FOURTH QUARTER
FINAL ... Kent State 39, Army 17
3:57 ... Kent State 39, Army 17 ... A 7-yard touchdown run by Colin Reardon should seal the first win of 2014 for Kent State.
Malcom Pannell may have already secured the victory with an interception of a deep throw by Santiago on the very first play after the Reardon-to-Pierce touchdown.
And on the very first play following the pick, Reardon hit Pierce again for 30 yards to the Army 7.
Reardon is 27-for-40 for 360 yards, three touchdowns and the lone interception. Again ... a great recovery after throwing the interception on the game's first play.
6:11 ... Kent State 33, Army 17 ... The young Golden Flashes are on the verge of securing their first win of 2014 and adding some much needed confidence for the second half of the season.
The lead now extended to 16 after Reardon finds Pierce in the end zone again, threading the needle this time from 5-yards out.
Pierce assisted on the big play of the drive ... unintentionally, though, as a throw from Reardon to Pierce bounced high into the air and into the waiting hands of James Brooks, who raced 46 yards down the near sideline to the Army 25.
12:12 ... Kent State 26, Army 17 ... Anthony Melchiori is now 4-for-4 on field goal attempts today after adding a big 32-yarder to make this a two-possession game.
Reardon found Kris White for a key 12-yard gain on 3rd-and-23, moving Melchiori closer for a field goal to put the Flashes up by two scores.
The Flashes were rolling after Reardon found White and Holley for gains of 20 and 11 yards on the first two plays of the fourth quarter.
But the second holding call of the half again threw the Flashes offense off schedule . Both times, the Flashes overcame that potential momentum killer. Yes, KSU would have loved to have a touchdown after picking up a first down at the Army 14, but after that holding call, a field goal was just enough to create a bit of breathing room.
15:00 ... The Kent State offense is on the move again and will have it at the Army 45 with a first down to open the quarter.
The Flashes rushing attack gashed Army for gains of 17 and 23 yards on first down runs at the end of the third quarter.
First it was freshman running back Miles Hibbler, who made a couple of nifty moves in the hole before exploding for 17 yards ... Shades of things to come for the young running back.
On the next play, Colin Reardon kept it for 23 yards on a misdirection rumble across midfield.
THIRD QUARTER
4:24 ... Kent State 23, Army 17 ... A 27-yard Anthony Melchoiri field goal pushes the lead back out to six points.
The three points were somewhat expensive, however, as Kent State was forced to burn two timeouts late in the 12-play, 61-yard march.
It's still just a one-possession game. Hopefully Kent State won't need those timeouts at the end.
5:21 ... The Kent State offense is on the move, picking up some big first downs on throws by Reardon on 3rd-and-10 (a 32-yard connection on a seam route by Humphrey) and on 4th-and-5 (a 9-yard throw to James Brooks).
Add on another 10-yard throw from Reardon to Boyle for a first down and the Flashes are in the red zone, 1st-and-10 from the Army 15. Kent State has taken its first timeout of the half.
The fourth-down throw to Brooks gave Kent State a first down after a holding penalty created the potential of spoiling the 32-yard throw to Humphrey by taking the offense right off of schedule with 1st-and-20.
9:18 ... Kent State 20, Army 17 ... It didn't take long for Army to answer the Kent State score. The Flashes looked like they had solved the triple-option on the opening drive in the second half, but then had all kinds of difficulty with it on drive No. 2 as the Black Knights marched 77 yards in just 8 plays, pulling to within three points on an 8-yard run by Tony Giovannelli. The tailback took a pitch and ran untouched for the left pylon
Giovannelli set up the score by taking the pitch from Santiago and sprinting 37 yards to the Kent State 35 earlier on the drive, more than moving the chains on a 3rd-and-6 option.
12:52 ... Kent State 20, Army 10 ... Remember that bad start by Kent State way back in the first quarter?
Well, the second half couldn't have opened any better for the Golden Flashes.
The Flashes just extended their lead on an 8-yard touchdown pass from Reardon to Chris Humphrey, who spun out of a tackle at the 2 and rolled into the end zone.
The touchdown was made possible by a momentum changing start from the defense and special teams.
The Flashes showed that they may have figured out the triple option as Richard Gray and Matt Dellinger dropped Army for losses on first and second down.
A bad snap then led to punter Alex Tardieu getting dragged down at his own 8-yard line by Ernest Calhoun. The Flashes took quick advantage of the extremely short field.
