Kent State at Western Michigan Live Blog

FINAL

Kent State 32, Western Michigan 14

Kalamazoo, Mich.

FOURTH QUARTER

14:45 ... Anthony Melchiori continues to be a weapon in the punt game. He gives the Flashes' defense some room again with a 54-yard punt from the Kent State goal line.

11:36 ... Colin Reardon with a veteran throw to Tyshon Goode. Good find and throw running to his right and moving the chains. A nice series here for the freshman quarterback, tacking on throws to Archer and Humphrey as the Flashes are on the move again at the Western Michigan 27.

8:26 ... Add another third-down conversion on a quarterback draw by Reardon, showing some courage on back-to-back plays, fighting just for a yard or two instead of taking a loss on second down.

7:24 ... Reardon caps the drive by rolling to his right and finding tight end Casey Pierce in the back of the end zone for an 8-yard touchdown. That's the third touchdown connection between Reardon and Pierce this season.

Kent State 29, Western Michigan 14

5:28 ... Kent State doing a nice job of dialing up blitzes to keep Van Tubbergen from setting up in the pocket. Forcing another Western Michigan punt.

Just over five minutes to play and a 15-point lead. Time for Kent State to turn to its closer and Bull Durham to eat up this clock?

4:28 ... A couple of incomplete passes on second and third down and Kent State runs off only about a minute.

1:29 ... Anthony Melchiori boots a 41-yard field goal that should seal it for the Flashes. A little confidence booster for Melchiori after missing his previous two going back to last week at Penn State.

Kent State 32, Western Michigan 14

THIRD QUARTER

11:27 ... The Flashes forced to punt after opening drive of the second half stalls. They did mix in another nice run by Dri Archer in that first series, and that play also showed what Paul Haynes has been talking about with Trayion Durham. Despite not putting up big numbers in the first four weeks, Haynes has loved the way Durham has played, doing all of the little things and having an impact in pass protection. On the Archer run here in the second half, Durham showed he can block in the running game as well, helping to clear the path after lining up at tight end.

10:10 ... First two explosion plays by the Western Michigan offense.

First, Fields with a run for about 23 yards. First "explosion" play by the Broncos offense tonight.

Then Van Tubbergen with a 46-yard throw for Roberts and a touchdown-saving tackle by Jordan Italiano. Looked like Kent State bit on play action. Defensive coordinator Brian George said he expected Western to test the Flashes' secondary with the deep ball. That's the first time it worked tonight, but it has the Broncos in position inside the Kent State 10.

8:47 ... Nix with a good hit on Van Tubbergen on second and goal from the 12. Forces a big 3rd-and-12.

8:36 ... Western Michigan touchdown – Van Tubbergen with a 12-yard strike to Josh Schaefer. An 88-yard drive. The score came on 3rd-and-12. Opponents have converted some big third-and-10-plus plays against Kent State's defense this season.

Kent State 15, Western Michigan 14

8:32 ... Just having Archer on the field on kick returns is a big boost to the Kent State special teams. Teams forced to pooch to another speedster in Ernest Calhoun.

It also forces opponent mistakes. Western Michigan here with an illegal formation in attempt to pooch to the right side.

Calhoun shows why he is a weapon with a nice return to midfield after Kent State takes the 5-yard penalty and forces the Broncos to re-kick.

6:47 ... Durham has continued to have an impact in the running game ... 64 yards on 15 carries so far.


2:35 ... Kent State takes advantage of the short field created by the return game, answering the Western score with a 1-yard touchdown run by Trayion Durham. The Flashes showed some more power behind Durham. They also offered some more creativity on a fake option and slant-throw from Reardon to Tyshon Goode, who nearly scored on a great effort with a reach for the goal line.

It's a nice mix tonight. A little bit of trickery with some of the swinging gate early. Opening up the offense a bit with the speed of Dri Archer added back to the lineup. The power of Durham with the Kent State offensive line obviously eager to run against a non-BCS defensive front. And also mixing in some creative formations and play-calling.

Seven carries by Durham on this last 12-play drive, ending with his 21st career touchdown.

Kent State 22, Western Michigan 14

1:10 ... Dylan Farrington with his second interception in as many weeks. The cornerback building on a very fine game last week at Penn State. A very nice play looking back for the football and going up to get it as he ran step-for-step down the sideline with Roberts.

0:00 ... For Kent State under Paul Haynes, it's a fist held high in the air instead of four fingers heading into the fourth quarter.

SECOND QUARTER

11:23 ... Kent State offense back on the field after drive No. 4 for Western Michigan ends with punt No. 4.

Roosevelt Nix did a great job of getting off of blocks on first and second down. He's off to a great start. While he has played well so far this season, he is back to being the best player on the field when Kent State is on defense.

9:57 ... A sack and a Reardon fumble has the Broncos in business at the Kent State 26.

9:16 ... A Brian Fields touchdown run 2 yards has tied the game.

The turnover forced and recovered by Western Michigan's Edward Rolle put Kent State's defense in a bad position defending a short field. The linebacker came clean coming off of the right side of the Golden Flashes' offensive line.

Western Michigan 7, Kent State 7

7:56 ... Kent State may be watching the number of plays Archer is on the field. He hasn't been on the field on offense in the last two drives, but he did take the field for the kickoff following the Western touchdown. An interesting decoy move as the Broncos adjusted with a short kick to the Kent State 38. The Golden Flashes will take that short field every time.

4:54 ... Dri Archer in the end zone for the first time in 2013 ... a 31-yard pass from Reardon.

Kent State continues its aggressive attitude, going for the 2-point conversion with a throw to, of all people, long snapper Chad Bushley. Throw by Chris Humphrey on the swinging gate.

Kent State 15, Western Michigan 7

1:32 ... Kent State offense on the move again after forcing another punt. Another late hit on the sideline by the Broncos helping the Flashes across midfield.

A chance to take a little control here with a late score and then getting the ball back to start the second half.

Regarding the most recent Western punt – the Broncos offense just can't keep Roosevelt Nix blocked tonight, by the way.

1:06 ... Check that, a questionable decision by Colin Reardon throwing deep over the middle into double coverage. It looked like he may have had a better look with Tyshon Goode down the right sideline.

The result was a Western Michigan interception at its own 2-yard line. Kent State will use its timeouts here in the hopes of getting another chance as the Broncos try to run the ball out of their own end.

A first-down run on second down, and we'll likely see both teams just try to get to halftime.

