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03-13-2010, 11:13 AM
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#101 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Postseason 2007
Our final grades are in, and we didn't do so well this year: Code:
I guess dropping from 8-3 to 6-5 would cause your Performance rating to drop...but all the way to 22? Sheesh. I'm not sure exactly how that score is derived; same with TV Revenue. Our overall score is, by far, the worst of my four years at KSU. I hope that's not a sign that my job could be in jeopardy. Looks like I might need a big 2008. Well, here goes... |
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03-13-2010, 03:36 PM
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#102 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Preseason 2008
Here is our 2008 schedule. Home games are listed in ALL CAPS. Mid-American Conference games are highlighted in blue. Code:
Our non-conference schedule contains three challenging games. A win at West Virginia would be huge, and Dayton and Duke will both provide us with strong tests at home. If we're 2-1 going into the Toledo game, I'll be pleased. On the other hand, it's possible that we could be 0-3. By the time our MAC season begins, we'll know if Toledo will be as good as their preseason ranking indicates. If they are, we'll have our hands full. We know Central Florida will bring their A game; they always do. Then, we have another pair of home games against talented opponents. Again, we could emerge from that four-game stretch with four losses, or possibly three or four wins. On paper, the games at Buffalo and at home against Ohio two of the three easiest games on our schedule. Right now, the Ohio game is the one I would predict most confidently that we'll win. However, I'm still 0-4 against the Bobcats in my career, so I can't be TOO confident. Then we have the trip to Marshall, which I hope has championship implications. However, my teams have never beaten the Thundering Herd, so I sure can't count on a victory in that one. We close the season at home against Akron, the only team we've beaten four times in my KSU career. These predictions are really shots in the dark this year. We're bringing almost everyone back this year, so we should be good, but so are the teams on our schedule. Optimistic prediction: We go undefeated at home, upset either UCF or Marshall on the road, and finish 9-2, 7-1 in the MAC. We then win the MAC championship game and secure our first 10-win season. Pessimistic prediction: We win only one of our three non-conference games, drop our first two MAC road games, and only defend our house against one of the next two opponents. Then we right the ship somewhat, even though we get ripped at Marshall, and finish 4-7, with a 3-5 MAC record. |
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03-15-2010, 10:47 AM
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#103 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Preseason 2008
Let's meet the 2008 Kent State offense. Here are the starters and key reserves; you'll recognize most of the names, because last year's team didn't feature many seniors. Code:
Scribner hasn't been a model of consistency, but when he's Freon Deon, he's certainly good enough to help us win. We might let him run the ball a little more this year. Sheehan is waiting in the wings. Believe it or not, Kooistra has to work to keep his job; look at Monroe's upside and you'll see why. Plus, Lesch is pretty darn good, too. Gillespie, who's a good guy and a hard worker, will get a few touches. O'Neill's blocking gives him lots of value at fullback. Flynn is a monster at TE, and we'll find a way to get the ball to him more often. Guidry is a valuable player as well. We've had really lousy luck keeping WRs healthy, which means we've never had a chance to see what ANY of these guys would do over a full season. Kinney's huge potential gives him a very narrow edge over Cunningham at center. Colin's lackluster play in '07 made the decision easier. Gourdine is a two-time All-MAC first teamer at guard, and Piper might be even better. Needless to say, I'm going to keep tabs on the senior players at Seneca East High School from now on. Blackburn, oddly enough, has almost no endurance (2), but otherwise, he's progressing well. Boggs is a tough kid who will be just fine. I really like Calixto, who bleeds Kent State blue. Godfrey doesn't miss many meals; he's the biggest dude on an O-line that features a bunch of 300-pounders. I'd be surprised if the KSU offense isn't much more electric than it was last year. Last edited by Big Six : 03-15-2010 at 10:49 AM. |
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03-15-2010, 11:42 AM
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#104 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Preseason 2008
Now, let's look at the Kent State defense. We're switching to a base 3-4 defense this year, and we're anxious to see how well the change will play out. Here are the starters and key reserves: Code:
