2008 Kent State Golden Flashes Preview

After a promising 3–2 start that included a victory at Iowa State, Kent State folded, dropping its final seven games due in large part to injuries at the quarterback position. There were, however, some positives for Doug Martin and his staff. The Golden Flashes found a quality backup quarterback and developed a solid nucleus to build around this fall. Despite last season’s struggles, Kent State enters the 2008 campaign with realistic hopes that it can be a factor in the MAC East race. “Last year’s record was not indicative of the talent on this team,” Martin says.

Two Minute Drill

A Quick Look at the Golden Flashes

Kent State proved last year to be a team that has yet to learn how to deal with success. Perhaps that is why this program has only had two winning seasons since 1977. Coming off a .500 season in 2006, Kent State was picked by most to finish first or second in the MAC East, but the Golden Flashes plummeted back to their familiar position of last place. Much of that had to due with the injuries at quarterback. This year, Kent State will not be ‘the hunted’ but will go back to being ‘the hunter.’ The offensive line and running backs are as good as any in the conference, but questions remain at quarterback — can Julian Edelman stay healthy? — and with the receiving corps — can this struggling unit produce? Last season, the Flashes ranked last in the MAC and 111th in the nation in passing, averaging only 166.4 yards per game. Defensively, Kent State should be among the best in the MAC, especially at linebacker. A solid group of incoming recruits should help the secondary improve. There is finally stability with the placekicking position. Considering that this team lost four MAC games by a touchdown each, Kent State is not that far off from being a factor in the MAC East.

Quarterbacks

After a solid 2006 season, Julian Edelman figured to be one of the top quarterbacks in the MAC last fall. He led the Golden Flashes to a season-opening win at Iowa State but was injured in a Week 2 loss at Kentucky. He managed to play in the next six games but was never really the same player. Giorgio Morgan stepped in and played well, highlighted by a 247-yard effort in a close loss to eventual MAC champ Central Michigan. But he, too, went down with an injury. In all, Kent State used four quarterbacks during the 2007 season. This fall, Edelman and Morgan are both healthy, making the quarterback a position of strength for the Golden Flashes.

Running backs

Playing in an offense that struggled much of the season, the diminutive (5'5") Eugene Jarvis managed to rush for 1,669 yards (fifth-most in the nation) on a 6.0-yard average. His rushing total alone accounted for just under 40 percent of the entire offensive production. Jarvis rushed for at least 100 yards in nine of Kent State’s 12 games and averaged 122 yards against the Flashes’ two BCS conference opponents. Andre Flowers, who rushed for 279 yards last year, is the No. 2 tailback.

Receivers

The weak link in the offense is the receiving corps. Kent State ranked last in the MAC and 111th nationally in passing offense. Some of that was due to the lack of stability at quarterback, but the receivers must share in the blame as well. The coaching staff worked extensively in the spring to find a way to get more production from this group. Phil Garner was the leading receiver last year, but he totaled only 27 receptions. The big change is Jameson Konz’s move from defensive end to his natural position of tight end.

Offensive linemen

Despite the team’s offensive struggles last fall, the offensive line does feature some solid players. Augustus Parrish earned second-team all-conference honors and is a legitimate NFL prospect. Center Josh Perry also has a chance for all-conference honors. Junior college transfer Mike Roder looks to anchor one of the guard spots, while redshirt freshman Michael Fay impressed the staff during the spring.

Defensive linemen

The defensive line did not live up to expectations last year and “kind of fell off,” according to Martin. While still playing a 3-4 scheme, Kent State will be making some adjustments in order to become less predictable. Sam Frist and Prishod Koonce are mainstays at nosetackle, and David Filippi and Darrius Carter give the Flashes a pair of veteran ends. A player to keep an eye on is tackle Ishmaa’ily Kitchen, who will give Kent State one of the biggest bodies (6'3", 316)?in the MAC.

Linebackers

Derek Burrell returns to anchor the linebacking corps after leading the Flashes with 112 tackles en route to earning third-team All-MAC honors. Kevin Hogan is an emerging playmaker; he ranked second on the team with 10 tackles for a loss in 2007. Cedrick Maxwell, Stevon Moss and Anthony Mirando are also proven veterans.  Newcomer Cobrani Mixon, a transfer from Michigan, also figures to be a factor. “This group has a chance to be really good,” says Martin.

Defensive backs

Kent State ranked 10th in the country in pass defense in 2006 and gave up only eight passing touchdowns. Those numbers dipped last year; the Flashes slipped to 60th in pass defense and gave up 19 touchdown passes. Kent State also tied for 99th in the nation with only nine interceptions. Kirk Belgrave, Danny Sadler and Rico Murray have all logged significant action at cornerback, but this group will have to make more plays this fall. Some touted incoming freshmen  — Josh Pleasant, Jharron Armstrong and Leon Green — will contend for playing time right away.

Specialists

The Flashes have been haunted by a dreadful kicking game through the years, but they finally found a dependable placekicker in Nate Reed. He converted 18-of-24 field goal attempts last season with a long of 52 yards. However, punter Jake Kilroy averaged only 36.6 yards on his 57 attempts.

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