0:47 ... Another injury scare for Kent State with Roosevelt Nix on the field and trainers looking at his lower leg.

Good to see him run off the field, however. Can't afford to lose Nix with all of the injury issues already so far in 2013

HALFTIME

FIRST QUARTER

13:25 ... After deferring and kicking off, Kent State's defensive front gave us what we were hoping for on first and second down ... Two running plays yields a third-and-10, forcing a third-down throw short of the markers. Quick three-and-out, and an encouraging start for the Golden Flashes defense.

After the punt, coach Paul Haynes was quick to the bench, slapping the shoulder pads of his defensive linemen.

12:36 ... Two offensive plays, both run for Archer ... and the Golden Flashes showing a surprise wrinkle right off the bat with the swinging gate offense leaving Reardon and Huff unprotected and away from the rest of the line.

I love to see the creativity.

9:54 ... Shades of 2012 as the statue of liberty to Dri Archer goes for 13. The athleticism of Terrell Johnson helping to clear some space out in front of Archer as he scampered to the left sideline and a first down near the Western 10.

For the second consecutive week, Anthony Melchiori can't convert a short field goal after a promising early drive. Wide right on the 25-yard attempt.

In the meantime, Tyshon Goode moved into second place alone on Kent State's all-time reception list with the 153rd of his career.

5:47 ... Kent State's defense stops Western Michigan again after a short Broncos drive. Two holding calls after the Broncos had a third-and-one near midfield helped the Golden Flashes' cause.

A good punt and short return by Calhoun will have Kent State starting drive No. 2 deep in its own territory at the six.

5:16 ... Archer with a 33-yard run to get the Flashes out of the shadow of their own goalposts. He takes the pitch, gets the corner and into some space.

It's obviously such a different team with Archer on the field and healthy.

3:40 ... Drive No. 2 for Kent State stalls just inside Western Michigan territory, and just as he did last week Anthony Melchiori makes up for his early field-goal miss with more brilliance in the punt game, dropping one dead at the Broncos' 3.

Melchiori helps the defense again. He has to be credited with some of the improvement on defense for the Golden Flashes last week. When Penn State scored, it had to be on a long drive.

Good play in the Kent State secondary again with Polk step-for-step with Western wideout Timmy Keith and nice help over the top from safety Luke Wollet.

1:43 ... Western three drives, three punts ... Flipping the field by Melchiori could change some momentum with Kent State's third drive opening up at the Western 47.

Late hits help, too, as a Western personal foul against cornerback Donald Celisar at the end of a 6-yard run by Archer will help Kent State march deeper into Broncos territory at the 26.

Dri Archer with four carries for 56 yards in what is really his first full and healthy quarter of work this season.

0:04 ... Trayion Durham bulls his way for five yards and a Kent State touchdown. Several nice runs by Durham on this march as the speed of the return of Archer is helping to create more opportunities for the big back. Dri is a perfect foil for Trayion just as Trayion is also a perfect foil for Dri.

That was also career touchdown No. 20 for Durham.

Kent State 7, Western Michigan 0

PREGAME

Kickoff is about 20 minutes away, and due to some pressing issues at home I am sadly blogging from my living room instead of a press box in Western Michigan.

I am plugged in to that press box, however, so I should be able to get some additional information if anyone has any questions or comments.

I just checked in with sports information assistant director Aaron Chimenti in Kalamazoo, and he said that both Dri Archer and Pat McShane came out with the team and participated in warm-ups during pre-game. That's obviously a pretty good sign that both will play.

I'm hoping to see the Golden Flashes find some room to run with Trayion Durham today behind a line that will include McShane and against a defense of a similar level. Continued improvement by the defense is also a key for today. The secondary made some strides last week at Penn State. Next on the agenda, improvement from the front seven as a whole.

Some interesting scores today around the Mid-American Conference with Buffalo rolling over Connecticut 41-12 just one week after UConn almost beat Michigan. Old friend Darrell Hazell had a tougher time against Northern Illinois than he did last year while at Kent State as Purdue lost 55-24.

Kent State at Penn State Live Blog

FINAL

PENN STATE 34, KENT STATE 0

FOURTH QUARTER

13:12 ... A Sam Ficken 25-yard field goal extends Penn State's lead to 24-0.

Cornerbacks are leading the way for Kent State in tackles ... which is never a good sign.

The good news is that those cornerbacks, Dylan Farrington and Darius Polk (7 tackles each) are having very good games.

They've made several nice plays on lobs from Hackenberg for Robinson today. That duo did came into today playing extremely well, but neither has had much of an impact today. Penn State is starting to pull away because of the running game and its defense. 

6:42 ... The third touchdown of the day for Zwinak, a one-yard dive, puts Penn State ahead 31-0, and after a defensive holding extended the drive, allowing Penn State to go for a 4th-and-2.

Hackenberg's day is over. He completed just 13-of-35 for 176 yards with one touchdown and an interception. Robinson caught just three passes for 43 yards and had a hard time shaking Farrington and the rest of the Kent State corners in the second half.

While today's game has to be frustrating for Kent State fans, they may be able to take some encouragement from the effort of a defense that kept this one close for the better part of three quarters ... and in particular a secondary that pretty made life difficult for what had been a very hot passing tandem in Hackenberg and Robinson.

2:45 ... A 54-yard field goal by Ficken clears the crossbar by just a few inches.

Penn State 34, Kent State 0

THIRD QUARTER

15:00 ... The rain is light at best, but most of the crowd has still decided to take off at halftime. Beaver Stadium is less than half full at the start of the second half. 

A good return by Darius Polk to the Kent State 37 gets the half underway.

13:30 ... Boyle is limping a bit after an incomplete pass on third down. A quick three-and-out for Kent State's offense. 

The attendance announcement of 92,371 draws loud laughter from the media assembled in the Beaver Stadium press box.

11:20 ... An incomplete pass by Penn State on 4th-and-2 from the Kent State 36 ... Turnover on downs and a good job by Kent State's defense.

David Fisher in at quarterback for Kent State.

11:07 ... Another Kent State player helped off the field. Anthony Meray injured.

9:32 ... Kent State forced to punt again after Fisher is sacked on third down.

So far the Golden Flashes injury-riddled defense has played as well as you could expect after the loss of another big body up front. The offense has struggled, however. With the offensive line unable to provide a push in the running game. It's a tough assignment again against a BCS front seven and without a veteran like McShane.

