 KENT STATE 28, EASTERN MICHIGAN 22 Junior quarterback Spencer Keith connected with junior wide receiver Tyshon Goode on a 70-yard touchdown pass with 6:40 remaining in the fourth quarter to give Kent State (5-6, 4-3 MAC) its fourth consecutive win since 2004.
“It was a great win for our program.” KSU head coach Darrell Hazell said after the game. “Our team showed tremendous character. Games like this are program changers. You find a way to win a game like this, it can change your program forever.”
Eastern Michigan (6-5, 4-3 MAC) lost for the second time in the last three games as they had a chance to become bowl eligible for the first time since 1995.
“”We made too many mistakes to win the game.” EMU head man Ron English said afterwards. “We fumbled the ball, had untimely penalties. We play in six days (Friday at Northern Illinois) so we will be ready in six days.”
The back-and-forth affair was a game of defense (neither team gained 300 total yards). It was also a game of opportunities; KSU made the most of theirs, and EMU did not, along with four Eagles turnovers.
The visitors from Ypsilanti struck after a turnover on the game’s first possession. When Keith went back to pass and was hit from behind, the fumble was recovered by Eagles senior nose tackle Brandon Slater on the KSU 19. After the Golden Flashes defense stopped EMU stone cold on three plays sophomore PK Kody Fulkerson made good on a 27-yard field goal to give the Eagles a 3-0 lead.
Eastern Michigan got the ball back after a three-and-out, moving the ball in nine plays from their own 36 to the KSU 23 before the drive stalled. Fulkerson came on for a second field goal, this from 44-yards, extending the EMU lead to 6-0.
The EMU defense forced the Flashes to punt on their third possession, when the Eagles special teams came up with a big play. Junior L’Shane Bynum blocked senior Matt Rinehart’s punt and linebacker Marcus English recovered at the KSU 32.
From there, it took one play for the Eagles to score as sophomore running back Javonti Greene swept to the outside and down the sidelines for a touchdown and a 13-0 lead.
The Flashes started moving the ball for the first time early in the second quarter as they fashioned a 10-play 52-yard drive that reached the EMU end zone as freshman running back Trayion Durham ended the drive with a one-yard run off the left side to make the score 13-7. Durham was held in check by the EMU defense all day, finishing with 52 yards on 18 carries after collecting his first career 100-yard game last week in the 35-3 win at Akron.
There were two key plays on the drive, both coming on third down. The first was a pass interference penalty. The second came from the EMU 28 when Keith found Goode over the middle. He then got to the sideline for 27 yards down to the one, and Durham scoring on the next play.
One of the biggest plays in the game came on KSU’s next possession. The offense moved the ball from its own 34 to the EMU 29, when the drive stalled. Junior PK Freddy Cortez came on to attempt a 46-yard field goal, but it was blocked by Slater. The ball moved forward, bouncing down to the EMU three where one of the Eagles players surprisingly touched the ball. Senior WR Chris Gilbert, the holder on Cortez’s field goals and extra point attempts, alertly pounced on the live ball and the Flashes retained possession.
“For some reason I had an instinct to go for it.” Gilbert said. “I think I saw number two (Lattaruius Thomas) running after it. Their whole team was saying ‘don’t touch it, don’t touch it. I was just making sure they did not get a return off of it. I was just hustling for the ball.”
On the next play, Keith on a bootleg, rolled to the right for the touchdown that gave KSU a 14-13 lead at halftime. It was one example of maximized opportunities by the Flashes. KSU converted with a touchdown on theirs, while EMU, early in the first quarter, had to settle for three points instead of seven.
At the start of the third quarter, both defenses forced a three-and-out. After KSU was stopped, Rinehart punted the ball 63 yards, where freshman Demaruis Reed picked it up at his own 17. Reed got two blocks and raced down the sideline 83 yards for a touchdown. There was a penalty marker on the field, but the foul was against Kent State. EMU had a touchdown and a 19-14 lead. A holding penalty on the made extra point, forced Fulkerson to attempt from 10-yards back, and he missed. Another missed opportunity by the Eagles.
For the remainder of the period, KSU took advantage of a 12-mile an hour wind as they made a pair of field goals to regain the lead 20-19.
The first came after the offense stalled on the possession after the punt return score, Rinehart’s 60-yard punt was fielded by Reed at his own eight, where he was stripped of the ball. Fifth-year senior Marcus Burton recovered at the EMU 27. Three plays moved the ball to the 18, where the defense stiffened and Cortez came on to make a 35-yard field goal.
The second field goal came after the defense forced a three-an-out. KSU gained possession after a wind-shortened punt at their own 44 yard line. From there, they moved the ball to the EMU 32, where again the defense stopped them. Cortez came on for a 49-yarder and made it. It was a career high for Cortez, who had his previous career best 46-yards.
Following the second field goal, the Eagles offense started moving the ball for the first time in the second half. Using a running game that was third in the MAC and among the best in the Football Bowl Subdivision, they gained possession on their own 27. As the drive continued into the fourth, the drive stalled at the KSU 22, where Fulkerson gave the lead back to EMU with a 40-yard field goal his third of the game.
Coming into the game, EMU’s running game had averaged 229.3 yards per contest. Saturday they ran for 194 yards, led by fourth-year junior Dominique Sherrer who had a career best 136 yards on 24 carries. His previous best was 120 in their season opening win over Howard.
