 KENT, OH. – While the Kent State Golden Flashes battled Iowa State inside Dix Stadium Saturday, there was a hot air balloon festival - followed by a fireworks display - outside. Unfortunately, for most of the 15,808 fans who were attending the game, the only fireworks generated inside the stadium were by the visiting Cyclones, who routed Kent State 34-14.
The loss capped a terrible week for the KSU football program, which announced Monday that star running back Eugene Jarvis would be lost for the remainder of the season due to a kidney injury suffered in a recent loss at Boston College. Jarvis, who was in the hospital for a majority of this week, was in attendance Saturday night, but he watched the game from the coaches booth.
Iowa State (2-1) was looking to regain some momentum after a tough home loss (35-3) to rival Iowa. It was also a chance for the Cyclones to collect their first road win in 17 games away from Jack Trice Stadium.
“We have a football team that is very thrilled to get a road win” Cyclones first year head coach Paul Rhoads said after the game. “We had a good week of practice, and we came into this game focused, and I thought our team executed good.”
Kent State (1-2) did not help itself as it committed five turnovers and rushed for a mere 47 yards. The offense did manage 302 yards of total offense, but most of those yards came after the game was decided.
“I told our team before the game that turnover margin would decide this game” Kent State head coach Doug Martin said afterwards. “We had five turnovers and they had four. They did everything they could to keep us in the game and did not take advantage of it.”
Junior quarterback Austen Arnaud completed 13-of-21 passes for 144 yards and a touchdown while adding 42 yards on the ground and two scores.
Iowa State running back Alexander Robinson was the main Cyclones offensive threat on this night as he carried the ball 23 times for 143 yards and a touchdown. “Alexander took advantage of some holes opened by the offensive line” Rhoads said.
The visitors also took advantage of some early penalties. Kent State penalties accounted for 20 yards in Iowa State’s opening drive. Arnaud moved the Cyclones to the Kent State three before the drive stalled and Grant Mahoney kicked a 20-yard field goal for a 3-0 Cyclones lead.
An Arnaud fumble on the first play of Iowa State’s second possession gave the Golden Flashes the ball on the Cyclones 44 yard line. On the first play after the fumble, Kent State hit pay dirt when freshman quarterback Spencer Keith found running back Dri Archer in stride down the sidelines for a touchdown and a 7-3 Kent State lead. It was the Golden Flashes only lead of the contest.
Keith, making his first collegiate start, was in for Georgio Morgan, completed 21-of-32 passes for 255 yards and two touchdowns.
“He played a heck of a game for a freshman quarterback stepping up and (to) do what he did was remarkable” Martin said.
“I was pretty pleased with it,” Keith said, “I made some good passes and some good plays. But I have to pick it up in the next couple of weeks.”
Morgan, who entered 2009 as the Golden Flashes starting quarterback, suffered an ankle injury in the opening win over Coastal Carolina. He then re-aggravated the injury last Saturday at Boston College.
Iowa State rebounded on the ensuing possession when it drove 69 yards in 10 plays. Arnaud found wide receiver Jake Williams in the end zone from 22 yards out and Grant Mahoney’s PAT made made it a 10-7 Cyclones advantage
Before the period ended, the score was 17-7 as the Cyclones took advantage of an Archer fumble at the Kent State 23. Iowa State advanced to the three-yard line before the defense stiffened forced ISU into a 20-yard field goal.
An Iowa State second quarter punt turned out to be a break for the Cyclones after the ball hit defensive back Chris Gilbert on the play. That made it a live ball, and Iowa State recovered at the Kent State 33. Shortly thereafter, Arnaud scored from three-yards out on a quarterback option to make the score 24-7.
Before the first half ended, Iowa State would add three more points as Mahoney connected for his third field goal of the half, a 37-yarder, to make the score 27-7 at halftime.
Iowa State scored its final touchdown of the game on the Cyclones first possession of the third quarter,
Moving the ball 81 yards in just nine plays, Robinson navigated the final 15 yards to make the score 34-7.
Kent State concluded scoring when Keith found split end Derek McBryde on a fade pattern in the end zone from eight yards out .
NOTES:
- The loss to Jarvis was on the mind of Iowa State’s Rhoads, who saw plenty of Jarvis when, as an assistant at Pittsburgh, he tried to get him to come be a Panther. “I’m sure they missed him in a number of ways.” he said “They (Kent State) take a 7-3 lead and a guy like that. He keeps every one of them grounded and moving forward”
Kent State opens Mid-American Conference play this Saturday night as host the Miami Redhawks (0-3), while Iowa State returns home to Ames to face the Black Knights of Army.
- Kent State is 2-8 lifetime against the Big 12 Conference.
- With his second quarter interception, Brian Lainhart (KSU) now has nine interceptions in the last ten games dating back to last season
- Mid-American Conference Commissioner Dr. Jon Steinbacher was in attendance at Saturday’s game
- There was a moment of silence before the game honoring the late Myles Brand, president of the NCAA, who passed away this week at the age of 67.
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