8:43 ... Back-to-back interceptions.

First, Hackenberg is picked off by Dylan Farrington of Kent State on a nice third-down play.

That followed Reardon throwing his first pick of his career. Also the first interception of Ryan Keiser's career for Penn State.

8:27 ... Kent State's defense continuing to play well, forcing three straight incompletions by Hackenberg, who is now just 12-for-30 after coming in 71.7-percent of his passes.

7:00 ... Both quarterbacks are struggling in the third quarter. Penn State is getting back to running the ball.

6:23 ... I've know seen it all... Kent State's defense was just called for an illegal block in the back? The defense? An illegal block in the back?

Polk is playing well in the secondary for Kent State. Hackenberg is just 1-of-10 in the second half.

4:53 ... Zwinak with his second touchdown of the day, a 1-yard dive.

Penn State 21, Kent State 0

2:02 ... Kent State offense moving the ball a bit, but now facing a 3rd-and-11, thanks in large part to a an apparent missed pass-interference call on first down following a 22-yard reverse by Calhoun. Penn State's Jordan Lucas appeared to be on the back of Tyshon Goode.

Paul Haynes was furious on the Kent State sideline. Officials have not been a help to Kent State today.

SECOND QUARTER

12:11 ... Penn State offense is back on the field after Kent State's third drive of the day comes up empty, but not before finally showing some life in the running game on a second-down audible, slipping a handoff to Durham for 11 yards.

Timing has been off on a few screen passes so far today.

11:26 ... Another scary moment as Kent State may be in danger of losing another nose tackle. Chris Fairchild being helped off the field with what appears to be an injury to his lower right leg.

He is walking off very gingerly. 

Kent State gets smaller and smaller along the defensive line. The biggest body now on the defensive front is 270-pound tackle Andrew Christopher.

Defensive line has gone from a perceived strength to a question mark with two of the strongest players on the defensive front now sidelined.

Hopefully the injury to Fairchild isn't serious.

9:26 ... Penn State worked over the injury-riddled and size-depleted defensive line of Kent State on a 10-play, 82-yard touchdown drive, capped by Zach Zwinak's 2-yard touchdown run.

Penn State 14, Kent State 0

8:30 ... Fairchild is on a cart headed for locker room.

This is another frustrating day, and not because of the scoreboard. Losing Terhune and Fairchild in back-to-back weeks is a major blow ... if Fairchild ends up missing some time.

6:22 ... Kent State is having a very tough time switching plays at the line of scrimmage. Kent State forced to punt for a third consecutive drive ... and all three by Melchiori downed inside the 20.

4:03 ... Matt Delllinger gets his first career sack, dropping Hackenberg for a loss of seven yards.

Two plays later, Penn State forced to punt after an incompletion on 3rd-and-17. Just good to get off of the field on third-and-long.

Ernest Calhoun with a dangerous lunging grab of the punt. Kent State will start at its own 37, hoping to cut into a 14-0 Penn State lead.

2:19 ... Thank goodness for Anthony Melchiori ... he's a big reason this game is just 14-0. He has flipped the field with every punt ... This last one a 53 yarder downed at the Penn State 2.

1:20 ... Nice play by Zack Hitchens, dropping Zwinak for a 3-yard loss. After KSU timeout, if the defense can get a stop here on 3rd-and-13, the Flashes could get a shot here at the end of the quarter.

Throw and an incomplete pass ... Penn State set to punt with Calhoun back at midfield waiting to receive for Kent State... Fair caught at the Kent State 47 with 1:10. A short 36-yard punt for Penn State.

The local paper had advantages checked for Penn State in every phase of the game. Kent State certainly winning at punter.

1:10 ... Kent State may have had 12 on the field on that Penn State punt ... Officials are reviewing. If this goes against Kent State, it would be the second time in three weeks that the Golden Flashes are stung for 12 men on the field ... and a chance to cut into the Penn State lead late in the first half would be lost.

UPDATE - The penalty did not give Penn State a first down, so the Lions declined. Kent State ball.

HALFTIME: Penn State 14, Kent State 0

Some halftime numbers:

Anthony Melchiori made up for his missed 31-yard field goal with a great first half punting the football, averaging 50.5 yards on his four kicks.

Penn State leads in every statistical category, 142-to-83 through the air, 74-to-18 on the ground.

The Flashes have done a decent job, however, against Christian Hackenberg, who came in completing better than 70-percent of his passes. The Penn State quarterback was 11-for-21 in the first half. Star wide receiver Allen Robinson has three catches for 43 yards.

For Kent State, Colin Reardon is still playing interception-free football after the first 14 quarters of his college career. Reardon completed 10-of-17 passes in the first half for 83 yards. Five of those were to Chris Humphrey, who had 47 receiving yards in the first two quarters.

FIRST QUARTER

14:55 ... Penn State will open from its own 17-yard line after good coverage by Kent State on the opening kickoff.

Redmond is in as the starting linebacker, but not for Dellinger as we were told prior to the game.

He starts instead for DeVante' Strickland.

13:30 ... A quick three-and-out for Penn State, and a near interception on the third-down pass as the Nittany Lions tried to set up the screen.

Possible disaster as the punt hit Calhoun, but we may have a penalty for fair-catch interference. The Golden Flashes will start at the Penn State 36.

Kent State tried to go up top right off the bat, and Reardon had Tyshon Goode a step behind the defense. The ball was slightly under-thrown, and Goode couldn't make the play on the jump ball at the goal line.

Love the aggressiveness, going for the big play on first down.

12:28 ... A quick slant from Reardon to Humphrey on 3rd-and-8 picks up 10 and a first down at the Penn State 23. A good start for the Golden Flashes.

10:23 ... Throw for Humphrey on 3rd-and-6 goes for 5 yards, setting up a field-goal attempt of 31 yards by Anthony Melchiori.... which sails wide right. Still no score.

8:03 ... Kent State defense forces another Penn State punt. The blitz forced Penn State's Christian Hackenberg to throw high to his intended receiver on 3rd-and-7 after the Lions had marched across midfield to the 49.

A quick kick on 4th down by Hackenberg rolled dead at the Kent State 8, forcing the Flashes to start drive No. 2 deep in their own territory.

A screen throw to Boyle for 18 yards on second down has given the Flashes a little bit of breathing room.

6:09 ... Near disaster for Kent State as a zone read led to a fumble and a four-yard loss. Reardon clearly intended to keep the ball while Durham tried to take it.

