Injured veterans could return for resumption of MAC football schedule

The Golden Flashes may welcome several injured players back to action when the Mid-American Conference schedule resumes on Saturday at Northern Illinois.

Haynes talks to fans during Monday's
Coach's Corner at Water Street Tavern

While they don't appear on the official depth chart released on Monday, linebacker DeVante' Strickland and safety Calvin Tiggle may be back on Saturday according to head coach Paul Haynes.

Strickland hasn't played all season long. Tiggle hasn't played since the season opener against Ohio University.

Getting two seniors back in the middle of this young defense could be a big lift for the Flashes, especially against a team that ranks 13th in the nation in rushing offense and also likes to throw to the backs on screen plays. Covering backs out of the backfield was an issue for the Flashes last week in Virginia. 

During his weekly Coach's Corner luncheon meet and greet at Water Street Tavern earlier today, Haynes said he doubts that running back Trayion Durham will be back to face Northern Illinois. This game was something of a target date for the Flashes regarding Durham. After Durham missed all of preseason camp, the coaching staff cautiously hoped to have the big back for the bulk of the conference season. On Monday, Haynes talked about the possibility of redshirting Durham.

Haynes said sophomore Nick Holley is the primary back and he will continue to be spelled by senior Anthony Meray and freshman Miles Hibbler. Some fans and members of the media noticed that Hibbler did not see action at Virginia. Haynes confirmed today that Hibbler's absence was due to a minor injury, and he is expected back this weekend.

If you haven't attended one of the Coach's Corners at Water Street Tavern on Monday and you are a Kent State football fan, you should check it out. The crowds have been very good, and Haynes goes out of his way to try to talk to everyone there before addressing the crowd and answering the questions. I'm a former member of the media, and I've actually learn more from those Q and A's then I have in the weekly press conferences. They are more informal and Haynes is pretty candid.

Next week's Coach's Corner will feature a very special guest in former Kent State quarterback Joshua Cribbs.

Just a tip ... I always order my lunch from Mr. Zub's Deli (which is located in the Water Street Tavern) online and it is always waiting for me when I arrive. No wait and more chance to mingle.

One of the interesting things to come out of Monday's Q and A was the fact that senior wide receiver Chris Humphrey is getting more inquiries from NFL scouts than anyone on the Flashes' roster. They like Humphrey as a possible Brian Brennan-type possession receiver. Other players like tight end Casey Pierce and Durham, even with the injury, are also very much on the NFL radar.

The Flashes are 0-4, but that hasn't kept NFL scouts away. Josh Cribbs, Julian Edelman, James Harrison and many more have played for Kent State teams that have struggled. A picture frame hanging just outside Haynes' office door and holding the business cards of the NFL scouts who frequently visit Kent reminds current and future Golden Flashes that "Kent State feeds the NFL."

Live Blog: Kent State Football at Virginia

FOURTH QUARTER

5:29 ... Anthony Melchiori has booted a 43-yard field goal.

I'll be heading down to the field, so no more updates until later tonight.

Disappointing second half ... but I'm still encouraged by the fact that Kent State finally proved it can move the ball, and the Flashes did it against a decent defense in the first half.

The five turnovers were simply killers. 

After the 10-7 lead, Virginia scored 38 unanswered.

8:59 ... Kent State's difficulties covering running backs out of the backfield have continued. The Cavaliers added an 11-yard touchdown pass from Johns to Parks with 13:43 to play for a 38-10 lead.

That lead is now 45-10 after a 2-yard touchdown run by Mizzell that was set up by the fifth Reardon turnover. The KSU quarterback fumbled for the second time deep in his own territory. The Cavaliers recovered at the 19 and scored five plays later.

THIRD QUARTER

2:36 ... Virginia 31, Kent State 10

This one is starting to get away from Kent State. Virginia has tacked on a 1-yard touchdown run by Johns.

Kent State's offense doesn't have the same spark in this second half. All the momentum was lost with that interception just before halftime, and the Flashes haven't been able to find a way to get it back.

The Flashes turned to Nathan Strock for a series following the Reardon fumble, but that was a three-and-out.

7:06 ... Virginia 24, Kent State 10

Turnovers, both legitimate and questionable, are the reason Kent State has found itself trailing 24-10 after a 5-yard touchdown run by Kevin Parks.

Six plays after taking over at the 19 on the Reardon fumble, the Cavaliers extended their lead.

This and just about every Virginia scoring drive today has seen Kent State lose track of Cavaliers running backs on pass plays. On this one, Johns found a wide open Taquan Mizzell for a first down.

Mizzell and Parks have combined for five catches and 55 yards.


8:46 ... A Colin Reardon fumble on a sack has Virginia set up to add to its lead. Hit by Virginia's Moore. Recoverd by Romero.

Officials checked replay to see if Reardon's arm was moving forward, but this time they got the call right, unfortunately.


10:20 ... Virginia 17, Kent State 10

The Kent State defense played bend-but-not-quite-break on Virginia's first possession of the second half as an 11-play, 57-yard drive ends with an Ian Frye 22-yard field goal.

A 17-yard run by Kevin Parks was the big play in the drive. Parks has 45 yards on nine carries.

Kent State out gained Virginia 204-154 in the first half. The Cavaliers now have a slim 272-260 advantage.

SECOND QUARTER

HALFTIME 

Virginia 14, Kent State 10

A questionable-at-best call by an officiating crew may come back to haunt Kent State.