After an exchange of punts, KSU gained possession on their own four-yard line after a fine punt by junior Jay Karutz. On the third play of the drive, Keith and Goode connected with the big play to give KSU the lead for good. From the KSU 30, Goode had a step on junior DB Marcus Rose. Keith found him with a perfect pass in stride for the touchdown.
Keith completed only 11-of-25 passes for 173 yards and the touchdown, but he did not throw an interception for the fourth consecutive game. While Keith missed on several long passes earlier, when his team needed it, he found the range and Goode did all the rest.
“In the huddle, my play was called. I knew I was getting the ball. Spencer made a great throw, I ran under it and the rest was history.” Goode said.
On the conversion, Hazell decided to go for two points rather than one. If converted, it would have forced EMU to score a touchdown to tie and a converted extra point to take the lead. It paid off as Keith found Goode all alone to make the score 28-22.
One play that did not show in the line score was turned in by Jacquise Terry. Starting at the KSU five, the senior running back got to the outside and gained 25 yards to the 30. Terry has had a bit of a revival in his final game in the Blue and Gold as he led the team with 53 yards rushing and has 204 yards over the last four games.
Following the score, EMU took the ball at its own 22 after the kickoff. With time of the essence, Gillett mixed up the pass and the run. A key play was a 23-yard completion to junior tight end Garrett Hoskins, his longest of the game.
Eastern faced a critical situation on fourth down from the KSU 24, but Sherrer moved the pile of bodies for two yards and a first down to keep the drive alive. The drive reached the KSU 17, where Gillett was sacked by sophomore tackle Roosevelt Nix. On the next play from the 19, Gillett ‘s pass in the end zone, was tipped by Hoskins, and into the hands of senior cornerback Sidney Saulter -- the fourth turnover by the Eagles in the game.
“The play was a corner route to the end zone, I was just happy to be in the right place at the right time.” Saulter said.
The Flashes could not get a first down on the ensuing possession to run the clock out and had to punt.
EMU had one final chance as a short Rinehart punt gave them the ball on their own 46 with 39 seconds remaining. Gillett completed a pass to wide receiver Nick Olds, who then moved the ball forward with an illegal pass. Along with the five-yard penalty there was a loss of down and 10 seconds taken off the clock, leaving EMU with just nine seconds..
On the final play of the game from midfield, Gillett rolled to the left and let it fly into the end zone, the pass was incomplete and KSU had the victory, its third straight and fourth in the last five against the Eagles.
Gillett finished the game completing 8-of-16 passes for 84 yards and registered just 15 yards rushing on 13 carries. Coming into the game, Gillett led EMU in rushing with 654 yards including a 126-yard effort in their loss to Ball State on November 5th.
Before the game, KSU honored 20 seniors who were playing their last home game. Hazell, who took over in January from Doug Martin, praised them afterwards saying “I am so proud of our seniors. They were the glue to this football team when things weren’t so good five weeks ago. I am very proud of these guys.”
Kent State has a chance for its first six-win season since 2006 as the Flashes travel to Temple to face the Owls on Friday. Eastern Michigan still has a chance for bowl eligibility, but it needs to win at Northern Illinois on Friday, with the Huskies having a chance to win the MAC Western Division and face Ohio in the Marathon MAC Championship Game on December 2nd in Detroit.
GAMERS
OFFENSE: TYSHON GOODE-KENT STATE. The junior wide receiver from Syracuse, New York had five catches for 129 yards and the 70-yard score in the fourth quarter. After being an almost forgotten man in the offense for much of the season. Over the last four games, Goode has resurfaced with 16 receptions for 250 yards.
DEFENSE: THE KENT STATE SECONDARY. The group is led by three seniors. Cornerback Josh Pleasant who had 10 tackles in the game. In addition, Sidney Saulter had the big fourth quarter interception in the end zone, and Norman Wolfe who had a first quarter pick ending another EMU drive
SPECIAL TEAMS: DEMARIUS REED-EASTERN MICHIGAN. The true freshman from Chicago had four punt returns for 107 yards including the 83-yarder for a touchdown in the third quarter that gave the regained the lead for the Eagles 19-14. The return was the first for a touchdown this season for EMU
NOTES
The game was the 19th lifetime in the series, with KSU leading 16-13 after winning three straight and four of the last five (last EMU win in the series was 2005 at Rynearson Stadium 27-20)…KSU is 3-0 in the month of November for the first time since 1976 and finished their home schedule at 4-2 their second straight winning season at Dix Stadium for the first time since 1987-88…KSU is 5-0 this season and 9-1 overall when QB Spencer Keith does not throw an interception…Tyson Goode-KSU moved into fifth place on the all-time receiving yards list with his 129 yard effort against EMU…The 95-yard drive was the longest by the KSU offense this season (92 vs Central Michigan on November 4th) and the 70-yard pass play was t he second longest offensive play of the season (85-yard TD pass by Keith toe Matt Hurdle vs CMU)…Trayion Durham-KSU has four touchdowns in the last four games after failing to score in the first seven…The loss drops Eastern Michigan to 1-4 on the road this season…The 278 yards by EMU was their lowest offensively since 227 at Toledo October 1st and the fourth time this season the KSU defense has allowed less than 300 yards…KSU head coach Darrell Hazell is 1-0 lifetime against EMU and head coach Ron English who is 0-2 lifetime against Kent State…KSU head coach Darrell Hazell is tied for second among first year head coaches at the school in wins with five (Doug Martin-2004,Dick Crum-1988,Glen Mason-1986) only Trevor Rees has more among first year head coaches at KSU with 6 in 1946.
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