I'd love to be able to redshirt blue-chipper Rockwood, but Leon McWilliams' inability to pass his classes ruined that plan. The King of Leon will sit out a year while he gets his academic house in order. Cristal has been solid, and Heller, a gritty walkon, will back up both ends. Caskey, whose appetite rivals that of Roosevelt Godfrey, provides a massive presence at nose tackle. It's a shame Bowen basically lost a full season to injury. I'm sure it held back his development; he's still a very good player, but he might have been more than that. Merrill, on the other side, is good against the run and in zone coverage. Hopkins looks to build on a successful freshman campaign, and Miller's bars indicate he should be a force, if not this year, then soon. The reserve 'backers can all play, making the linebacking corps perhaps the deepest and most skilled unit on the team. Castillo is poised for another superlative year, and could end his KSU career as a three-time first team All-American. Pierce has developed into a shutdown corner. Clark, Horton, and Nobles give us three more decent corners. Nobles, in particular, plays above his scouted level. Farr has a body like Kirby Puckett's, and hits like him, too. Sawyer is one of the nation's better punting specialists. I forgot to mention Dwight Ashworth, our kicker, in my feature about the offense. He's hoping to recover from an injury that cost him most of last season. The linebacking corps looks good, and Castillo is the kind of player whom opposing teams must account for on every down. With AC leading the way, we have the makings of a fine defensive unit. Last edited by Big Six : 03-15-2010 at 11:42 AM. |
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03-16-2010, 08:05 AM
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#105 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Week 1, 2008
#63 Kent State at #34 West Virginia TV3 Code:
Before a larger audience than any to watch Kent State football in my four-plus years here--both live and on TV--we pulled off the biggest victory we've achieved together. It took four full quarters and five overtime rounds, but we made a great defensive stand and gave Dwight Ashworth the opportunity to kick the short field goal that sewed up a 50-47 victory over the West Virginia Mountaineers. We nearly won the game in regulation, taking a 28-14 lead into the fourth quarter. Deon Scribner threw two TD passes, one a thrilling 78-yarder to Jackie Bosworth. Neil Farr picked off a pass and raced 98 yards to paydirt. But, as good teams will do, especially at home, West Virginia rose to the challenge and tied the game. Quarterback Clyde Poteet, who's as tough as the West Virginia hills, engineered two magnificent scoring drives. Through the first four overtime rounds, we traded scores with the Mountaineers--field goal for field goal, touchdown for touchdown. Then, in the fifth round, West Virginia took the ball and advanced it to our 11-yard line. On third and five, DE Quinn Cristal broke through and sacked Poteet for a six-yard loss. We pressured kicker Austin Wescott, and his 34-yard field goal attempt sailed wide left. We took possession, and Scribner completed a pass to TE Rusty Flynn for 17 yards as the crowd roared. The WVU defense then braced itself and stopped Scribner and Blaine Kooistra at the line of scrimmage on successive plays, and then Scribner threw incomplete. On fourth down, I sent Ashworth out to kick a field goal, and his 25-yarder split the uprights. We expected West Virginia to play tough defense against the run, and they did. Kooistra gained 55 yards on 21 carries, and Ralph Monroe added 23 more in 13 attempts. Our defense played a little than the score indicates. Adrian Castillo, as usual, led the way with 17 tackles, but he got outstanding support from linebackers Neal Hopkins (15 tackles, one sack). Ross Bowen (14 tackles), and Frank Miller (12 tackles in his first collegiate game.) However, the day belonged to senior QB Freon Deon Scribner, who played the best game of his collegiate career. He completed 19 of 27 passes for 357 yards and three scores. Recruiting Update We made our initial recruiting contacts this week. Our prime target is DE Drew Doyle, a Pennsylvania kid who is the #9 player in the nation. I figured if we landed Frank Miller, we had a shot at anyone. (He's a blue recruit, so it's not THAT much of a stretch.) We're also looking at another DE, Tommie Wilcox, an in-state player whose national reputation isn't as good, but whom we think might be every bit as good as Doyle. Kent State's record: 1-0. |
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03-16-2010, 01:53 PM
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#106 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Week 2, 2008
Bye week. We continued our recruiting efforts, concentrating largely on targets in our home state of Ohio. It's a little too early to get visit requests, though. We're preparing for our home opener against Duke, still riding the momentum of our big win at West Virginia. |
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03-17-2010, 01:01 AM
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#107 |
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College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Osaka, Japan via Honolulu, Hawaii via Birmingham, Alabama
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Wow, what an overtime!