The Flashes probably should be ahead 17-14 at the break on a late touchdown pass from Colin Reardon to Chris Humphrey.

Humphrey appeared to have possession of the football in the end zone a split second before Virginia cornerback Demetrious Nicholson entered the mix and ripped the ball away after a long tug of war. 

At the very least, duel possession between Humphrey and Nicholson should have been ruled a touchdown for Kent State. The officials took forever to rule interception on the field. After a review of instant replay, (ACC) referee Stuart Mills ruled that the play stands. 

It's a shame. The Flashes are down just 4 points despite three interceptions thrown by Reardon. The first two were on Reardon. The third, I'm not so sure.

At the very least, this young Kent State team is showing some signs of growth.

Reardon is 10-for-22 for 197 yards and a touchdown along with the three interceptions.

Nick Holley has 9 carries for 26 yards.

James Brooks is having a great day with 3 catches, 76 yards and his first career touchdown.

2:09 ... A brilliant 50-yard punt by Anthony Melchiori has pinned Virginia at its own 3 yard line.

The Cavaliers called two timeouts late in the Kent State drive with the hopes of getting some points on the scoreboard late in the half.

7:14 ... Kent State and Virginia have traded interceptions back and forth.

First, a look-what-I-found pick by KSU defensive tackle Jontey Byrd.

That followed by a screen pass that Reardon overthrew intended for Anthony Meray turned into an easy pick for Virginia's Phelps.

But then Anthony Meray picked off another poor throw by Johns in the end zone. Flashes have the ball back and are on the move ... and with Nathan Strock in at quarterback for the Kent State.

Penalties have been a big issue for Virginia. Another pass interference on a deep throw from Strock intended for Humphrey gave KSU a first down.


14:14 ... Virginia 14, Kent State 7

First chink in the armor for Kent State's defense after two great three-and-outs forced on Virginia's first two possessions. 

The Cavaliers answered the KSU field goal by marching 83 yards in just seven plays and taking the lead on a 25-yard touchdown pass from Johns to running back Khalek Shepherd.

Some key mistakes defensively for the Flashes on the scoring drive. Nobody noticed Shepherd coming out of the backfield on a wheel route. It was an easy pitch and catch for Johns and Shepherd.

A pass interference call against Monday moved the chains earlier. There was a little love tap on the play, but probably just as questionable as the PI against Virginia on the previous possession for Kent State.

15:00 ... The Virginia offense finally started to find some success as the first quarter came to an end, thanks to a scrambling run for a first down by Johns and a long screen pass to Kevin Parks. The Cavaliers will face a 2nd-and-7 at the Kent State 39 when the quarter starts.

FIRST QUARTER

1:48 ... Kent State 10, Virginia 7

This young Kent State offense is gaining experience and confidence. I love the way they bounced back after the pick-six, driving right back down the field and reclaiming the lead on a 31-yard field goal by Anthony Melchiori.

The Flashes are being aggressive, testing the Virginia cornerbacks and moving the ball through the air while finding just enough success on the ground to keep the Cavaliers defense honest.

Kent State took advantage of a couple of penalties on the drive, including what may have been a questionable pass interference call on a throw to Pierce. An offside penalty on third-and-12 made the kick for Melchiori just a bit easier. Still a good test for Melchiori, which is just what he needed after seeing a couple of short kicks just miss earlier this season.

5:34 ... Kent State 7, Virginia 7

The Flashes were on the move and looking to add to their lead before a Virginia cornerback Maurice Canaday stepped in front of a quick out and raced down the far sideline for a 69-yard touchdown.

Take that one play away and the Flashes have outplayed Virginia early.

Reardon had moved the chains again with a great play-action throw to tight end Casey Pierce, setting the Flashes up with a first down at the Virginia 41. The pick came on a third-and-4 throw.

8:50 ... Kent State 7, Virginia 0

The crowd at Scott Stadium is quiet and a bit shocked as the Golden Flashes have grabbed a 7-0 lead on a 45-yard touchdown pass from Colin Reardon to James Brooks.

The throw came on 3rd-and-12 with Reardon finding a streaking Brooks as he ran wide open down the left sideline.

The scoring drive was impressive ... 6 plays, 78 yards in just 2:33 with Reardon finding Chris Humphrey and Nick Holley for first downs.

Reardon is 4-for-5 for 88 yards and the touchdown.

The Flashes have tried a few wrinkles today on offense, going with an unbalanced line while running the football on this second drive, Bringing in Teerrell Johnson and putting him next to fellow tackle Reno Reda and 320-pound guard Wayne Scott on the left side.


11:23 ... Kent State already has the ball back thanks to a quick three-and-out pitched by the Golden Flashes' defense.

As expected, sophomore Matt Johns started at quarterback for Virginia as Greyson Lambert recovers from an injured ankle suffered last week at BYU.

Richard Gray made the big play to force the Virginia punt, stuffing Cavs running back Kevin Parks for a 1-yard loss on 3rd-and-1.

The front seven needs to play well today against the run. Virginia likes to set up play action and then throw over the top ... although we may not see as much of that today with Johns starting for Lambert. I talked with some of the locals before the game, and they think Lambert has a bigger arm to go deep.

