26 | 3:00 p.m. | at   Eastern Illinois |  | ESPN+ | W 33–6 | 4,000 | 
| November 2 | 1:00 p.m. | Austin Peay | Roy Kidd StadiumRichmond, KY
 | ESPN+ | L 21–28 OT | 7,330 | 
| November 9 | 2:00 p.m. | at    No. 17 Southeast Missouri State |  | ESPN3 | L 31–38 | 3,750 | 
| November 16 | 1:00 p.m. | Tennessee Tech | Roy Kidd StadiumRichmond, KY
 | ESPN+ | W 22–10 | 2,987 | 
| November 23 | 2:00 p.m. | at   Jacksonville State |  | ESPN3 | W 29–23 | 14,477 | 
| *Non-conference game HomecomingRankings from STATS Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern time
 | 
[4]
Game summaries
Valparaiso
|  |  |  |  |  | Total | 
| Crusaders | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 
| Colonels | 15 | 17 | 7 | 14 | 53 | 
At Louisville
|  |  |  |  |  | Total | 
| Colonels | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 
| Cardinals | 14 | 0 | 14 | 14 | 42 | 
At Indiana State
|  |  |  |  |  | Total | 
| Colonels | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 
| Sycamores | 3 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 19 | 
At Presbyterian
|  |  |  |  |  | Total | 
| Colonels | 7 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 35 | 
| Blue Hose | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 
Tennessee State
|  |  |  |  |  | Total | 
| Tigers | 3 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 16 | 
| Colonels | 7 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 42 | 
UT Martin
|  |  |  |  |  | Total | 
| Skyhawks | 7 | 10 | 14 | 7 | 38 | 
| Colonels | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 | 
At Murray State
|  |  |  |  |  | Total | 
| Colonels | 7 | 10 | 17 | 0 | 34 | 
| Racers | 3 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 27 | 
At Eastern Illinois
|  |  |  |  |  | Total | 
| Colonels | 7 | 7 | 3 | 16 | 33 | 
| Panthers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 
Austin Peay
|  |  |  |  |  |  | Total | 
| Governors | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 | 
| Colonels | 10 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 21 | 
At Southeast Missouri State
|  |  |  |  |  | Total | 
| Colonels | 7 | 17 | 7 | 0 | 31 | 
| No. 17 Redhawks | 7 | 7 | 7 | 17 | 38 | 
Tennessee Tech
|  |  |  |  |  | Total | 
| Golden Eagles | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 
| Colonels | 7 | 9 | 0 | 6 | 22 | 
At Jacksonville State
|  |  |  |  |  | Total | 
| Colonels | 6 | 3 | 14 | 6 | 29 | 
| Gamecocks | 6 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 23 | 
Ranking movements
Ranking movements
Legend: RV = Received votes|  | Week | 
|---|
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Final | 
|---|
| STATS FCS | RV |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 
|---|
| Coaches | RV |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 
|---|
References
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| Venues |  | 
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| Bowls & rivalries |  | 
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| Culture & lore | 
The Colonel"Rally Maroon and White"Marching Colonels
 | 
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| People |  | 
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| Seasons |  | 
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| National championship seasons in bold |