__________________
U of Hawaii | U of Alabama | Montreal Impact | Montreal Canadiens | West Ham | West Indies cricket | Portland Trail Blazers |
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03-17-2010, 08:03 AM
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#108 | |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Quote:
You aren't kidding! I thought it might be over when WVU's running back, Glenn Zgonina, took the ball on the first play of the fourth overtime and ran it straight into the end zone. Then our defense stopped the conversion attempt and kept us alive, and we made that huge stop and forced the field goal in the next round. I hope this victory sets the tone for the whole season.  Thanks for the comment, bbgunn. |
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03-17-2010, 10:17 AM
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#109 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Week 3, 2008
#72 Duke (1-1) at #20 Kent State (1-0) TV5 Code:
At one point, it looked like we might be playing our second consecutive overtime game. Then, we got a huge, huge play from our punt team, and we pulled out a thrilling victory before a big Dix Stadium crowd. With 52 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, the score was tied at 17. We faced fourth-and-4 from our own 43. Duke's Michael Hammons fielded Pat Sawyer's punt, took three steps, and was blasted by Jerald Kinney. The ball popped loose, Jeff O'Neill scooped it up, and he raced 22 yards for the game-winning score. We were lucky, because Duke had outplayed us all day long. Our running game wasn't nearly as sharp as it had been against West Virginia, for one thing. Blaine Kooistra scored a touchdown on a one-yard plunge but, unfortunately, most of his 20 other carries didn't yield much more yardage. Blaine finished the day with 31 yards rushing. Meanwhile, Ralph Monroe carried seven times for 55 yards. We'll definitely let Ralph have a few more touches next week against Dayton. Neal Hopkins' 13 tackles, interception, and sack earned him MVP honors, but Adrian Castillo (19 hits) might have easily won the award, too. And Frank Miller, who was in on 17 tackles in the second game of his Kent State career, deserves some props for his performance. We're 2-0, with a tough test against Toledo coming up next week. Recruiting Update Still not much to report here. It's funny; for three straight years now, no players who grew up idolizing the Golden Flashes have been found in the recruit pool, leaving second team guard Kenneth Calixto as the only lifelong KSU fan on our roster. Kent State's record: 2-0. Last edited by Big Six : 03-17-2010 at 10:21 AM. |
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03-18-2010, 07:49 AM
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#110 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Week 4, 2008
#45 Dayton (1-1) at #23 Kent State (2-0) TV3 Code:
We played as well this week--offensively, defensively, and on special teams--as we have since I've been at Kent State. That enabled us to win a decisive victory over a good Dayton team. Ralph Monroe responded well to the challenge of his first collegiate start: 24 carries, 110 yards. Blaine Kooistra bounced back with 72 more in 10 attempts, and Deon Scribner added 45 in 12 rushes. Kenneth Calixto started at guard in place of Conrad Piper, who hyperextended a knee against Duke and wasn't quite ready. Scribner threw three picks, which was really the only thing I would have changed about our offensive performance. When Deon wasn't throwing interceptions, he was hooking up with our wideouts for big gains. Albert Guenther led the team with 102 yards on three catches. Defensively, we were superb. We were able to get lots of guys into the game, so none of our defensive players amassed huge stats, but we held Dayton to 257 yards, 13 first downs, and only seven points. And we got another special teams TD, this time on a kickoff return by Will Pierce. Unfortunately, we've probably seen the last of TE Rusty Flynn for the year. Rusty tore up his knee, and will need surgery. Fortunately, we have a very good player, senior Shaun Guidry, ready to step in. Shaun has been a starter in the past, and we know he'll do a good job. Now we're 3-0, heading into the MAC season and a very tough game against Toledo. I think the computer rankings make us look a little better than we are--I find it tough to believe we're really the 23rd best team in the country--but I know we're good. Recruiting Update We have our initial list of targets fairly complete. As usual, we're going after a lot of the most talented players in Ohio, Indiana, and Pennsylvania, and reaching for a few guys from out of the region whom we believe would be good fits for our program. Nobody has announced his intention to visit yet, but we figure that will start to happen in a couple of weeks. Kent State's record: 3-0. |