12:38 ... A few early miscues on offense for Kent State. After moving the chains on a 14-yard pass from Colin Reardon to Chris Humphrey on the game's first snap, two penalties quickly through the Flashes off schedule. A short run to set up 2nd-and-7 turned into 2nd-and-12 after a Kris White false start ... and then to 2nd-and-17 when the Flashes were flagged for delay of game.

A 14-yard scramble by Reardon set up a third and short, but a near pick forced the Flashes to punt away the football.

PREGAME 

3:32 p.m. ... The captains are on the field for the pre game coin flip. Virginia won and deferred to the second half. Kent State will receive.

2:55 p.m. ... Kent State president Beverly J. Warren joined alumni, fans and other dignitaries at a pregame tailgate just a few blocks away from Scott Stadium.

For those of you who are fans of the Golden Flashes and have yet to find the chance to meet Warren or listen to her talk about Kent State athletics, try to look for the opportunity. She is impressive. It's also exciting to see her passion for athletics. I just talked with some of the Kent State contingent who are in Charlottesville today and they raved about what Warren's presentation at the tailgate party.

2:47 p.m. ... For the five or six of you who are out there who care about this sort of thing ... former Director of Football Operations Casey Wolf has confirmed today is the first time the Golden Flashes will wear gold pants with their road white jerseys since the Doug Martin era.

If Paul Haynes and his staff are as superstitious as Kent State's basketball coaches, we'll see gold pants on the road for quite a while if the Flashes can pull off an upset.

1:52 p.m. ... The Golden Flashes specialists and a few skill players are on the field at Scott Stadium for an early warmup. The Flashes are wearing gold pants with the white jerseys for the first time since 2012. 

12:45 p.m. ... The offense and defense always holds a clap-session run through of every play in the game plan before boarding the buses to the stadium. Here's a look at the offense during today's clap session at the Double Tree just outside of Charlottesville.

This was the most hospitable hotel we've been to since we were in Mobile for the GoDaddy.com Bowl. The Double Tree turned the lobby into Kent State headquarters with a welcome banner featuring the Golden Flashes logo at the entrance, blue and gold balloons in the lobby, pennants behind the front desk and even mini helmets lined up at registration (as you can see in the photo to the right of Kent State radio voice Ty Linder.

10:15 a.m. ... Here's a look at all of the Kent State at Virginia news you will find around the web this morning:

• Elton Alexander writes about Kent State's struggling offense trying to get going today in Charlottesville in this brief preview in the Plain Dealer.
• J.J. Regan of Comcast Sportsnet offers five things to know for Virginia-Kent State from the local perspective here in Charlottesville. That includes "Virginia will lose if... " and "Virginia will win if..." commentary and a prediction that has the Cavaliers winning 31-0.
• Earlier this week, Virginia and Kent State's experts on the Hustle Belt got together for this Q&A. And the Hustle Belt also has this preview of the game. 
• The Associated Press calls today a "crossroads" game for Virginia football.
• George Thomas writes that Kent State is looking for a spark against Virginia in the Akron Beacon Journal.
• The Virginian-Pilot preview of the game says "for Cavs' offense, many hands just might work."
• Augusta Free Press editor Chris Graham will also be blogging live from Scott Stadium today. Here's a link to the blog.
• If you have an online subscription to the Record-Courier, here is a link to beat writer Allen Moff's preview.

9:02 a.m. ... I have always been a fan of throwback uniforms. Virginia will wear a look that goes back to the Cavaliers 1967-74 era today, and while it's not quite as sharp as their regular logo, it's a good look. To the right is a shot shared Twitter by @UVAEquipment.

8:31 a.m. ... Official wake-up time for all players was just one minute ago. You can hear some hustle in the hallways of the team hotel here in Charlottesville as coaches and players make their way down to the meeting rooms for breakfast followed by 20 minutes of gameday walk throughs and meetings. 

While the Cavaliers 1967-74 era today, and while it's not quite as sharp as their regular logo, it's a good look. To the right is a shot shared Twitter by @UVAEquipment. 

New gray uniforms debut during today's Men's Basketball picture day

If you follow Rob Senderoff on Twitter (@CoachSendy), you got your first glimpse of Kent State's new gray alternate uniforms. The photo (above) was snapped during today's team picture day at the M.A.C. Center.

The Flashes still have the black uniforms that have been in the five-uni rotation for several years, but that color is being phased out in favor of this version of gray.

Senderoff's teams have worn gray for a while, but those were so light that they were almost a dingy white. These new uniforms are almost a charcoal color.

I like them. They also echo the 1970's Cleveland Cavaliers-style horizontal striping of the blue road uniforms, although with thinner stripes.

The picture above shows off all five uniforms the Flashes will wear next year as modeled by the team's five seniors – (from left to right) Devareaux Manley, Derek Jackson, Blake Vedder, Kris Brewer and Craig Brown.

What do you think of the new gray unis?

On the road to Virginia

We have arrived at the team hotel in Virginia after a very easy trip.

If you have never been on a road trip with a college or professional team, everything is planned right down to the minute.

The team buses left Dix Stadium just after 1 p.m. for the short 15 minute drive to Akron-Canton Airport. They stagger the departure of our four buses to keep lines short as we check through security for our charter flight. That check takes place in a hanger just north of the main CAK terminal, and then it is just a short walk to the tarmac to board the airplane.

Our players always love it when we fly JetBlue. Comfortable seats. DirecTV in the headrests. Very friendly staff. 

