 KENT, OH – Early in the third quarter of their home game with the South Alabama Jaguars, the Kent State Golden Flashes owned a 33-0 lead. The KSU offense clicked for the first time this season, and the defense was playing to the level they were at last season.
By the game’s final play, Kent State saw the visitors score 25 unanswered points and come within one play of squandering a seemingly insurmountable advantage. Fortunately for frenzied Flashes fans, KSU held on for a 33-25 victory at Dix Stadium to give head coach Darrell Hazell his first win as a collegiate head coach.
“It was a good first win for us.” Hazell said after the game. “Winning is a hard thing to do in college football. It doesn’t matter what team you are or what conference you are in. Winning is tough.”
Kent State (1-3) picked up its first non-conference victory since the 2010 season opener when it defeated Murray State 41-10. South Alabama (2-2), who is a school in transition to the FBS, suffered its second consecutive loss after winning the first 19 games of the program’s existence, beginning in 2009.
“I didn’t think we were ready to play early,” Jaguars head coach Joey Jones said afterward. “The field position was horrible in the first half, and turnoversand all of the things we talked about we could not do, had happened.”
Coming into the game, KSU’s offense was near the statistically bottom of Football Bowl Subdivision scoring with just 19 total points and an average of just 158 yards of total offense. In the first half, on a day that was perfect for football, the offense looked totally different as the Flashes scored points on five consecutive possessions.
Kent State’s second possession of the game started at mid-field after a short USA punt,. Aided by a roughing the kicker penalty, they scored just their second first quarter touchdown, (and first rushing TD) of the season when freshman running back Anthony Meray went around the right side and into the end zone for a 7-0 lead.
After holding the Jaguars to a three-and-out, the Flashes regained possession on their own 29-yard line and moved the ball to the USA 23, where they drive stalled. Junior place kicker Freddy Cortez connected on a 39-yard field goal to increase the Kent State lead to 10-0.
The KSU defense then came up with a big play as sophomore safety Luke Wollett intercepted a C.J. Bennett pass and set the KSU offense up at the USA 42 yard line. From there it took seven plays to make the register a second touchdown. Junior quarterback Spencer Keith was flushed out of the passing pocket by the Jaguars pass rush, moved to the right and reached the pylon on the near sideline for the touchdown to make the score 16-0 with Cortez’s extra-point try was blocked.
Keith did not have a great game statistically, completing just 10-of-19 passes for 94 yards while rushing for 20 and that score. However, he did not throw an interception for the first time this season.
After another three-and-out, the Flashes got the ball back on their own 31 and moved to the USA 18, where the defense stiffened. Cortez came on to kick his second field goal, this one a 35-yarder that made it 19-0.
On the Jaguars next possession, Bennett threw his second interception, a pick to senior cornerback Norman Wolfe, who returned the ball to the USA 28. It took the Flashes offense one play to score a touchdown. Meray found a hole off the left side and made it into the end zone for his second score of the game and the Flashes went into halftime with a dominating 26-0 lead.
Statistically over the first 30 minutes. Kent State scored as many points (26) as they had in the first three games total (19). The offense totaled 198 total yards. Converted 7-of-11 third down situations, scored on five consecutive possessions, and was a perfect three-for-three inside the USA red zone. The defense held the Jaguars to just 44 total yards while recording two interceptions and five three-and-outs.
“Execution was what coach Hazell preached to us all week.” Meray said. “We just had to make plays, and we did. From the USA perspective, “The first half was a comedy of errors.” Jones said.
The third quarter began with another Kent State turnover -- this one a fumble as running back Kendall Houston was hit. The ball popped out into the air and recovered by redshirt freshman safety Calvin Tiggle, who returned it to the South Alabama 11. Two plays later, Keith found junior wide receiver Tyshon Goode on a slant pattern to make the score 33-0.
But as countless coaches have forever preached, the game is 60 minutes long, and South Alabama proceeded to seize momentum over the remaining time.
“In the second half, we came back and played our football.” Jones said. “We played a good second half but came up just a little short.”
The Jaguars moved the ball consistently for the first time in the game, and put together a five-play 60-yard drive ending with red-shirt freshman running back Demetre Baker finding the end zone from two-yards out to make the score 33-7
They got the ball right back as on the third play of KSU’s next possession as Keith completed a pass to fifth-year senior wide out Sam Kirkland, who fumbled. Linebacker Ken Barefield recovered at the KSU 42.