5:47... One heck of a leaping grab by Humphrey for another 18 yard gain on 3rd-and-14 moves the chains again for the Flashes. Reardon and Humphrey have a good thing going here in the first three weeks.

Reardon fumbles on first down sack, and a very clear facemask by a Penn State defender fails to draw a flag. Break for Penn State.

3:56 ... Reardon very nearly throws his first career interception, throwing into double coverage on the sideline – Late and off of his back foot on third down.

Melchiori flips the field with a 49-yard punt. Fair caught at the Penn State 12.

2:57 ... Two big throws by Hackenberg has Penn State on the move at the Kent State 35... A 29-yarder to Kyle Carter and an 18-yarder to Allen Robertson.

0:50 ... A break for Kent State as Hackenberg fumbles on play-action throw on 2nd down. A loss of nine sets up third and goal at the Kent State 15.

0:09 ... Penn State on the board first with a 15-yard touchdown pass on third down to Bill Belton on what looked like a wheel route. Kent State's defense has had its troubles getting off the field on third-and-10-plus this season.

Penn State 7, Kent State 0

PREGAME

3:38 p.m. ... Dri Archer is in full uniform to represent the Golden Flashes as a captain for the opening coin flip. We are told, however, that he is still not expected to play.

Penn State won the opening coin toss and has decided to receive the opening kickoff.


3:33 p.m. ... The torrential downpour has arrived.

3:26 p.m. ... The rain had been letting up over the last 20 minutes, but dark clouds are gathering to the north. It looks like another downpour is coming.

Beaver Stadium is less than three-quarters full. There had been some debate among the scribes here in the press box over how many fans would actually show up for this game. One regular in the Penn State media said he expected an announced crowd of over 90,000, but the actual attendance to be closer to 50,000.


2:44 p.m. ... Official: Dri Archer is definitely out, as is McShane.

Matt Dellinger is not in the starting lineup at linebacker for the first time this season. He will be replaced by Darius Redmond.

(Update: 3:01 p.m.) Dellinger does not appear to be injured. He is out there at the moment, working out with the linebackers.


2:42 p.m. ... Exactly one hour before kickoff and the rain is now a downpour.

Interestingly, this is the second consecutive game on a natural grass surface for Kent State. That doesn't happen very often for the Golden Flashes, who played just one game on grass last season ... That game was at Kentucky, where they lost their only regular-season game, 47-14.

Elton Alexander of the Plain Dealer is here in the press box, and he's hoping to see the turf at Beaver Stadium turned into a giant mud pit.

2:07 p.m. ... To me, the key even in this rain is going to be finding a way to slow down Penn State wide receiver Allen Robinson, who is fourth in the nation in receiving yards with 405 after big games against Syracuse, Eastern Michigan and Central Florida in the first three weeks.

Rain could also mean more of Penn State trying to run the football behind backs like Zach Zwinak and Bill Belton. Kent State has yet to show that it can stop the running game this season, and that task gets even harder now with starting nose tackle Nate Terhune out for at least the next few weeks.

It will be interesting to see how Colin Reardon handles the rain and another big-time college atmosphere here at Beaver Stadium. He was extremely poised again last week when at Louisiana State.

Finding a running game to take some pressure off of Reardon would also help. Despite Trayion Durham's struggles to get going, head coach Paul Haynes has talked about how pleased he is with the big back's play so far in his junior year. There haven't been many running holes for Durham, but he is still having an impact as a blocker. He has hustled to keep plays alive, recovering a fumble at the goal line to make Kent State's only touchdown possible last week, and working hard in pass protection.

What do you think? What are the biggest keys to keeping this game close?


1:48 p.m. ... The team has arrived at Beaver Stadium.  Gold pants this week with the white tops.

I spent my morning experiencing a few Penn State traditions ... including some "Peachy Paterno" ice cream at the Berkey Creamery with some Kent State fans. It is the largest university creamery in the United States ... and it boasts over 100 flavors.


After taking a bike taxi from campus back to Beaver Stadium, we visited with a large group of Kent State fans tailgating in the shadow of the north stands. Just like last week at LSU, the team brought along a large group of supporters and some members of the Kent State University Board of Trustees.

It still looks like no Dri Archer today. Same for guard Pat McShane. In this rain, it's probably a good idea to hold both out. It's been spitting rain for most of the last hour, and it's only supposed to get stronger as the day goes on.

It'll be interesting to see if the rain impacts the Penn State passing game, with quarterback Christian Hackenberg throwing to Allen Robinson. In his three games this season, Robinson has caught 7-for-133 vs. Syracuse, 7-for-129 vs. Eastern Michigan and 9-for-143 vs. Central Florida, including one touchdown reception in each of those games. He is a tough assignment for cornerbacks Darius Polk and Malcom Pannell, who will need help over the top from safeties Keenan Stalls and Luke Wollet.

On The Road to Penn State

The team bus just left Beaver Stadium here in State College, Pa.

Players stood on the turf with their phones out, taking photos of one of college football's most historic

venues. While Franco Harris and Jack Ham are among the biggest names to play here, I always think of Beaver Stadium as the home of John Cappelletti. I still remember being 7-years old and watching "Something for Joey" on TV, then later reading the book. It's a story that always stayed with me.

I'm not sure if there's a video out there of the made-for-TV movie, but you can still find the book online. If you haven't read it, you should.

Back to the present, Dri Archer is on the trip but not expected to play. Same status for guard Pat McShane. Safety Calvin Tiggle is also still out, and of course Nate Terhune is out after injuring his leg last week at LSU. The rest of the roster is expected to play. 

Look for Kent native Marcus Wright to see the most action of his career. The walk-on is the primary backup to Chris Fairchild now at defensive tackle, now that Terhune is out for at least the next month.