It's almost a shame the flight to Charlottesville lasted only 45 minutes. 

There were some cheers at takeoff from the players seated behind me, and I overheard a few friendly jabs at the first-time flyers. 

After landing, we boarded a new fleet of buses to Scott Stadium for a brief walk through. 

The Flashes decided not to visit Ohio Stadium two weeks ago prior to the game with the Buckeye. With so many players on the roster had already been to the Horseshoe at some point in their lives, the stadium was pretty much a known quantity. 

This is the first visit to the University of Virginia for all of the players and most of the staff on the Kent State travel roster, and head coach Paul Haynes thought the team would benefit from seeing the field, getting a look at the locker rooms and acclimating themselves to the surroundings. 

Deputy Athletic Director Devin Crosby used to work at Virginia. Athletic director Joel Nielsen visited Virginia often during his ACC days at Wake Forest. Nielsen described to us what Scott Stadium looked like before renovations that increased its capacity from 44,000 to its current 61,500 back in 1999. It's a beautiful facility. 

Now that we are at the hotel, players and coaches are getting ready for dinner at 5:45 p.m., film session at 6:30 p.m., a team meeting at 8:30 p.m. and then a light snack before lights out at 10 p.m. 

Walk-through meetings begin at 9:30 a.m. before a pre game meal at 11:30 p.m.

The assumption here is that sophomore starting quarterback Greyson Lambert will not play for Virginia tomorrow due to the ankle he injured throwing a third-down pass to Miles Gooch last week at BYU. That means sophomore Matt Johns, the holder on placekicks for the last two years who has played well spotting Lambert during the Cavaliers' 2-2 start. Lambert has thrown two touchdowns and four interceptions in his 97 passes so far this season. Johns has four touchdown passes and just two picks in 58 attempts this year. Meanwhile, David Watford, last year's starter, has thrown just one pass for six yards. Watford has also been sacked once in his short stint while Johns has avoided being sacked in his four appearances. Against UCLA, Johns completed 13-of-22 for 154 yards and two scores. He was 14-of-23 with a touchdown last week in relief of Lambert.

While the Cavaliers are likely to be without Lambert, they could catch a break with the return of longtime starter Demetrious Nicholson at cornerback. He hasn't played since a turf toe injury in a blowout loss to Ball State last on Oct. 5, 2013.

The Flashes will be without cornerback Najee Murray. That means redshirt freshman Demetrius Monday steps in as the starting cornerback. The Douglasville, Ga. native made some nice plays in coverage two weeks ago replacing Murray after he was injured on the game's first play. 

Thoughs of First flights as Kent State Football Heads to Virginia

The first flight of the 2014 college football season is coming up tomorrow as a charter will whisk the Golden Flashes off to Charlottesville, Va. in anticipation of Saturday's game at the University of Virginia.

I've written quite a bit lately about the youth on this team, and any time you take a team with so many freshmen on a trip like this, there are going to be a few who will be flying for the first time. Head coach Paul Haynes revealed that at least one first-year player will be trying to calm his fears as he boards the flight at Akron-Canton Airport tomorrow afternoon.

I'll be blogging tomorrow and Saturday, posting photos and hopefully some video to give fans a glimpse of what goes into a trip like this. Hopefully that will include an interview or two with some first-time flyers. 

Whenever I think of the fear of flying, former KSU star James Harrison always comes to mind. I know I wrote about this on my blog back when I was a reporter for the Record-Courier, but I know the story will be new to some of you. I told the story earlier today on the Paul Haynes Show while we were recording it for iHeart Radio and WHLO 640 AM in the Kent State Student Center, and it was surprisingly new to host Ty Linder.

Harrison was always terrified of flying. He was so adamant that he would not board a plane, that former KSU head coach Dean Pees finally relented and allowed Harrison to hitch a ride with his family whenever the Flashes flew to a game – like the 2001 season opener at Iowa.

After Harrison graduated in 2002, that fear had to be conquered if he was going to play professionally. It's a simple fact – NFL teams fly to their away games. 

I remember bumping into Harrison on campus one day in 2003 and he told me he had reluctantly agreed to take a few practice flights to get used to the experience. Pees booked him on a string of flights back and forth to Baltimore. Back then it was something like $49 each way. As Pees told the story at the time, Harrison shook the seat in front of him so hard during the first flight that he was worried he would knock out the woman sitting in it. 

The thought at the time was that Harrison would have to play in NFL Europe to open the eyes of pro scouts. He eventually found the courage to cross the ocean for a season with the Rhein Fire in 2004, and that led to his shot in the NFL.

Even after several seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Harrison apparently never quite rid himself of the fear. As Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazetter wrote in 2009, Harrison refused to visit the White House after the Steelers Super Bowl Victory that year because it meant one more flight. 

I was never afraid to fly, probably because I started making regular trips to Europe with my family to visit relatives in Italy when I was about 5 years old. My dad was petrified on those flights, however, and he was an Air Force veteran who served during World War II. He had been on the ground crew during the war, however, as well as a drummer in the Air Force band. Like many kids, I always thought of my dad as invincible in everyday life, so I was always shocked to see him turn white as a ghost before takeoff. But looking back now, if one of the most imposing defensive players in the NFL over the last decade could be afraid to fly, I guess my dad could be excused. 

Anyway ... check back tomorrow for photos, videos and more from the trip to Virginia and the late-afternoon walkthrough at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville. I'll be back again on game day with a live blog and a preview.

