Live Blog: Kent State Football vs. South Alabama

FOURTH QUARTER

0:00 ... FINAL: South Alabama 23, Kent State 13

Kent State's defense couldn't hold off South Alabama forever. The Flashes finally wore down on a game-sealing 46-yard march for the Jaguars.

With no timeouts left and South Alabama facing a 3rd-and-6, Jaguars running back Jay Jones broke off a 23-yard touchdown run. After forcing punts on the first five possessions of the half, Kent State's defense couldn't get off of the field at the end, allowing four South Alabama first downs, including the final touchdown.

Reardon was intercepted with just over one minute to play for the Flashes first turnover of the 2014 season.

4:04 ... Pass protection problems kept the Flashes from moving the ball after Kent State's defense forced yet another punt.

South Alabama has punted on all five possessions of the second half.

Following the Melchiori punt, the Jaguars will open this drive at their 46 yard line.

8:00 ... A frustrating sequence for the Flashes.

A good drive deep into South Alabama territory comes up empty as Melchiori just missed a 32-yard field goal ... but with a South Alabama player apparently jumping offside and remaining in the neutral zone.

Replay shows that the kick was very, very close.

KSU complained and was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Sun Belt crew has flagged Flashes for two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties and taken away a pick that would have kept the Jaguars from scoring their second touchdown.


13:15 ... More solid play from the Kent State defense, and by the defensive line in particular, as Waugh drags down Bridge after a short gain on 3rd-and-8.

Bridge has played fairly well taking over as South Alabama's starting quarterback. But while he's completed 14-of-24 for 281 yards and avoided an interception (excluding the one called back by a blown call), he may have missed some bigger plays by looking to run early.

South Alabama has punted on every drive of the second half, but on a couple of third-down plays, Bridge has abandoned the pocket early against just a three-man rush.

14:49 ... South Alabama 16, Kent State 13

Kent State has pulled with three points on a 44-yard touchdown pass from Reardon to Pierce – a great catch-and-run by the Flashes tight end.

The scoring play came on the first snap of the fourth quarter after the third ended with a Reardon-to-Pierce 26-yard hookup.

THIRD QUARTER

0:55 ... Anthony Meray in for the first time at running back. Reardon's screen to him sailed high.

The Kent State quarterback is having a tough day, completing just 6-of-18 for 45 yards as we near the end of the third quarter.

5:27 ... Not much for Kent State's offense on drive No. 2 of the second half, but the Flashes have managed to flip the field thanks again to punter Anthony Melchiori.

A beautiful, high soaring punt hit at the South Alabamam 5 and spun back to the 7.

The defense needs to keep up the pressure.

6:30 ... I continue to like what I have been seeing by Kent State's young defensive linemen. Players like redshirt freshman Jontey Byrd and sophomore Terence Waugh were impressive in camp and they have carried it over to the season.

In this third quarter, Byrd has two tackles for loss and Waugh has a sack, helping to force punts on South Alabama's first two possessions.

8:26 ... Reardon just dodged a bullet for the second time today as a poor decision under heavy pressure nearly led to a South Alabama interception. Only an alert play by tight end Casey Pierce, coming back to rip the ball out for an incompletion, saved what could have been a pick-six.

HALFTIME

South Alabama 16, Kent State 6

The Flashes found a much-needed offensive spark just before halftime.

The 13-play, 69-yard scoring drive gave the Flashes 97 yards in the first half on 32 plays. South Alabama has 209 yards on 41 plays.

Reardon is just 6-of-18 for 45 yards.

Nick Holley has breathed some life into the running game with six carries for 37 yards in his first career start. That 8-yard touchdown catch was also his first career score.

Bridge has been steady at quarterback for South Alabama with 131 yards on 11-for-16 passing.

The Flashes have done well against the run, holding the Jaguars to 78 yards on 25 carries.

SECOND QUARTER

1:36 ... South Alabama 16, Kent State 6

The Kent State offense has joined the battle, and thanks in large part to the legs of Nick Holley.