A quick 21-yard completion by Bennett to senior tight end Kevin Helms put the ball on the Flashes 11 and later to the eight, where the drive ended with place kicker Jordan Means making a 25-yard field goal to make the score 33-10.
The momentum was shifting to the visitors from the Gulf Coast, and it would continue as after their defense force three-and-out. After taking possession at their own 29, the Jaguars used a 61-yard completion by Bennett to wide receiver Bryant Lavender to reach the Kent State 10. Three plays later, Bennett found red-shirt freshman wide out Jereme Jones on a fade pattern from nine-yards out to make it 33-17 going into the fourth quarter.
When South Alabama gained possession of the ball again early in the fourth, it moved the ball from to the Kent State five, where they faced a fourth down. Rather than taking a field goal, Jones decided to keep his offense on the field and go for the touchdown. Bennett looked for Jones, but fourth-year junior defensive back Sidney Saulter broke up the pass to end the drive.
The Jags still wouldn’t give up and their defense came up with another three-and-out to give the offense ball on the Kent State 48. Bennett again used the big play, a 43-yard completion to sophomore wide receiver Corey Waldon, to get the ball back at the KSU five. This time the Jaguars did score a touchdown as Baker went up the middle from two-yards out for his second score. Jones decided to go for two and converted when Bennett found Helms to make it 33-25.
The KSU defense, which was so good in the first half, came up with its biggest play of the second half with less than three minutes remaining when Wollett intercepted Bennett for the second time. Many in the stands felt the game was safely in the Kent State win column, but the visitors persevered.
Kent State’s offense could not run out the clock, and USA had one final chance with 29 seconds remaining. They reached their own 43 when, on the final play, Bennett scrambled around and threw as far as he could. The pass was caught by sophomore Corey Besteda, but with no teammates near him to lateral the ball to, he ran toward the sideline where he was tackled at the Kent State 23 and the game ended.
“I’m real proud of the way the team came back,” Jones said. “Most teams beat themselves and I keep preaching that, we just have to make sure we avoid doing that.”
Bennett, a transfer from Alabama-Birmingham, completed 14-of-36 passes in the game for 261 yards and a touchdown, going 9-for-18 in the second half for 233 yards. He also led the Jaguars in rushing with 40 yards, many coming off the quarterback draw play.
The second half on the stat sheet was a complete reversal of the first as USA gained 330 yards to KSU’s 83. For the entire game, USA had a 374-281 advantage. However the fumble and the three interceptions proved to be South Alabama’s undoing.
“We did not execute as well as we could in the second half.” Hazell said. “They made some big plays to allow themselves to get back into the game.”
KSU begins MAC play next Saturday as it travels to Athens to face the Ohio Bobcats, who are 3-1 after losing for the first time this season at Rutgers.
EVAN’S GAMERS:
OFFENSE: KSU RUNNING GAME-True freshmen Traylon Durham (72 yards) and Anthony Meray (64-two touchdowns) combined for 136 yards and two scores by far the best rushing attack in four games for Kent State.
DEFENSE: LUKE WOLLETT-KENT STATE. The sophomore safety from Poland, Ohio had eight total tackles (three solo), assisted on a tackle for a loss, and two interceptions. The first set up QB Spencer Keith’s 15-yard touchdown run with the second coming late in the fourth quarter, just about ending South Alabama’s comeback
SPECIAL TEAMS: FREDDY CORTEZ-KENT STATE. The junior from Fort Meade, Florida extended his consecutive PAT streak to 50 in the game before ending in the second quarter. He added two field goals as KSU built that 33-0 lead
NOTES: The game was the first ever meeting between the two schools…They will meet three times over a four-year period and will next meet in Mobile in 2013…South Alabama is transitioning the next two seasons before entering the FBS going into the Sun Belt Conference, where they compete in their other Division I sports…Luke Wollett-KSU his first career multi-interception game (seven in his career)…Anthony Meray-KSU scored his first two collegiate touchdowns…Tyshon Goode-KSU has caught at least one pass in 23 of his last 24 games…The game was South Alabama’s second against FBS competition (last week losing at North Carolina State 35-13
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