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03-18-2010, 08:42 AM
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#111 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Week 5, 2008
#12 Kent State (3-0) at #26 Toledo (2-0) TV4 Code:
I think our offense forgot to make the trip up to Toledo this week. Our defense played very well once again, but our inability to put points on the board hurt us. Toledo shut down our ground game, which had been so productive the week before against Dayton. Neither Ralph Monroe nor Blaine Kooistra could average three yards per carry. With the exception of one 65-yard pass play from Deon Scribner to Albert Guenther, we didn't move the ball effectively through the air, either. We got a huge game out of true freshman DE Max Rockwood, who tied a team record with four sacks. (Don Mok is the other Golden Flash to rack up four sacks in a game; he accomplished the feat against Ball State in 2005.) And our punter, Pat Sawyer, averaged 41.0 yards on five kicks, making our defense's job a little easier. While it was great to go 3-0 in non-conference play, I hate to begin the MAC season with a loss. Hopefully our offense will re-emerge against Central Florida next week. Recruiting Update Still no real news, except for the fact that a quarterback we were recruiting, Andrew Hayes of Calhoun, Georgia, signed with his homestate Dawgs. OK, I admit it. I was recruiting Hayes because Calhoun is just south of the town where I grew up. Gordon Central High, the school Hayes attends, is smaller than mine, so we didn't play them, but I knew plenty of guys who played there. It would have been cool to have signed him. Kent State's record: 3-1, 0-1 in MAC play. |
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03-18-2010, 09:31 AM
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#112 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Week 6, 2008
#29 Kent State (3-1, 0-1) at #35 Central Florida (3-1, 1-0) TV5 Code:
For a quarter, we stood toe to toe with Central Florida and held our own, but a football game is four quarters long. CFU did a better job of responding to that reality, and now we're 0-2 in the conference. When you're outgained 206-22 on the ground, you usually don't win, unless your passing game is especially dynamic. Ours usually isn't, and while Deon Scribner had a very good day at QB (11-17, 231 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT), we don't typically beat teams through the air. Ralph Monroe was our leading rusher with 20 yards on 11 carries. Blaine Kooistra had 12 attempts and gained 14 yards. We're averaging 2.9 yards per carry for the year, and I don't want to see how crappy that stat would be if we take out the Dayton game. We haven't used highly-regarded freshman Ernie Lesch yet, which still gives us the chance to redshirt him...but if Blaine and Ralph don't get it going soon, I might give Ernie an opportunity to see if he can do a better job. We had Conrad Piper back at guard, but we miss Rusty Flynn's blocking ability tat tight end. I'm not calling as many outside runs as I was when Flynn, a steamroller of a blocker, was on the field. When you let your opponents convert 12 of 15 third downs, you allow them to keep the chains moving, and that usually leads to points. Adrian Castillo had a typical Castillo game with 17 tackles, and the linebackers were all active, racking up anywhere between 8 and 12 stops of their own. Max Rockwood was productive, too; he had seven tackles from his defensive end position, and only one was a sack. Central Florida just beat us, plain and simple. I knew they'd be very good--they always are--but after we started 3-0, I let myself believe we might go down there and whip them. Didn't happen. Recruiting News We didn't pursue as many longshots as we did last year, but we did go after a few. Several of them made their decisions this week, and unfortunately, none of them picked us. We lost out on two good cornerbacks. John Coles picked Florida State, which didn't surprise us much. Kenny Henry, from the Cincinnati suburbs, chose Miami of Ohio, and that hurt. We thought we had a good shot at Kenny, and to lose him to a conference rival...we hate that. I'd feel better if a few of our prospects would schedule a visit with us. Many of them have lined up a visit with one or two schools, so we're still in the running. Expect some real activity on this front very soon. Kent State's record: 3-2, 0-2 in MAC play. |