Runs of 20 and 9 yards by Holley on this drive were the first true signs of life from the Flashes running game this season.

Holley then capped the drive, catching an 8-yard touchdown pass from Reardon.

The 13-play, 69-yard touchdown march arrived after the Flashes had managed just 28 yards on 19 plays in their first six drives.

8:01 ... South Alabama 16, Kent State 0

A Jay Jones 1-yard touchdown run has extended the Jaguars lead.

South Alabama went after freshman cornerback Demetrius Monday, who is making his first start, when  Bridge hit Marvin Shinn for a 48-yard pass all the way to the KSU 1-yard line. Jones scored on the next play.

9:02 ... Six Kent State drives. Five punts. One safety surrendered.

The offense is struggling, managing just 28 yards on 19 plays so far.

Reardon was fortunate not to throw a pick on this last third down as he was pressured from the inside.

10:05 ... The defense has been pretty good again for Kent State. South Alabama's lead should probably be just 2-0 as the shaky-at-best-pass-interference robbed the Flashes of what should have been an interception in the end zone.

KSU has forced another South Alabama punt as Richard Gray made his biggest play since 2012 with a stuff of South Alabama running back Knedall Houston on a 3rd-and-1 trap play.

There is sadly just very little life to the Kent State offense at the moment.

So far the Flashes have run 19 plays for 28 yards.


13:04 ... Kent State defense has forced South Alabama to punt ... for what should have been the second time in the series.

An unsportsmanlike conduct flag against the Flashes three plays earlier on an third-and-10 incompletion briefly kept the Jaguars drive alive. That's the second week in a row that a penalty has extended an opponent drive. Fortunately, this one didn't hurt as much as last week when the double-number penalty set the stage for an Ohio touchdown that broke a 7-7 tie.

But who knows. The line of scrimmage was the South Alabama 5 on the first third-down incompletion, and that would have forced a punt from the back of the Jaguars end zone.

That could have been a big flip in field position for the Flashes.

Instead, KSU will start this drive from its own 29.

FIRST QUARTER

2:46 ... South Alabama 9, Kent State 0

Kent State's defense very nearly came up with another drive-stopping turnover like the ones that kept the Flashes in the game last week vs. Ohio.

Nate Holley made a diving interception of a tipped ball in the back of the need zone, but a questionable pass interference call on Najee Murray instead gave the Jaguars a first-and-goal at the KSU 1.

Replay showed little-to-no contact. Unless there was contact on the break, Murray was in front of the intended receiver.

Two plays later, Bridge hit Shavarez Smith for an easy 1-yard touchdown.

The Flashes need to find some life on offense ... and as I write that, Reradon hits Earnest Calhoun for 13 yards, moving the chains for the first time with 1:55 to play in the first quarter.

Miles Hibbler is now in at running back for the Flashes.


7:58 ... South Alabama 2, Kent State 0

A South Alabama blitz creates the first points of the day as linebacker Davin Hawkins pressured KSU quarterback Colin Reardon in the end zone. Reardon's throw with no receiver in the area forced the flag for a safety.

The Jaguars have some inexperience in the front six, but Kent State is still having trouble creating holes to run through and now keeping pressure off of Reardon.

8:04 ... Two series for both teams. Two punts.

South Alabama did pick up two first downs on this last possession while Kent State has yet to move the chains.

The Flashes pressured Brandon Bridge for the first time today on a 3rd-and-8 throw, forcing the South Alabama quarterback to throw the ball away.

We'll be watching for the return of junior defensive end Clay Miller, who left the game on the last series with an apparent leg injury. He was able to walk off with a little help.

Holley is still in at running back as the Flashes begin their third series.

12:13 ... Kent State won the coin toss and for the first time in recent memory chose to receive rather than defer to the second half.

If the Flashes hoped find a jumpstart offensively, it unfortunately didn't work as the first series was a quick three and out.

One surprise in the starting lineup as sophomore Nick Holley started at tailback instead of Anthony Meray.

KSU's defense did get off to a fast of its own as the Jaguars were forced to punt after a three-play series and negative-1 yard.