Changes in the depth chart heading into game at Virginia

The Golden Flashes coaching staff has tinkered with the offensive line a bit during the bye week, making the full-time move of Wayne Scott back to left guard from the right guard spot he had manned during the season’s first three weeks.

The 6-foot-3, 320-pound Scott and 6-6, 292-pound Reno Reda at left tackle had been meshing well during the preseason and appeared to have a chance to grow into a similar strength on the left side to what Brian Winters and Josh Kline provided the Flashes back in 2012.

Nathan Puthoff, a 6-4, 296-pound freshman, is also now the starting right guard after playing parts of the last two games there when Scott switched to left guard mid-game.

Redshirt freshman Brock Macaulay is also listed as the starting right tackle again with fifth-year senior Terrell Johnson still on the mend. Johnson missed the Ohio State game as Macaulay made his first career start.

I like getting the “veterans” of Reda and Scott back together on the left side. They are only sophomores, but they have the most combined experience up front and they’ll have a chance to keep getting better playing side by side. 

The moves mean the Flashes get even younger on the offensive line, though. And that’s ultimately not a bad thing, according to Kent State’s coaches. 

“They are what you want,” Paul Haynes said of all of his youngers on Monday during his weekly press conference. “They are just young.”

Those youngsters include Zach Singer, whose role has increased with each week and now has the 310-pound freshman listed No. 2 at nose tackle behind fellow freshman Jon Cunningham. That move has allowed redshirt freshman Jontey Byrd the chance to move to a three-technique behind junior Nate Terhune. It also allows Marcus Wright to play more of a swing role, moving inside and out along the defensive line. 

There was some unfortunate news to come out of today’s press conference as cornerback Najee Murray is considered doubtful for Saturday’s game at Virginia. Haynes revealed that Murray suffered a concussion two weeks ago against Ohio State. Even if Murray is considered ready by Saturday, Haynes said he probably wouldn’t risk playing him. The priority for the Flashes is to be as close to full strength when they get into MAC play in two weeks at Northern Illinois.

Another youngster who may get more opportunities is freshman Eldin Anu, the converted cornerback who is now listed No. 2 at the Z receiver spot behind senior Chris Humphrey. The coaches love Anu’s potential, and while as Haynes says, “he still needs 1,000 reps,” the Flashes have limited his package to give him the chance to see the field. Instead of throwing the full playbook at him, they are allowing Anu to get comfortable with just a few plays that would allow him to have an impact when he checks into the game.

Sneak Peek: History Returning to the M.A.C. Center Hallways

As I wrote last week, much of the history of Kent State Athletics will be returned to the M.A.C. Center hallways in a new form later this year.

The project was approved this week and the graphics are being fabricated as I write this. While there isn't an official date for the debut, we hope the hallways will be finished before the start of basketball season.

Here's a sneak peek at what the hallways will look like sometime this October:

The hallways will feature Kent State's athletic history broken up into eras, from 1913-45, 1946-59, 1960-69, 1970-79, 1980-89, 1990-99, 2000-2015, and with room to expand to feature the great moments still ahead.

I know some fans will still miss the old framed annuals from the hallways. But those were falling into disrepair. We were able to save the photos for a video kiosk that will be coming to the M.A.C. Center at a later date. The major highlights, though, will return to the walls in this new format that will have a museum feel to it.

Week of Sep. 15-19 By The Numbers

A few interesting numbers came up this week during our all-department meeting in the Kent State Student Center and a the Kent Area Chamber of Commerce Kickoff Luncheon at Dix Stadium. Here are a few of those numbers …

1.2 … The most impressive comes courtesy of athletic director Joel Nielsen, who did some quick math recently when he was curious about how we compare to other schools in the Mid-American Conference in the all-time standings of the Reese and Jacoby Cups – the Reese is given annually to the athletic department with the most successful men’s programs while the Jacoby is awarded to the school with the top women’s programs.

Add the final standings from both together and our average finish is 1.2. The next best is a 4.5. That’s a pretty strong statement proving the success Kent State has found in its comprehensive approach to athletics. 

Nielsen shared those numbers at our all-department meeting on Monday.

5/41 … During the kickoff luncheon, head football coach Paul Haynes spent some time talking about the future, and to illustrate just how much this year’s team is depending on the players of the future, he hit us with these numbers. Of the 41 players contributing on this year’s football team, only five are seniors. Another eight are sophomores. The rest are in either their second or third years.

I did a little research yesterday after writing a blog showing the inexperience on the offensive line, and that appears to have been the youngest starting line in recent Kent State history … it is certainly it is the youngest since Dean Pees took over as head coach back when I covered the team for the Record-Courier along with current beat writer Allen Moff.

I also talked with Haynes about the work Shawn Clark is doing to get that group up to speed and ready to play at this level. He agreed that it’s “just a matter of time and patience” needed to allow Clark to work his magic.

From January to June, the Flashes’ offensive line was starting to gel from January to June. That’s 15 practices, lots of meetings. Then you get into May and the linemen stuck around Kent and continued to work and get comfortable playing next to each other. Then there was fall camp. It’s not the same group anymore, and now they are trying to gel with already inexperienced players moving to new positions on the line and new players with no experience moving in. It’s just simply going to take a while.