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03-18-2010, 10:39 AM
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#113 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Week 7, 2008
#24 Miami of Ohio (5-0, 2-0) at #51 Kent State (3-2, 0-2) TV5 Code:
There was definitely a big-game feel on campus this week. Our rivalry with Miami has intensified considerably since I've been at Kent State. We are conference rivals; we recruit a lot of the same players; many of our students thought about attending schools there, and vice versa. And, with the Redhawks undefeated and riding high, there seemed to be a sense of urgency surrounding the game. We needed a victory--needed it badly--to get back into the MAC North race. Fortunately, we rediscovered the formula for offensive success that we use when we're playing our best: establish the ground game, and use it to set up timely passes. With Blaine Kooistra nursing a twisted ankle, we relied heavily on Ralph Monroe, and he delivered: 33 carries, 165 yards, and three touchdowns. Kooistra gritted his teeth and contributed 53 more yards on 11 carries. We ran the ball 55 times, gained 227 yards, and controlled the tempo of the game. Conrad Piper, Jerald Kinney, and Seth Gourdine, the heart of our O-line, contributed 17 key run blocks between them, and tackle Brandon Blackburn added three more. We wanted to keep the ball out of the hands of Claude Tetrault, Miami's dangerous quarterback, and we did so very effectively. Tetrault threw three touchdown passes, but by then, we had a good lead, and it didn't matter so much. Recruiting Update There's usually a HUGE explosion of recruiting activity going into Week 8, and this year was no exception. We signed our first recruit this week! He's All-State guard James Hudson, out of Carey, Ohio. A big, strong farm boy, James will probably need a lot of work when he arrives at KSU (his high school's Athletic Prep score is 13), but we think he ought to be a very good player for us before he's through. He visited us and immediately accepted his scholarship offer. We also have visits lined up from no fewer than 14 other players:
Kent State's record: 4-2, 1-2 in MAC play. |
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03-18-2010, 07:12 PM
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#114 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Week 8, 2008
#120 Central Michigan (0-5, 0-3) at #39 Kent State (4-2, 1-2) Code:
It was unseasonably cold this week, but that didn't stop us from doing what we needed to do against a winless Central Michigan team. Ralph Monroe was again the star, gaining 135 yards on 32 carries and keying our victory. Seth Gourdine is playing the way a two-time All-MAC lineman should play (five more KRBs), and is putting himself in position to earn his third straight All-Conference award. Seth is a junior; how cool would it be for him to be an All-MAC first teamer for four years? When Blaine Kooistra fully recovers from his ankle injury, I'll get him more touches than he's had lately. Once our feature back, Blaine is handling his new role as a supporting actor very well. I think of us as having a #1 and a #1-A back when both Ralph and Blaine are hale and hearty. We probably lost WR Jackie Bosworth for the season to a torn Achilles tendon. I have no idea why we lose so many wideouts to injury! Our offensive coordinator, Tim Sampson, is Decent at injury avoidance, and it doesn't seem like we have more injuries than normal at other positions. Jackie has caught 12 passes this year for 269 yards...a sweet 22.4 average. As good as that figure is, it doesn't lead our team. Albert Guenther has 565 receiving yards on 22 catches; that's 25.4 yards per catch. Another fine performance by our defense was keyed by Frank Miller, who made eleven tackles and intercepted a pass. Unfortunately, I had to suspend freshman WR Jack Dunlap for violating team rules. Dunlap is redshirting this year, and it's been my experience that when I crack down on a guy, he often leaves the program (see Roaf, Josh). Dunlap might never see the field for us, and that would be a shame. I hope he sticks around and mends his ways. Recruiting Update We had a really, really lousy week. We went 0-6, losing out on the three defensive players I was most excited about. After I saw the list of schools who made Drew Doyle's final cut, I didn't feel too optimistic and, as I thought he would, he chose Penn State. So did Cornelius Banks, who chose the "real Linebacker U." over our "up-and-coming" version. We also lost out on CB Clyde Westbrook, who's from the same North Carolina high school that produced our Brandon Blackburn. He decided to stay in-state and sign with the Tar Heels. The other fish who got away were QB Percy Langfahl (Texas A&M), DT Ben Ponds (Baylor) and C Trent Voigt (Dayton). Losing Voigt hurts the most in some ways, because he's an in-state player and we lost him to a Buckeye Conference team. Kent State's record: 5-2, 2-2 in MAC play. |