Below are a few interesting notes courtesy of sports information director Aaron Chimenti:

• Freshman quarterback Colin Reardon is No. 5 in the nation among underclassmen in completion percentage at 65.9 percent (56-of-85). 
• Penn State's Christian Hackenberg just happens to be No. 1 in the nation in that category, having completed 77.3 percent of his passes through three games (66-of-92).
• While three of the 26 passes Hackenberg failed to complete have been intercepted by opponents, Reardon has still not thrown an interception in his 85 attempts.
• The running game is the trend to watch for Kent State ... The Golden Flashes are 1-0 when they have out-rushed their opponent and 0-2 when out-rushed this season. Going back to last year, they were 1-2 when out-rushed, but 10-1 when they out-gained opponents on the ground.
• Tyshon Goode needs just three catches to move into second place on Kent State's all-time and pass  Darrell Dowery. Goode has 150. Dowery had 152 from 2001-2004. Eugene Baker is, of course, the Flashes' all-time leader with 229 from 1995-98

Here are a few shots from today's walkthrough at Beaver Stadium:

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Kent State at LSU Live Blog

September 14, 2013

LSU 45, Kent State 13

FOURTH QUARTER 

14:55 ... LSU extends lead to 3813 on a 5-yard touchdown pass from Mettenberger to Odell Beckham. That's the first touchdown of the night for Beckham, who now has 76 yards on a team-high five catches.

We are seeing some very good quarterback play from both teams. Mettenberger has 264 yards on 13-for-18 passing with three touchdowns and no interceptions.

Reardon, meanwhile, is at 144 yards on 16-for-21 passing. He has no touchdown passes tonight, but he remains interception-free on his first season. Hopefully that's not a jinx as I'm told that radio voice Ty Linder brought that fact up on WHLO 640 AM at almost the same exact time I typed it.

LSU 38, Kent State 13

10:44 ... Kent State's defense is looking more and more worn out. Some poor tackling on another touchdown drive by LSU that ended with a 12-yard Terrence Magee touchdown run. 

The drive covered 60 yards in just five plays.

LSU 45, Kent State 13

5:12 ... Melchiori missed on a 48-yard field goal. 

Another decent drive stalled, but not before Reardon added a few more completions and yards. He now stands at 20-for-29 for 190 yards. Still interception free.

THIRD QUARTER

9:30 ... A promising opening drive of the second half for Kent State was spoiled by the second 15-yard chop-block call against the Golden Flashes tonight, and the third flag for a chop block in the game.

Prior to the drive-crushing penalty, the Flashes had marched to the LSU 21-yard line, picking up four first downs behind four Reardon pass completions and a roughing the passer penalty.

7:39 ... Kent State has forced the first punt of the game by LSU. A few nice plays by safety Luke Wollet made it happen – a good close on a screen pass, holding on to Landry for a 1-yard loss, then defending a throw for Dural deep down the field on third down.

It looked like Wollet came up limping a bit after closing on that play to shut down Landry.

3:16 ... Colin Reardon continues to play with poise beyond his years. He is now 16-of-20 for 144 yards after leading the Golden Flashes on another scoring drive ... this one ending in a 36-yard Melchiori field goal.

The scoring drive covered 49 yards in 10 plays. 

Since spotting LSU that 21-0 first quarter, the Golden Flashes have outscored the Tigers 13-10.

Too late to take a first-quarter mulligan?

SECOND QUARTER

14:21 ... Heck of a throw and catch from Reardon to Goode for 9 yards on 3rd-and-7. Reardon handled a high snap, managed to get outside the pocket and find Goode, who made a great grab.

Tack on a 14-yard throw to Boyle and KSU is in the red zone, with a first down at the LSU 18.

12:59 ... Kent State marches 75 yards on nine plays, and caps its first scoring drive with a 2-yard touchdown run by Reardon.

The freshman quarterback was extremely poised on this long drive. 

Trayion Durham made the touchdown possible, recovering a fumble by Chris Humphrey at the LSU 2-yard line after a 16-yard pass over the middle.

LSU 21, Kent State 7

10:03 ... Something of a moral victory for Kent State's defense, holding LSU to a 25-yard Delahoussaye field goal after a long Tigers' drive that included a 51-yard pass from Mettenberger to Connor Neighbors. 

The Tigers were set to go on 4th-and-1 from the KSU 2 before a false start forced them to settle for the field goal. None of the LSU players were set as they tried to go quickly. Roosevelt Nix was also quick off of the ball and in the backfield for Kent State when the ball was snapped.

LSU 24, Kent State 7

7:14 ... Anthony Melchiori matches his longest punt of the year – a 63-yard boomer. Tack on an illegal block and the Tiger start their drive at their own 7. An ineligible receiver down the field on 2nd down has backed them to their own 5.

4:14 ... LSU marches 93 yards in just eight plays and extends its lead on a 31-yard pass from Mettenberger to Landry – the second touchdown hookup for that duo today.

Kent State's secondary is having the kind problems you might expect against a team with speed like LSU. Wide receivers are running wide open and Mettenberger is on target with every throw. Even a deep ball earlier in this drive that was batted away by Malcon Pannell was right on the mark before the Kent State defensive back made the nice play.

Total yardage is at 361-to-85 in favor of LSU with Mettemberger 10-for-13 for 232 yards and the two scores to Landry. Hill has 117 rushing yards on 11 carries and two more scores.

For Kent State, Reardon has also been on target. The Kent State quarterback is 7-for-8 for 79 yards.

It looks like Dri Archer's night is over. He hasn't played in the previous two series during this quarter and is not on the field to open this drive.

LSU 31, Kent State 7

0:17 ... The first turnover forced by Kent State this season has helped the Golden Flashes cut three points off of the LSU lead.

Special teams forced this one as LSU's Travin Dural dropped a punt by Melchiori under pressure at his own 22 yard line. Nick Holley of Kent State recovered at the LSU 20. 

After three plays for no yards, the Flashes settled for a 37-yard field goal by Melchiori.

LSU 31, Kent State 10

Here are some quick halftime numbers:

LSU has outgained Kent State 359-to-105. 

Kent State Colin Reardon completed 8-of-10 in the first half for 84 yards.

HALFTIME

FIRST QUARTER

15:00 ... Kent State won the opening coin flip and has deferred to the second half. LSU will get the football first. Good coverage on the kickoff by the Golden Flashes will force the Tigers to start at their own 14.

14:45 ... And a nice start defensively for the Golden Flashes. Good job by the defensive front allows Nix to chase down Jeremy Hill from behind for a gain of just one yard on first down. Add a 4-yard run on second down, and the Golden Flashes face their first third down of the night ... a big problem in last week's loss to BGSU. 

13:24 ... An easy throw and catch for 17 yards from Mettenberger to Odell Beckham for 17 yards, and a potential touchdown-saving tackle by Keenan Stalls in the secondary as Beckham threatened to break free over the middle.

12:19 ... LSU is on the board first as the middle of the Kent State defense is cracked open on a 58-yard Jeremy Hill touchdown run. It took the Tigers just five plays to take a 7-0 lead. Hill carried on three of those plays, totaling 63 yards.