SECOND QUARTER
HALFTIME
Kent State 13, Army 10
The Flashes dodged a couple of bullets to take the three-point lead into the break.
As time ran out, Army's Xavier Moss had a great chance to pull in a 40-yard Hail Mary in the right corner of the end zone. He couldn't make the catch however on a nice heave by tight end Kelvin White, a converted quarterback who came on just to make that final throw.
The Black Knights probably shouldn't have had that opportunity. Earlier in the drive, a poor play in the Kent State secondary handed Army a first down on a desperation 3rd-and-10 heave by Santiago from his own 43. Gonzalez had to scramble just to get throw off after a shotgun snap nearly sailed over his head. Instead of punting, Army had its drive extended by a pass-interference penalty.
Some halftime numbers:
Kent State has out gained Army 194-183.
Reardon is 13-for-20 with the an interception and a touchdown to go with his 143 yards.
Two freshman wide receivers, James Brooks and Kris White have three catches each for a combined 70 yards. Their continued development is a big key to the Flashes building for the future.
Santiago has 73 yards on 12 carries to lead Army. He is 2-of-6 passing for 12 yards and Army is 2-of-7 overall through the air.
Defensively, sophomore safety Nick Cuthbert leads Kent State with 9 tackles, including 7 solos ... and that's in his first start.
Cuthbert started at safety due to the first-half suspension of Elcee Refuge.
With Refuge out, Jordan Italiano moved to the star spot while Cuthbert slipped into his position at strong safety. Italiano knows the position after playing it all of last season.
Refuge is available to play the star position in the second half.
1:31 ... Kent State 13, Army 10 ... Colin Reardon with a beautiful play-action fake and a quick strike to tight end Casey Pierce for a 10-yard touchdown, and the Golden Flashes are back on top.
Reardon continues to play well since that opening interception ... 12-of-19 since the pick for 143 yards.
The touchdown was made possible by an alert play by Reardon on 3rd-and-10 from the 19, stepping up under pressure, thinking about running, and then spotting Ernest Calhoun for a 10-yard dump off.
3:13 ... Army helps the Kent State cause for the second time today, stalling its own promising drive with a 15-yard penalty on a chop block.
Combine that with a shanked punt to the Kent State 43 and a 24-yard burst by running back Nick Holley on first down, and the Golden Flashes are in the red zone with a first down at the Army 19.
7:56 ... Army 10, Kent State 6 ... After passing a bit more than usual in the first quarter, Army has gone back to what it does best. Running the triple option to perfection, the Black Knights marched 69 yards in 10 plays, capping the drive with a 2-yard touchdown dive by Raymond Maples.
The big play on the drive was a 27-yard keeper by quarterback Angel Santiago.
12:59 ... Kent State 6, Army 3 ... An Anthony Melchiori field goal of 29 yards has put Kent State in the lead at 6-3.
Kent State 13, Army 10
The Flashes dodged a couple of bullets to take the three-point lead into the break.
As time ran out, Army's Xavier Moss had a great chance to pull in a 40-yard Hail Mary in the right corner of the end zone. He couldn't make the catch however on a nice heave by tight end Kelvin White, a converted quarterback who came on just to make that final throw.
The Black Knights probably shouldn't have had that opportunity. Earlier in the drive, a poor play in the Kent State secondary handed Army a first down on a desperation 3rd-and-10 heave by Santiago from his own 43. Gonzalez had to scramble just to get throw off after a shotgun snap nearly sailed over his head. Instead of punting, Army had its drive extended by a pass-interference penalty.
Some halftime numbers:
Kent State has out gained Army 194-183.
Reardon is 13-for-20 with the an interception and a touchdown to go with his 143 yards.
Two freshman wide receivers, James Brooks and Kris White have three catches each for a combined 70 yards. Their continued development is a big key to the Flashes building for the future.
Santiago has 73 yards on 12 carries to lead Army. He is 2-of-6 passing for 12 yards and Army is 2-of-7 overall through the air.
Defensively, sophomore safety Nick Cuthbert leads Kent State with 9 tackles, including 7 solos ... and that's in his first start.
Cuthbert started at safety due to the first-half suspension of Elcee Refuge.
With Refuge out, Jordan Italiano moved to the star spot while Cuthbert slipped into his position at strong safety. Italiano knows the position after playing it all of last season.
Refuge is available to play the star position in the second half.
