An off-field mistake has cost Steven Duncan the chance to appear in Western Kentucky’s 2018 season opener.

The quarterback Duncan will be suspended for the Hilltoppers’ Aug. 31 opener at Wisconsin, coach Mike Sanford said Wednesday. The redshirt sophomore will be eligible to return Sept. 8 for WKU’s home opener against FCS program Maine.

Sanford’s announcement Wednesday came 1½ weeks after Duncan was arrested early April 22 by WKU police and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol.

Duncan competed alongside Drew Eckels and Davis Shanley throughout spring practice to become the Toppers’ new starting QB.

Sanford has worked closely with Duncan. WKU’s second-year coach took a more hands-on role this season coaching quarterbacks alongside position coach Matthew Mitchell.

“First off, we take the matter very seriously,” Sanford said. “We were disappointed in Steven’s decision. But Steven’s a great young man. Steven’s very committed to this football team.

“Clearly he had a goal in mind of winning this starting job going into the Wisconsin game. We have to make plans for our football team. Going into the game at Wisconsin, it changes some things from that dynamic. By no means does it banish Steven from our view of him as a quarterback.”

Duncan’s unavailability for the season opener means Eckels will go into summer conditioning and fall camp as the team’s No. 1 quarterback, Sanford said.

The redshirt senior Eckels has the most college experience of any QB on WKU’s roster.

“We’ll keep everything competitive as we always do,” Sanford said, “but we’ll allow Drew Eckels to get the reps with the (first-team) offense and create some continuity at the position going into the Wisconsin game.”

Duncan is the third WKU football player booked through the Warren County Regional Jail on DUI charges since Sanford took over the program last season.

Defensive end Tanner Reeves was arrested for DUI on Aug. 13. Sanford dismissed Reeves from the team, citing the fact he’d also been arrested for DUI in December 2016.

Defensive tackle Jaylon George was arrested for DUI on Nov. 18, hours after WKU beat Middle Tennessee. He was suspended for the following week’s game at Florida International and is still with the program.

Sanford also handed one-game suspensions to running back Quinton Baker, wide receiver Xavier Lane and linebacker Tyler Obee last fall for WKU’s season opener against Eastern Kentucky.

That discipline stemmed from Baker, Lane and Obee’s involvement with a March 2017 assault at the Pi Kappa Alpha house. Lane is still with the program, while Baker and Obee are not.

“I did make it very clear that this type of off-the-field incident is going to carry a heavy suspension, which is the opening game – a game that many on our team want to have the chance to be part of,” Sanford said. “We’ve proved to be consistent with that.”