Brings back memories of the old "Grey Ghost" when he played at LSU. Of course, he was a fictional character. 

LSU 7, Kent State 0

12:02 ... After missing last week's loss to Bowling Green and seeing limited action after injuring his ankle in the first quarter of the season opener, Dri Archer is on the field for the first play of the game, lining up in the slot. Archer was the intended receiver on 1st-and-5 after LSU jumped offsides on that first play.

After a short 2-yard run by Trayion Durham on 2nd-and-5, Kent State has burned its first time out as the offense broke the huddle on third down. The last thing the Flashes want to do is go quick three-and-out and put its defense right back on the field after a tough opening series. Timeout may be in part to get the offense on the right page, but also to let the defense continue to get a breather prior to this third-and-a-long-three play.

Reardon sacked while rolling to his right. A quick three-and-out.

8:50 ... Nate Terhune had to be helped off the field after what appears to be a lower leg injury. That's a big loss. Terhune is big, strong, and he has really been coming into his own during his junior season, working well with Roosevelt Nix on that defensive front.

Sophomore Chris Fairchild may be pressed into extended action at defensive tackle. 

The Tigers, by the way, are knocking at the door again after a 36-yard Mettenberger to Travin Dural pass. 

Plays like the injury to Terhune are of course the big scare in a game like this. You want to compete, but you also want to avoid injuries that will impact the rest of your season.

8:16 ... LSU extends its lead to 14-0 on a 21-yard touchdown pass from Mettenberger to Jarvis Landry.

The score came on 3rd-and-20. Third downs conversions continue to plague the Golden Flashes defense.

Kent State actually had decent coverage on the throw for the end zone. Safety Elcee Refuge was right there, as was another Flashes' defender.

LSU 14, Kent State 0

4:52 ... Kent State's offense picked up a first down on drive No. 2 when Colin Reardon took a quarterback draw and raced 15 yards on 2nd-and-14. Unfortunately, a personal foul for a chop block and another third-down sack of Reardon forced a punt from the Kent State 1.

A tough start. Defense having a hard time getting off the field. Offense can't get much of anything going, and already has two penalties for 20 yards against the offensive line in just two drives.

Dri Archer is yet to get his first touch, although he was the intended target of a Reardon throw on the opening drive.

3:14 ... Terhune is now walking with crutches on the Kent State sideline. 

2:36 ... Hill adds his second touchdown of the day. He is untouched until he reaches the goal line on a 12-yard run. Hill now has 95 yards on just nine carries in the opening quarter.

Total yards: LSU 175. Kent State -4

LSU 21, Kent State 0

2:28 ... Dri Archer gets his first touch of the game on a 7-yard throw from Reardon on 1st down. The false start by Kent State that followed, however, has the Golden Flashes facing a 2nd-and-8.

0:37 ... Reardon to a wide-open Josh Boyle on a 25-yard lob to the sideline has Kent State in LSU territory for the first time. First down is at the Tigers' 45.

PREGAME

6 p.m. ... We are about an hour away from kickoff and Kent State's specialists have just stepped onto the field to warm up.

LSU traditionally wears white at home. The Tigers only wear their purple tops once each season. That game is tonight, so the Golden Flashes will wear their new white uniforms for the first time this year.

The uniforms have a very simple and clean look. White tops. White pants. No stripes.

Dri Archer is in uniform and we've been told he will try to play. Just how much he will play we will have to wait and see. He is out on the field right now, running around.

Pat McShane is still a gametime decision. Paul Haynes said last night that McShane is expected to play, but again, it's not known yet how many snaps he'll go. 

Calvin Tiggle is still out. Most of the rest of the travel squad is set to play, including backup cornerback Kerrick Rhone, who missed last week's game to injury.

It's starting to cool off just a little bit here after hitting the 90's this afternoon.

There's quite a bit of construction going on here at Tiger Stadium. Two giant cranes loom over the south end of the stadium. Within the next few years the upper decks on the east and west sides of the stadium will connect through the south side of the stadium, expanding capacity to right around 100,000.

6:30 p.m. ... I just returned from the field, where I took a few photos of the team warming up.

While it has supposedly cooled off to the low 80's, it still feels like it is in the 90's on the field.

Pat McShane is in uniform, but he was participating only partially in the drills. He was off to the side with the second team.


Injury updates for LSU, Tre'Davious White will start at cornerback in place of Jalen Collins. Also, Micah Eugene will start at strong safety in place of Criag Loston.

So, that means the secondary for LSU will be a bit younger. White is a true freshman. Eugene is a sophomore, but he replaces a senior and three-year letter winner in Loston at strong safety.

Based on KSU's play last week and the fact that LSU is big, strong and fast in the front seven, the Golden Flashes will most likely have their best chance to move the ball through the air. That's where KSU is the deepest anyway with Goode, Humphrey, Boyle and now Archer back in the mix at receiver. Hopefully the losses in the secondary will help Kent State make some plays in the passing game.

The first road trip: LSU

FRIDAY, Sept. 13

3:37 ... The team just returned from its walk through at Tiger Stadium here in Baton Rouge, La.

It's an impressive college stadium with steep stands that rise up quickly from the edge of the field. For 92,000-plus, it feels very compact, probably because the stands are so steep.


The press box feels like you are a mile in the air ... similar to Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe.

The grass is so perfect that at first I thought I was
walking on field turf.

You can bet that LSU left the score from last week's win over UAB on the scoreboard for a reason. When the Kent State team walked in, the big replay board beyond the end zone displayed a "Welcome to Death Valley" message. Below it was the score of last week's game: LSU 56, Visitor 17.

Along with the players, a group of 25 guests of the Kent State football team strolled along the stadium surface. Every year, the athletic department invites a group of significant supporters of the football program and senior level administrators to take a trip with the team.

"This is a way to thank those who give to the football program and

let them know how much we care about the impact they have on our student athletes," said Matt Geis, senior associate athletic director for advancement and compliance Matt.

It's great to have them along with us on this trip.






1:31 p.m. ... The firsts road trip of the Paul Haynes era at Kent State is underway.

The team left Dix Stadium just after 9 a.m. for an 11 a.m. departure from Akron-Canton Airport. Players always love when we fly Jet Blue because that means DirecTV at each seat.