“It’s going to take some time and patience, but I know coach Clark is one of the best offensive line coaches in the country,” said Haynes. “I am incredibly lucky to have him on this staff. The kids love him. You talk to any of these offensive linemen, and they’ll tell you how much they love him. He does a great job of coaching them not just in football, but in life. He cares about them. It’s an incredible thing to watch, and I know they will get better.

“And really, in that Ohio State game, that unit didn’t play that bad. They didn’t have winning performances, but for what they were up against in terms of experience and everything else, they battled. The hard part is that they are so young. The great thing is we have them for awhile. We just have to be patient. 

8-to-10 … I’ve been enjoying the hart start to Kent State’s volleyball season. I spend some time every week talking with head coach Don Gromala, and every week he says he is ready to try a different lineup.

In Tuesday’s win over Youngstown State, Gromala turned to lineup No. 8 on the season. That’s during an 8-2 start. According to Gromala, he used only two or three lineups all last year. We could see yet another lineup this weekend when the Flashes travel to Towson for a tournament that will include St. John’s and North Dakota State. 

Gromala says he is enjoying the chance to tinker. One of the keys to the continued improvement, he says, is the team getting used to a new freshman setter in Brittney Jakscht. “It’s kind of like a wide receiver getting used to a new quarterback,” Gromala said.

55%-to-45% ... That was the margin of victory for "No" over "Yes" yesterday when Scotland voted against independence and decided to remain in the United Kingdom.

Scotland is one of my favorite places on the planet. I travel there every two years to play golf at St. Andrews and some of the other great courses in Fife and East Lothian. So, I followed this vote with great interest.

I'm sure freshman field hockey player Eilidh Thomson was also glued to the television last night. Thomson is from Edinburgh, Scotland, and while I haven't had a chance to talk with her about the vote for independence yet, I am told by field hockey sports information contact Mollie Radzinski that Thomson had some strong feelings regarding the historic referendum. It had to be difficult to be so far from home during such a historic vote.

Waiting through the growing pains of another young team

I know there are quite a few frustrated Kent State football fans out there. I understand. Watching a 66-0 loss and the 0-3 start isn’t easy. I also know nobody out there wants to hear excuses.

I choose to look at the current Golden Flashes in a somewhat similar vain to the start of the 2011 campaign. In that year, we watched Kent State lose its first three as part of a 1-6 start. Tinkering with personnel on the offensive line, some growth in some youngsters and the flip of the schedule helped the Flashes build some momentum into the offseason with a 4-1 finish. 

But before that turnaround, most fans saw the future as pretty bleak. Nobody could have known just how much that team would grow in October and November and how it would continue into 2012.

I have no idea what kind of a turnaround awaits. This is as young a team as I’ve ever seen at Kent State, and I’m convinced there is growth ahead. 

Paul Haynes broke down the inexperience at today’s Kent Area Chamber of Commerce Kickoff Luncheon when he mentioned that the current team has 41 players who are contributing on a game-to-game basis. Of those, only five are seniors. Eight more are sophomores. That’s pretty striking.

The coaching staff likes the young offensive linemen on this team, and they are getting the chance to play right now. Most of this group should be together for another two years after this one. There is the chance to build some continuity through the growing pains. 

The starting left tackle is Reno Reda, a sophomore who played in 12 games as a freshman last season, but spent most of his time at an entirely different position (left guard). When he took the field against Ohio State, he was appearing in just his 15th college game – and he was the most experienced lineman on the field.

With fifth-year senior Terrell Johnson out with an injury, Brock Macaulay made his first start at right tackle. Just last spring, Macaulay was a tight end who had yet to play a down after redshirting as a true freshman last year. 

We all know about the loss of Jason Bitsko, who was very much the heart and soul of this offensive line, and a guy who was beginning to take some pride in that role with his switch to center this season. But even he would have been somewhat inexperienced coming into this season after appearing in a total of just 14 games in his first two college seasons. Now Alex Nielsen has been thrust into that position, and while he has has upside, his first appearance in a college game was this season’s opener. Nielsen redshirtted as a freshman in 2012 and did not appear in a game in 2013.

At right guard, 320-pound sophomore Wayne Scott joins Reda as arguably the most experienced player on the offensive line, having played in 12 games last season, including five starts at left guard. Again, though, he has been forced to move to right guard after spending all of the preseason at left guard. The Flashes loved the idea of having Reda and Scott shoulder-to-shoulder at left tackle and left guard, growing up together from 2014-2016 and eventually becoming a tandem similar to what they had with Brian Winters and Josh Klein in 2012.   

Now Jim Katusha is in at left guard, and while he has been with a Division I program at Ohio University in 2011 prior to playing at Butte College in 2012, he sat out all of 2013 before getting his first Division I action in this season’s first three games. 

So, against Ohio State, the average game experience along the Kent State offensive line was 6.8 games in a unit that featured no seniors, three sophomores, one freshman and a junior who was playing in his third college game.

It’s going to take time. 

I talked with a former Division I coach recently, who has watched the Flashes in practice, and he has raved about offensive line coach Shawn Clark. According to him, Clark just needs some time with this group and we will start to see growth.

Live Blog: Kent State Football at Ohio State

FOURTH QUARTER

12:38 ... Curtis Samuel has scored for the second time this quarter, adding a 1-yard touchdown run after a 3-yard dive for the end zone in the third quarter. That made the score 66-0.