1:31 ... Kent State 13, Army 10 ... Colin Reardon with a beautiful play-action fake and a quick strike to tight end Casey Pierce for a 10-yard touchdown, and the Golden Flashes are back on top.
Reardon continues to play well since that opening interception ... 12-of-19 since the pick for 143 yards.
The touchdown was made possible by an alert play by Reardon on 3rd-and-10 from the 19, stepping up under pressure, thinking about running, and then spotting Ernest Calhoun for a 10-yard dump off.
3:13 ... Army helps the Kent State cause for the second time today, stalling its own promising drive with a 15-yard penalty on a chop block.
Combine that with a shanked punt to the Kent State 43 and a 24-yard burst by running back Nick Holley on first down, and the Golden Flashes are in the red zone with a first down at the Army 19.
7:56 ... Army 10, Kent State 6 ... After passing a bit more than usual in the first quarter, Army has gone back to what it does best. Running the triple option to perfection, the Black Knights marched 69 yards in 10 plays, capping the drive with a 2-yard touchdown dive by Raymond Maples.
The big play on the drive was a 27-yard keeper by quarterback Angel Santiago.
12:59 ... Kent State 6, Army 3 ... An Anthony Melchiori field goal of 29 yards has put Kent State in the lead at 6-3.
The scoring drive was the longest of the season by Kent State, measuring 84 yards in 13 plays (the 13 plays matching the most in a drive this season by the Flashes).
Colin Reardon has been sharp since the opening pick, completing 10 of his 13 throws since the interception for 116 yards.
On this drive, he hit Josh Boyle on the numbers on seam throw for 24 yards. That throw came on 3rd-and-6. It was followed immediately by a 22-yard strike to James Brooks. The Flashes also had a nice design on a waggle throw to tight end Casey Pierce that took a nice reaction by Army to limit to just six yards.
FIRST QUARTER
0:00 ... For the second week in a row, Colin Reardon is ignoring his injured lower leg, throwing caution to the wind and leading this team in rushing.
The quarterback hurdled a defender on a 5-yard run early in this current drive, then moved the chains on a 10-yard keeper.
Throwing out of his end zone on a 3rd-and-9, Reardon also found James Brooks for a first down.
Kent State will open the 2nd quarter with a 2nd-and-6 play from its own 36.
3:22 ... Kent State has the ball back after a nice series by its defense.
Army picked up a big gain early on an option toss for 24 yards by Terry Baggett. But then the defensive front came through, ultimately stuffing Larry Dixon for a 1-yard loss on 3rd-and-3. Nate Terhune and Matthew Sommers with good leverage up front to get through for the tackle.
A good punt of 53 yards by Army's Alex Tardieu rolled dead at the Kent State 4, however, so the Flashes will start very deep in their own end.
5:25 ... Kent State 3, Army 3 ... The Flashes have tied the game with a 27-yard Anthony Melchiori field goal.
Kent State looked good on the drive until Army's Andrew King stuffed Nick Holley for no gain on 3rd-and-3 from the 10.
Bouncing back after the opening pick, Reardon hit Kris White twice for first downs, threading the needle through traffic for 13 yards as the Flashes crossed midfield for the first time with a 3rd-and-8 throw, then picking up 12 by rolling right on a throw to White near the sideline.
11:33 ... Army 3, Kent State 0 ... A Daniel Grochowski field goal of 32 yards has put Army on top.
An Army holding penalty after picking up a first and goal helped Kent State's defense limit the Black Knights to a field goal after the turnover deep in the Flashes' end.
A bit prophetic by Paul Haynes earlier in the week as he said you sometimes have to count on a team like Army to make a mistake ... fumble, penalty, whatever ... to take that type of offense off schedule.
14:08 ... About as bad a start as you could ask for by Kent State.
The quarterback hurdled a defender on a 5-yard run early in this current drive, then moved the chains on a 10-yard keeper.
Throwing out of his end zone on a 3rd-and-9, Reardon also found James Brooks for a first down.
Kent State will open the 2nd quarter with a 2nd-and-6 play from its own 36.
3:22 ... Kent State has the ball back after a nice series by its defense.
Army picked up a big gain early on an option toss for 24 yards by Terry Baggett. But then the defensive front came through, ultimately stuffing Larry Dixon for a 1-yard loss on 3rd-and-3. Nate Terhune and Matthew Sommers with good leverage up front to get through for the tackle.
