RICHMOND — Despite the lopsided score, there were some positives for the Colonels to take away from a season-opening loss last weekend at Purdue.

Of course, the few bright spots were dramatically overshadowed by the unpleasant numbers on the scoreboard — 48-6.

“You have to (move on),” EKU coach Dean Hood said of the loss to Purdue. “If you don’t, then a loss can get you twice. You have to move on. It’s the nature of the beast.”

So, after the bus ride back from West Lafayette, Ind., the focus quickly turned to preparing for the team’s home opener.

The Colonels (0-1) are set to take on long-time rival Morehead State (1-0) at 6 p.m. today at Roy Kidd Stadium.

“I think it was a good game to see where we stand as a team and what we’ve got to do to get better and see what we need to work on,” EKU senior defensive back Brooklyn Fox said.

The Colonels were, of course, big underdogs when they stepped onto the field against Purdue.

And by halftime, any chance of EKU pulling off an upset had all but vanished. The Boilermakers racked up 547 yards of total offense and had 33 first downs, even though they had five turnovers.

The Colonels also lost two key offensive performers to injuries — senior wide receiver Tyrone Goard and junior tight end Matt Lengel.

Neither will play today against Morehead State.

Fox provided most of the highlights on defense. The senior defensive back had two interceptions and also recovered a fumble against Purdue.

That performance earned Fox OVC Defensive Player of the Week honors.

With the offense unable to move the ball (10 first downs, 23:49 time of possession), the EKU defense was stuck on the field for most of the game. Purdue ran 87 offensive snaps and averaged 6.3 yards a play.

“We didn’t run the ball well and that would have helped limit our defense on the number of plays they were on the field,” Hood said. “But, we could have won that game if we hadn’t run the ball well, if we would have capitalized on some opportunities.”

Moving forward, the injuries to Lengel and Goard could have more of a lasting impact on the Colonels than the lopsided loss.

Lengel has a knee injury and Goard suffered a concussion when he took a knee to the helmet for a defender.

Both of EKU’s top quarterbacks will likely be on the field for the home opener.

Sophomore Jared McClain started against Purdue after senior T.J. Pryor was slowed by hamstring problems in training camp.

Pryor will be ready to play against Morehead State and the two quarterbacks could split time under center.

“We will let both of them go (in practice) and see who does the best,” Hood said. “They may very well both play. When they are both healthy, its back-and-forth on who you like best.”

The home opener will mark the 70th all-time meeting between EKU and Morehead State, with the Colonels leading the series 49-16-4.

Still, it will be just the second time the schools have met since 1995.

EKU and Morehead State are two of the original founding members of the OVC, but the Eagles dropped out of conference play in football in the 1990s.

Morehead State now plays non-scholarship Division I Football in the Pioneer Football League.

“We don’t know much about the rivalry, but we know its a big game because it’s the next game,” Fox said. “So, it’s exciting. We really want to get a win.”

Morehead State opened the season last week with a 55-0 win over Southern Virginia at home.

The Eagles went 3-8 last season (2-6 PFL) and return 46 letterwinners from that squad, including 11 starters.

The last time the teams met, EKU held on for a tougher-than-expected 16-8 win at Roy Kidd Stadium in 2008.