Today during the flight, several us watched the Dan Patrick Show on NBC Sports, which just happened to have former Kent State quarterback Julian Edelman on as a guest. While the New England Patriots offense struggled, it was nice to see Julian come up with 13 catches in last night's win over the New York Jets.

The team leaves for its walk through at Tiger Stadium in a little less than an hour. I'll have some more photos from the first look at the stadium a little later today.

There's always lots of food on these trips... Bellacino's sandwiches waiting on the plane for everyone ... Chips, cookies and drinks during the flight ... foot-long Subway sandwiches waiting when we deplaned ... And there's still dinner waiting after today's walk-through.

Ready for take off

The Haynes Family on its first road trip

Radio voice Ty Linder does his
homework on LSU during the flight

Air Kent State arrives in Baton Rouge

The Mid-American Conference opener

September 7, 2013

FINAL 

Bowling Green 41, Kent State 22

FOURTH QUARTER

12:51 ... The game continues to turn into a disappointing blowout. 

Another easy touchdown march, ending in a 2-yard touchdown run by William Houston, has Bowling Green ahead 41-22.

It's going to be hard to count up all of the missed tackles today. There were five or six on this last touchdown run alone, including several at the end of a 41-yard pass from Johnson to Tyler Beck.

While the defense has been missing all game long, the offense lost its momentum after halftime. Three drives, three punts, just one first down in the first half.

Colin Reardon looked very good in the first half, but has had a real struggle since. After going 6-of-8 in the first quarter, he is 6-of-15 since.

9:46 ... More missed tackles for Kent State's defense as offensive numbers that were once pretty even are becoming unsightly.

Bowling Green now has 521 total yards on 62 plays while Kent State has 279 yards on 48 plays.

With 4:40 to play in the first quarter, the numbers were this: Kent State 243 yards on 26 plays ... Bowling Green 237 on 27 plays.

I was an Englis major in college, but by my math, that means Bowling Green has out-gained Kent State  284-to-34 since Kent State took a 24-22 lead on the Trayion Durham touchdown run 4:40 before halftime.

6:00 ... That yardage advantage is now 305-to-37 since that Durham touchdown.

After this loss, Kent State now faces a tough road stretch with trips to LSU, Penn State and Western Michigan.

3:16 ... Kent State offense with a fumble on a handoff from Reardon to Boyle. A frustrating end to a frustrating afternoon for the Golden Flashes.

Durham finishes with just 24 rushing yards on 11 attempts.

A promising start for Reardon ends with 164 yards on 15-for-28 passing with two touchdowns. He had completed 10-of-14 for 131 yards and two scores at halftime.

While the turnover was meaningless at the end of the ball game, Kent State loses another turnover battle 1-0. Forcing turnovers was a big key to the success of last season. 

THIRD QUARTER

12:56 ... Bowling Green has broken Kent State's serve. The Golden Flashes are forced to punt on the first series of the game. A dropped second-down pass by Josh Boyle put the Flashes off schedule. Instead of 3rd-and-4, they faced a 3rd-and-10,were Reardon was flushed by the Falcons' blitz and forced to throw the ball into the sideline.

Now can Kent State's defense answer with a stop of its own?

8:24 ... Key error by the Kent State defense ... Finally get off the field on an incomplete pass on third-and-seven, but a challenge by Bowling Green proves that Kent State did not get a 13th player off the field on the snap.

A run for a first, and BGSU has first down at the Kent State 20.

7:19 ... And here they are again, 3rd-and-8 from the KSU 18.... And a sack by Fackler, flushed by Polk. Finally a big play on defense.

6:29 ... A 41-yard field goal by Tyler Tate extends the Bowling Green lead to 27-22, but at this point holding the Falcons to a field goal on a 10-play drive of over six minutes has to be considered some sort of victory. The Flashes made a play on third down (twice), and that's a step in the right direction. Still just a one-possession lead.

4:34 ... The defense's afternoon has gone from bad to worse.

Blown coverage on 3rd-and-15 led to an easy Johnson-to-Ryan Burbrink touchdown pass of 92 yards. Burbrink blew by Kent State cornerback Malcom Panell for an easy score after the Flashes appeared to have the Falcons pinned deep following a sack by Zack Hitchens.

The Flashes offense has also lost its swagger a bit here in the second half. They were forced three-and-out after a third-down throw from Reardon to Goode was a bit low and behind the receiver.

Kent State needs to respond now, but will start inside its own 20 after Calhoun is stopped at the 18 returning a kick from the goal line.

3:06 ... Another three-and-out by the Kent State offense ... and it's serious trouble time.

Durham has just 22 yards on 10 carries, and Reardon is rushing a bit ... missing badly on a third-down throw for Boyle.

Bowling Green will start this drive at its own 33. It's time for Kent State's defense to show up. Still looking for the first forced turnover of 2013.

0:58 ... Finally, Kent State forces a three-and-out. Flashes take over at the 18 ... and a little less than 16 minutes to come back from a 12-point deficit. A big hit by Roosevelt Nix on a Greene run keyed that last defensive series.

That tackle by Nix tied him for Kent State's career lead in tackles for loss with 55.

0:00 ... Reardon blindsided on a sack by blitzing linebacker D.J. Lynch. Another three-and-out.

The Kent State offense in the third quarter:  three drives, three punts, just one first down.

That was the first sack of the season against Reardon.

SECOND QUARTER

14:46 ... After some struggles at the end of the first quarter, Kent State's defense shows stiffens at the start of the second quarter. A nice play by Darius Polk on a lob to the end zone forces the Falcons to settle for a Tyler Tate field goal at the end of a 10-play, 77-yard drive

BGSU 10, KSU 8

9:45 ... Flashes offense making major strides after a slow start to the opener. The Falcons have been forced to call timeout on 3rd-and-8 with the ball on the Bowling Green 12.

Kent State got here with a string of nice runs by Reardon, Durham and Calhoun. The big play was a perfectly designed and timed 29-yard reverse by Calhoun that nearly vaulted Kent State into the lead. Trayion Durham worked over a Falcons defender blocking down the field ahead of Calhoun, who did his best Dri Archer imitation.

We'll see what Kent State's offense can come up with on this big third-down play.

9:49 ... Kent State back in the lead on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Reardon to tight end Casey Pierce ... the second time that tandem has hooked up for a score this season.

Love the play-calling so far in this game. Kent State's offense moving the ball behind 9-of-11, 109-yard start by Reardon, and adding 71 rushing yards on 10 carries by four different ball carriers.