A good punt of 53 yards by Army's Alex Tardieu rolled dead at the Kent State 4, however, so the Flashes will start very deep in their own end.
5:25 ... Kent State 3, Army 3 ... The Flashes have tied the game with a 27-yard Anthony Melchiori field goal.
Kent State looked good on the drive until Army's Andrew King stuffed Nick Holley for no gain on 3rd-and-3 from the 10.
Bouncing back after the opening pick, Reardon hit Kris White twice for first downs, threading the needle through traffic for 13 yards as the Flashes crossed midfield for the first time with a 3rd-and-8 throw, then picking up 12 by rolling right on a throw to White near the sideline.
11:33 ... Army 3, Kent State 0 ... A Daniel Grochowski field goal of 32 yards has put Army on top.
An Army holding penalty after picking up a first and goal helped Kent State's defense limit the Black Knights to a field goal after the turnover deep in the Flashes' end.
A bit prophetic by Paul Haynes earlier in the week as he said you sometimes have to count on a team like Army to make a mistake ... fumble, penalty, whatever ... to take that type of offense off schedule.
14:08 ... About as bad a start as you could ask for by Kent State.
A holding penalty on the opening kickoff erased a nice return by Ernest Calhoun, who had sidestepped a tackle at the 15, then scampered out past the 30.
On the Golden Flashes' first play of the game, Colin Reardon threw off of his back foot, lobbing a ball towards the sideline in front of the Kent State bench. Army's Josh Jenkins came up with the easy interception.
Then on first down for Army at the 37, the Flashes jumped offsides.
The Black Knights are driving and already in the red zone.
PREGAME
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| The Kent State defensive line during pre-game |
2:50 p.m. ... Both teams are on the field now for pre-game.
The good news so far is that, other than a very light sprinkle, the rain has yet to arrive.
This unit warming up in the photo to the right may be the biggest key to the day for Kent State. The dive play is the key to the success with an option attack like Army's, and that means the Golden Flashes defensive front will be paying particularly close attention to fullback Larry Dixon, who comes in as the Black Knights' leading rusher with 612 yards and a 5.9 per-carry average.
Senior quarterback Angel Santiago is No. 2 on the rushing list with 466 yards and a team-high six touchdowns. Santiago and junior A.J. Schurr will both see action today at quarterback. According to Haynes, the two are similar run-first threats. Santiago and Schurr have combined for fewer than nine passing attempts and less than 100 yards per game this season.
While the City of Kent has made tremendous strides in recent years with its reimagining of the downtown, adding some great new stores, restaurants and other businesses, it's hard to blame Army for not taking a tour of Kent the way the Golden Flashes did when they visited West Point two years ago.
That trip was one of the highlights of my career as we received a full guided tour of the United States Military Academy. Then-Kent State coach Darrell Hazell had coached at Army from 1997-98 and the academy.
That remains my favorite road trip in all of my years either working at or covering Kent State athletics. It's a beautiful campus with some great history and arguably the best setting in the country for college football. It is well worth the trip if you have never been.
2:14 p.m. ... We are working on a new feature that will be online early next week. Videographer Nick Kane, photographer David Dermer and I will have a day in the life photo essay of today's Homecoming game, picking up the team last night in its final walkthrough at Dix Stadium, following them to the team hotel and this morning's Captains Breakfast, then boarding the bus with the team on the way to Dix Stadium. We are now picking the team back during pre game, in the training room as players get taped, back to the locker room as Paul Haynes gives his final pep talk, and then onto the field. Hopefully we'll be able to cap it all with a victory over Army.
I'll post the link next week when the photo essay is complete.
1:48 p.m. ... We are inside two hours before kickoff here at Dix Stadium and the specialists for both
teams are on the field for pre game.
I spent part of the morning at the team hotel in Cuyahoga Falls where Kent State's players were joined for breakfast by 22 captains from past Golden Flashes teams. The Captains Breakfast is probably the best of the growing traditions started over the last decade here.
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| Roosevelt Nix and Jim Corrigall on Saturday morning |
Here's a photo of Corrigall with another Kent State defensive great – Roosevelt Nix.
Corrigall was a 1970 draft pick of the St. Louis Cardinals, but he went on to play 11 seasons with the Toronto Argonauts in a CFL Hall of Fame career.
Nix is a 2014 graduate who just signed with the Cleveland Gladiators last week. It was great to see both this morning.
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