Since then, Kent State has forced a third turnover with Marques Moore stripping the ball from Bri'onte Dunn and Jordan Italiano recovering.

I'm going to be heading down to the field in a bit, so for the final story and stats, check out www.kentstatesports.com within an hour of the game going final.

THIRD QUARTER

7:03 ... Melchiori saved a touchdown by getting just enough of Ohio State punt returner Jalin Marshall at the end of a 51-yard return.

Buckeyes are driving to add to their lead with sophomore Cardale Jones now in at quarterback.

9:20 ... Ohio State's lead has swelled to 52-0 after a 3-yard touchdown pass from Barrett to Michael Thomas. 

Kent State has punted twice in the quarter, although the Flashes got one of them right back when Kent Stae's Matt Sommers forced a fumble as the Buckeyes tried to run back a block of Anthony Melchiori's punt. 

SECOND QUARTER

HALFTIME: Ohio State 45, Kent State 0

Not much to look at in terms of stats.

The Flashes have been out gained 392-109. The Buckeyes also have a 22-7 advantage in first downs.

Nick Holley has done some nice things on offense for Kent State with 33 yards on five carries and 37 yards on six receptions.

The defensive highlight for the Flashes was the Matt Dellinger interception.

Nate Holley leads the Flashes defense with six tackles, all solo. Darius Redmund has five.

1:38 ... It took Ohio State just eight seconds to score following the Perry interception. On the very next play following the pick, Devin Smith caught a 50-yard touchdown pass from Barrett to make the score Ohio State 45, Kent State 0.

4:34 ... Ohio State's lead is now 38-0 after a 2-yard touchdown pass from Barrett to tight end Marcus Baugh. The play was set up by a pass interference call against KSU star Elcee Refuge in the end zone.

The Flashes offense has managed to string together a few nice plays since the score. Throws to Holley and Pierce have moved the chains twice and put KSU out near midfield again with inside two minutes remaining ...

... until a tipped-ball interception by Ohio State's Josh Perry with 1:46 to play at midfield.

12:54 ... The good news for Kent State: Najee Murray has returned to the game. The cornerback had been injured on the game's opening play.

The bad news for Kent State: Ohio State's lead is now 31-0 after a 64-yard Barrett-to-Michael Thomas touchdown pass. A short throw over the middle with some poor angles turned into a big catch-and-run score.

Reardon is now back in at quarterback for the Flashes.

And the KSU offense is moving the ball a bit ... passing midfield for the first time with 12:06 to go after a 20-yard run by Nick Holley.

14:16 ... Kent State's defense stood tall after Ohio State picked up a first-and-goal on its fourth drive of the day, forcing the Buckeyes to settle for a 41-yard Sean Nuerenberger field goal. 

Terence Waugh picked up what probably should have been called a sack of Barrett, but the play was officially ruled a run by the Buckeyes freshman. 

For Kent State, Nate Strock is now in at quarterback for his first college action.

FIRST QUARTER

0:46 ... The Buckeyes extended their lead to 21-0 on a 1-yard touchdown run by Smith with 1:49 to play in the quarter... and they already have the ball back inside the red zone after a quick three-and-out, a partially blocked punt and an illegal hands to the face on the Buckeyes first play from scrimmage.

6:49 ... The Golden Flashes have kept the Buckeyes out of the end zone on drive No. 3 as Matt Dellinger picked off a tipped pass by Barrett that was knocked into the air on a hit by Demetrius Monday. 

And this interception was legit, unlike a questionable call that gave the Buckeyes the football in the first place on an interception of Colin Reardon near the Ohio State bench. Tyvis Powell looked like he was clearly out of bounds on his tipped-ball pick. In fact, just about everybody in the Ohio State press box seemed to think the same thing ... as did most of the Ohio State fans, who groaned when they saw the replay. The play stood on replay, but officials did not say it was not confirmed. 

Monday is having a nice day. He made a nice play on a deep ball earlier in Ohio State's third drive. Monday is playing more because of the injury to Murray, who has not returned from his injury on the game's first play.

The Buckeyes took a 14-0 lead earlier in the quarter when Barrett found Rod Smith for an 8-yard touchdown.

13:16 ... Ohio State is up early on a 14-yard touchdown pass from J.T. Barrett to Michael Thomas. There were a few positives on the drive, however, as Nate Terhune made a nice play on a tackle for a loss.

It was sad to see Najee Murray go down with an injury on the very first play from scrimmage. Murray is, of course, a former Ohio State player returning to the Horseshoe.

I spent the first series watching the game from the Kent State bench. Just being around the guys prior to the game, I got a bit of an understanding of why freshman Jon Cunningham is making such an early impact. I've never seen a player whip himself into such a frenzy before a game. His pre-game fury wasn't just about getting ready to play in front of 100,000 plus at Ohio Stadium. I talked to a few of his teammates after the season opener, and they were a little shocked by how Cunningham pumps himself up before a game.

"I'm glad he is on our side," one of those teammates said.

PREGAME

10:14 a.m. ... The team has arrived at the Horseshoe, courtesy of another great police escort. For those of you who have never traveled via police escort, it's the only way to make your way down a highway... a motorcycle-police ballet, jumping ahead then lagging behind to block traffic at the onramps.

This is obviously the first road trip of 2014, and the team was in good spirits this morning at the hotel. I was in defensive clap session where coordinator Brian George led his charges through one last run though the defensive game plan and formations. That's one of my favorite parts of the job .... sitting in on strategy sessions, having an idea of what a team wants to do, then seeing how it all works out on the field or the court.

