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Former Major League Baseball manager Tommy Lasorda used to say before a season that he had a ‘weight’ problem. He could not ‘weight’ to get started. The Kent State Golden Flashes have been living that quote. For the better part of a month, they have butted heads against one another, waiting for the start of the 2010 season which begins Thursday night at Dix Stadium against the Football Championship Subdivision Murray State Racers out of the Ohio Valley Conference.
“We are really excited in playing a game” Head Coach Doug Martin said. “We need to play to get better.”
This is the second consecutive season the Blue and Gold have opened on a Thursday night, at home against an opponent from the former Division I-AA. Last season, they defeated Coastal Carolina.
“There is a lot of excitement about this football team. Not only from within the team itself, (but also) the administration and … in the community. Now it’s up to us to go out there and be worthy of the excitement and win football games,” Martin said
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The Golden Flashes come into 2010 with a bit of a chip on their shoulders. Last season when they lost star running back Eugene Jarvis to a lacerated kidney in the second game of the season at Boston College, KSU rallied with three consecutive wins in October to get into the race in the MAC Eastern Division. But a three-game losing streak to finish the campaign at 5-7overall and 4-5 in MAC play ended any hopes of a winning season and their first bowl bid since 1972.
As it prepares for Murray State, the KSU offense will be under the controls of sophomore quarterback Spencer Keith. The native of Little Rock, Arkansas completed 57.1 percent of his passes for 2,147 yards and 14 touchdowns and led the Flashes to road victories at Eastern Michigan and Ohio, along with a big home win over Western Michigan before separating his shoulder in the loss at Temple and did not play in the season finale against Buffalo.
“We have more playmakers than we’ve ever had –at least since I have been here,” said Martin, who is entering his seventh season as the head man at KSU
The running game will again be led by Jarvis. The native of Pittsburgh was granted a sixth year of eligibility in the winter, and has not been hampered by the kidney injury during fall practice.“ He has been full-go and live in practice,” Martin said. “He has taken some really good shots, and I think (it has) been good for him to prove to himself that he is back and OK.”
Jarvis comes into his final season as just the fourth player in KSU history to rush for over 3,000 yards. His 3,426 yards on the ground is just 564 yards shy of Aston Watley’s school rushing record. In addition, Jarvis is the second leading active rusher in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
“It helps a whole lot having Eugene back,” Keith said. In 2010, Jarvis will not be asked to be the only one to carry the ball. The Golden Flashes have depth at the position. Jacquise Terry, who filled the void in the absence of Jarvis last year, rushing for 649 yards and four touchdowns. Sophomore Dri Archer, had 246 yards on the ground.
The passing game will have sophomore wide receiver Tyshon Goode returning. He led the team last season with 53 receptions for 755 yards and five touchdowns. However, late in the season when teams took Goode away from Keith, he had some problems getting the ball to the other receivers.
The defense will be led by senior safety Brian Lainhart. The native of Cincinnati is one of the best safeties in the country. He had 87 tackles (52 solo), along with seven interceptions, four passes defended and four forced fumbles en route to First Team all MAC honor last year.
Lainart comes into this season with 15 career interceptions and is the leader among active players in the FBS. Defensive Coordinator Pete Restatis said of Lainhart, “Since the day he got on campus, he has made plays.”
Kent’s State’s opening opponent is in a state of transition. The Racers are coming off a 3-9 season and have a new head coach in Chris Hatcher, who comes from Georgia Southern, where he led the Eagles to an 18-15 overall record (12-11 league) in one of the most highly competitive conferences (Southern) in all of the FCS. Before heading to GSU, he took Valdosta State (GA) - his alma mater - to a 76-12 record in seven seasons and also guided the team to the 2004 Division II Championship
The Racers are led by senior quarterback Jeff Ehrhardt who won the job after a fierce quarterback duel in fall camp. The native of St. Louis, Missouri only played the first four games of last season but completed 53.6 percent of his passes for 501 yards and three touchdowns. In addition, Ehrhardt is among MSU’s all-time leaders in attempts, completions, yards, and touchdowns.
He will have one of the best receivers to throw to in the FCS in senior wide receiver Marcus Harris. The native of North St. Louis had 46 receptions a season ago for 417 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Harris was named to the all-OVC preseason team. He is a major threat in the return game, averaging 26.8 yards per kick return last season.
The schedule does not get any easier for Kent State after the opener as the Flashes go on the road for three consecutive games at Boston College, Penn State, and the MAC opener against Miami.
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