How is it that a team with players like defensive linemen Danny Muir and Colin Ferrell, corners Jack Williams and Usama Young, and a receiver in Najah Pruden can be so, so, so bad?
Kent State has never set the MAC world on fire with only one winning season since 1987, but it wasn't brutally awful during the days when Josh Cribbs was at quarterback. Then Cribbs left, the coaching staff realized they didn't recruit enough decent running backs, and the ground game ended up averaging 45.9 yards per game as the Golden Flashes went 1-10 with the lone victory coming over SE Missouri State. There was the indignity of losing to Ohio, and the nadir with a 10-6 home loss to Buffalo.
Things should be on the upswing with the help of speedy new running backs Tony Howard and Eugene Jarvis, an experienced group of receivers and big Michael Machen throwing it, one of the league's best secondaries, and Muir and Ferrell up front.
So why does it seem like things are going to go horribly wrong yet again?
After averaging eight points per game over the final five games, it's hard to believe the machine will instantly turn on. Even with the newcomers, the running game still has to prove it can move the ball, Machen has to prove he isn't a multi-interception game waiting to happen, and the linebacking corps needs time to jell. There might be talent to build around, but it didn't seem to matter last season.
Even with all the concerns, KSU plays in the MAC East, by far the easier of the two divisions with games against Ohio and Buffalo to offset the big boys like Bowling Green, Miami, and Akron. Finishing third in the division is very possible, and if all the pieces come together, this might be the team that makes college football's biggest turnaround in the win column.
The Schedule: Four of the first five games are on the road with the lone home date in the opener against Minnesota. However, the last game in the four is at Temple to start another interesting four-game stretch with Ohio coming to Dix Stadium and a trip to Buffalo to close it out. Eastern Michigan has to come to Kent before the season finale at Ball State. In other words, outside of games against the Gophers and at Virginia Tech, things aren't all that bad.
What you need to know on offense ... The one dimensional attack should be more diverse as speedy new backs Eugene Jarvis and Tony Howard should do wonders for a ground game that averaged a nation-worst 45.9 yards per game. Even with the night-and-day improvement in the backfield, it'll be hard not to wing it around with big bomber Michael Machen back at the helm for the second straight season and with a deep and talented group of receivers to work with. The line should be better if everyone can stay healthy and tackle Augustus Parrish and center Josh Perry blossom into the stars they appeared to be this spring.
Best Offensive Player: Senior WR Najah Pruden. He's a 60-yard bomb waiting to happen, but the 6-3 speedster also has to be more of a steady target. He's the team's best receiver with game-breaking ability and has to make more big plays to open things up for the rest of the receivers.
What you need to know on defense ... The experience is there, now it has to produce more than just a ton of tackles for loss. The line has two of the MAC's best all-around players in Danny Muir, who'll move from tackle to end, and Colin Ferrell, while corners Jack Williams and Usama Young could grow into the league's top tandem. The secondary has depth to burn, so the concern is up front where the front seven, in some alignment of a 3-4 or 4-3 depending on where it uses a Buck end, has to be better against the run after finishing last in the league allowing 203 yards per game. The linebacking corps will need time with three sophomores occupying the starting jobs.
Best Defensive Player: Senior DE Danny Muir. He bulked up to 285 pounds and has grown into a whale of an all-around lineman. He's able to play tackle and be among the best in the MAC, and now he'll move to the end where he'll hopefully grow into even more of a pass rusher.
Key player to a successful season: Redshirt freshman RB Eugene Jarvis and sophomore RB Tony Howard. How bad was the Kent State running game? It didn't just finish dead last in the nation, the second worst team, Ole Miss, averaged 27 yards a game more than the Golden Flashes. The 5-5 Jarvis and Howard, a Michigan State transfer, must use their speed to balance out the offense.
The season will be a success if ... Kent State wins five games. There's enough experience to expect a good year, and there's no reason not to get five wins when the schedule has at Army, at Temple, Ohio, at Buffalo, Eastern Michigan and at Ball State.
Key game: September 9th at Miami University. The RedHawks are much better, but this is an important MAC East game to see how the Golden Flashes stack up with the best in the league. There will be such a thing as a good loss if this is kept close before going to Bowling Green.
2005 Fun Stats:
- Yards per carry: Opponents 4.2 - Kent State 1.8
- Time of possession: Opponents 34:11 - Kent State 25:47
- Opening day attendance at Michigan State: 73,949 - Attendance at the five Kent State home games: 33,292