Haynes points to the spot
where the baton was dropped

I was also with head coach Paul Haynes when he walked to his traditional spots at Ohio Stadium – the 16-yard line in the south end, the spot from where he scored a touchdown in the 1985 high school state championship game for St. Francis DeSales, and then the spot in front of the south end zone where his relay team dropped the baton while chasing a track and field state championship.

10:30 a.m. ... If you are looking for a matchup to watch today, it would make sense to pay particular attention to Kent State's defensive line against Ohio State's offensive line.

Haynes at the 16 yard line

The defensive line is the strength of the Golden Flashes right now. Richard Gray made a big jump from week one to week two, which makes sense after missing all of last season. It takes a while to get back into game mode after time off like that. Freshmen Jon Cunningham and Jontey Byrd are becoming a nice young one-two punch at nose tackle. Add Nate Terhune and Nate Vance as starters along with backups Clay Miller, Marcus Wright, Terence Waugh and now Zach Singer strengthening his position in a nine-man rotation up front, and the Flashes have depth and talent.

In Ohio State's early struggles, offensive line has been a question mark. Youth with sophomore Pat Elflein at left guard and freshman Billy Pierce at right guard, is one reason the Buckeyes have simplified their offense. They may simplify even more, doing the things they know they can do well, after last week's loss to Virginia Tech. Freshman quarterback J.T. Barrett is another reason the Buckeyes have taken some pages out of their playbook. Look for the Flashes to try to pressure Barrett early and often.

History returning in a new form to the M.A.C. Center Hallways

Between a bout with the flu and work on a project that will bring some of Kent State’s athletic history back to the M.A.C. Center hallways, there hasn’t been a great deal of time to blog of late.

It’s nice to finally have the chance to sit down at the keyboard. 

Quite a bit is going on here at the M.A.C. Center. For me, much of it has been concerned with the hallways. I received emails from several longtime Kent State fans and some alumni who were disappointed to see the large frames memorializing past athletic seasons removed from the east and west halls during the last school year.

Truth be told, I missed them as well. As many of you know, I grew up pushing Tonka toys down the M.A.C. Center hallways while my dad was working on his masters in education here at Kent State. My mom and I would pick him up from class and then come here before driving home if there was a game. We’d often have lots of time to kill. I remember looking at those photos when my dad would take me to games during my teenage years. I always loved the history of sports, so I got a kick out of the old uniforms and the action shots with great backgrounds that showed off what the university used to look like from as far back as 1913.

But the fact is that the photos in those frames were starting to show their age. There weren’t many options. They either had to come down to be reframed and refurbished, or removed for something else.

After several starting and abandoning several different plans, I think we have finally hit on something that will bring back the feel of the history that was in the old M.A.C. hallways, but also update it to create a more modern museum-like feel.

You’ll recognize many of the old photos. You’ll see some old photos that weren’t on the walls previously. And unlike the old setup, where we had lost the room to recognize our more recent successes, we have added great moments like our individual national championships and our College World Series run while creating space for future stories to be told.

I know this will be a hard sell for some fans and alumni who hate change and cherish the way our history was displayed prior to last year. It may not be exactly what you want, but the spirit of what was there will be returned in some way. 

I understand. I’m like them in a lot of ways. Change is something that rarely excites me. I always say this when people ask me how I feel about change… “I’m the type of baseball fan who wishes there were still no teams west of the Mississippi, there were no divisions, teams wore flannel and still played two on Saturdays.”

But for even the most disappointed, it should be hard to argue that the new look won’t be cleaner and more attractive. 

I’m looking forward to seeing the finished product. It should be up before the start of basketball season, so stay tuned.

On other topics, I sat down with head men’s basketball coach Rob Senderoff recently and he is pretty excited about the state of his team. Kris Brewer is in the best shape of his life, physically, and is playing better than he has in any preseason. How that will translate to the regular season is hard to tell, but it is reason for encouragement. The new additions are fitting in well during workouts. Also, there has been some good news with Kellon Thomas, who is recovering faster than expected following offseason surgery and is on his way to be ready to go for the start of the new season.

I also talked with head volleyball coach Don Gromala yesterday and congratulated him on his team’s fantastic weekend of wins over Morehead State, Evansville and New Hampshire in the Hampton Inn Golden Flashes Volleyball Classic. He had been pleased with the early play of his defense following the previous week, and the lineups from this weekend seemed to jump start the offense. While there are still a few serving issues to deal with, the team is growing and getting better with every outing. The biggest test yet comes this weekend at West Virginia, but it’s becoming clear that this is going to be a fun team to watch when the MAC season gets underway in a couple of weeks.

I know fans are frustrated with the football team’s 0-2 start, but I’m hopeful based on the fight the team has demonstrated after so many setbacks and so much heartbreak. When you consider the realities of all this team has endured, it’s amazing that it was in position to win late against two dangerous opponents. Just coping with the death of a beloved teammate would have been difficult enough. But add in injuries and losses of key personnel for other reasons, and there can be some encouragement to find in two weeks of competitive football. Take away a few self-inflicted wounds and this team could be 2-0. Playing at back-to-back BCS opponents will be no bargain, but stay relatively injury free and the chance is there to make a move as the second half of the season approaches.

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.