8:00 ... Bowling Green offensive line got away with a big hold ... How there was no flag on that is beyond me ... and it turns into a long pass play from Johnson to Calhoun to the KSU 14.

6:57 ... Kent State defensive troubles continue as Bowling Green cruises to another score and a 17-15 lead.

Andre Givens gets this score on a 3-yard run.

Which defense will make the adjustments? Both are having a tough time.

Bowling Green 17, Kent State 15

6:12 ... A big play and a scary play as Reardon bootlegs for 32 yards. A shoestring, touchdown-saving tackle by BGSU linebacker Gabe Martin looked led to an ugly tumble with Reardon clutching his knee.

The freshman quarterback popped up after a few seconds, then tried to run to the sideline before falling just short of the Kent State bench.

Reardon is now back in at quarterback... and delivers a 22-yard pass to Humphrey to the BGSU 2.

4:40 ... Durham a 2-yard touchdown plunge and Kent State right back in the lead.

That touchdown, by the way, is the first not scored by Humphrey or Pierce this season.

Some offensive numbers:

Kent State 243 yards on 26 plays ... Bowling Green 237 on 27 plays.

Kent State 22, Bowling Green 17

0:54 ... Bowling Green comes right back, and review gives the Falcons a 7-yard touchdown pass from Matt Johnson to Jared Cohen. Initially ruled out at the KSU 1, replay showed that Cohen had possession of the football and touched the pylon with his foot.

Kent State's defense has to make some major adjustments in the second half.

It is hard to win a game against a division rival when you allow 308 yards in a half the way Kent State did in the first 30 minutes today.

The biggest play of that final drive was Kent State's inability to get off of the field on 3rd-and-12 from the BGSU 41. Johnson hit Joplin for 23, with an extra 10 coming off of poor tackling on the sideline.

HALFTIME ... Bowling Green 22, Kent State 17 ... 555 combined yards.

FIRST QUARTER

15:00 ... Kent State won the coin toss and deferred to the second half. Bowling Green will get the football first.

10:22 ... Pretty discouraging start for the Kent State defense. An easy 9-play, 77 yard-march gives the Falcons an early 7-0 lead ... all capped by a 1-yard Travis Greene plunge.

Take away a sack by Roosevelt Nix early in the drive, and pretty much nothing went right for the Golden Flashes. Gaping running holes off of both tackles led to long runs by Greene.

Some poor tackling as well as both Greene and tight end Alex Bayer carried Kent State tacklers – Greene for 6 yards after he was hit at the line of scrimmage on the first play of the game, and Bayer for an additional 9 yards on a third-down catch.

The only good sign was that Kent State managed to putt some pressure on Matt Johnson when he dropped back to throw. But if the Falcons are going to have it that easy when they run the football, we may not see Johnson drop back very often.

BGSU 7, KSU 0

7:52 ... Back to encouraging as Kent State's offense scores a touchdown on its opening drive for the second week in a row.

Chris Humphrey was the star of this one, catching a 16-yard pass on third down to move the chains, catching a 42-yard touchdown pass from Colin Reardon after breaking wide open on a post route, then adding a 2-point conversion run to put Kent State ahead 8-7.

Offensive line giving Reardon lots of time. The deep throw to Humphrey was the first attempt over 20 yards for the true freshman quarterback. I like to see Kent State attempting to stretch the field with Archer out. BGSU had crowded the line and keyed on Durham on the first two plays, setting up that 3rd-and-10 pass to Humphrey.

Anthony Meray with a nice 17 yard burst on first down was also a key to the march.

BGSU 8, KSU 7

5:46 ... A better showing by Kent State's defense on the second Bowling Green drive of the day. This time a quick three-and-out.

Tackling was better, holding Greene to a 1-yard run on first down.

And a good sign that the pressure on Johnson continues ... Possibly the best jump of a snap I've ever seen on third down as Roosevelt Nix was in on Johnson as soon as he caught the snap. While he didn't get the sack, he flushed Johnson out of the pocket and forced him to eventually throw the ball into the Falcons bench.

A potentially exciting note ... Ernest Calhoun was back by himself to field the punt. While he didn't get a chance to return this one, his speed could be dangerous in the return game.

0:00 ... The Faclons are on the move as Kent State's defense is having problems again. When the second quarter starts, BGSU will have the ball 2nd-and-10 at the Kent State 12.

Poor tackling and big running holes are a problem. The Flashes had a chance to put an early end to this drive when several Flashes had a shot at a sack of Johnson. Instead, the Bowling Green quarterback found an escape route and rumbled 19 yards for a first down.

Bowling Green already has 105 rushing yards on 14 attempts. That's a problem.

PREGAME NOTES

UPDATE, 11:35 a.m. ... With no Dri Archer again, the pressure is on Trayion Durham to carry the bulk of the rushing load with assistance from Anthony Meray, who according to Paul Haynes had one of the best camps of anyone on the team this season.

Will Kent State also stretch the field a bit after keeping most (or really all) of last week's pass routes inside 20 yards during Colin Reardon's first game.

It's all a tall order when you consider the importance of Archer and last year's two long touchdown runs in last year's win over the Falcons.

Kent State will also be without starting safety Calvin Tiggle. Keenan Stalls would be the likely starter in his place.

The good news is Pat McShane appears to be ready to go at left guard. That's an important return in the middle of the offensive line. Durham behind McShane and center Phil Huff may be the order of the day.



UPDATE, 11:02 a.m. ... Dri Archer was out on the field and appears to be ready to give it a go. He spent a long (a bit uncomfortably long) time posing for the ESPN3 cameras.

That is, of course, longtime fan Hank Dunckel standing in the background.

The offensive line just came out for warmups and Pat McShane is with the group.

Jim Katusha is also expected to be available after missing last week to a concussion.


If you aren't here yet, come on out ... It's a beautiful day to sit in the stands, get some sun, and cheer on the Golden Flashes in a huge game.

Here are the links to all of today's stories on the internet:

• Kent State vs. Bowling Green preview by Stephanie Storm in today's Beacon Journal.
• Allen Moff's preview of KSU vs. BGSU in today's Record-Courier.
• BGSU beat writer John Wagner also previews the Golden Flashes and Falcons in today's Toledo Blade.
• Jack Carle of the Bowling Green Sentinel-Tribune previews today's game.
• In case you missed it from earlier this week, Elton Alexander had this piece on Kent State wide receiver Tyshon Goode in the Plain Dealer.