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03-19-2010, 08:41 AM
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#115 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Week 8, 2008
In my frustration over seeing the lousy results of last week's recruiting, I forgot to mention the good news, such as it was. Five more players will be visiting us:
Last edited by Big Six : 03-19-2010 at 08:42 AM. |
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03-19-2010, 10:18 AM
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#116 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Week 9, 2008
#33 Kent State (5-2, 2-2) at #86 Buffalo (2-4, 1-2) Code:
Never underestimate the power of a wide receiver named Jumpy. We somehow managed to lose Jumpy Rathbone, a Buffalo WR who stands 6'4" and weighs 240 pounds, on two plays in the red zone, and we paid for our mistake twice. That, and the marksmanship of their placekicker made the difference in a close loss to the Bulls at their place. We were forced to make a change at quarterback this week. Deon Scribner has a herniated disk in his back, an ailment that might end his season and, since he's a senior, his collegiate career as well. Junior Sheehan, whom we think will be a very good quarterback for us, stepped in for his first KSU start and handled the job well. Buffalo did a very good job of controlling the ball and keeping our defense on the field. It's really hard to score if you don't have the ball, and we didn't have it much this week: only 25 minutes' worth. Ralph Monroe (18 carries, 109 yards) and Blaine Kooistra (6 carries, 39 yards) were productive when they could get their hands on the ball, and Sheehan (7-13, no interceptions) managed the game very well for a guy who hasn't played much. I never like to lose, and I'm sure not happy with the fact that we're 2-3 in the conference now. At the same time, however, there are losses that you look at and say, "OK, we played pretty well. Our opponent simply played a little better." Two or three plays made the difference this week, and it's not like we got the tar beat out of us. Recruiting Update We did get the tar beat out of us recruiting-wise this week...AGAIN. First, the good news. We signed our second this week: safety Johnnie Anderson of Valparaiso, Indiana. I'm excited to land Johnnie. He's a ballhawk who picked off 12 passes as a high school senior. He's also a big, physical safety: 6'1" and 185 pounds already. Johnnie wants to be a dentist one day, and he's been known to loosen a few teeth when he levels a ballcarrier. He's ranked #43 in the nation at his position, and we think he might be better than that. Iowa State was the school that was next-highest on his list. On the other hand, we lost six other guys we'd offered. Worse, we lost TWO more players to Dayton: K Charlie Givens and S Seth Krohn. Signing Anderson makes the loss of Krohn less of a blow (we like Anderson better), and our need for a kicker is less urgent than it could be because Dwight Ashworth is still only a sophomore. Still, I don't like watching Dayton win one recruiting battle after another against us. We learned this week that a very good defensive end, Bert Nelson, will be visiting us. Nelson is the #3 DE in Michigan, and right now, we're in a one-on-one recruiting battle with Miami of Ohio for him. Kent State's record: 5-3, 2-3 in MAC play. |
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03-19-2010, 12:12 PM
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#117 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Week 10, 2008
#90 Ohio (3-4, 3-1) at #45 Kent State (5-3, 2-3) Code:
I was surprised by the magnitude of the pounding we put on Ohio today. They were 3-1 in the league, which put them ahead of us in the division standings. When you win a game like this one, lots of guys get on the field, and that's a good thing. For example, we got three quarterbacks some playing time. Freshman Tim Froese and walkon Sean Downs went 6-6 between them. And, obviously, Junior Sheehan got the offense going great guns before he came out of the game. Ralph Monroe had another 100-yard plus game (23-121), but Blaine Kooistra struggled a little bit (16-41). Albert Guenther gained 102 yards on five catches. Conrad Piper, who pushed guys around all day long and recorded six KRBs in eight chances before taking the rest of the day off, was a worthy MVP, but all ten O-linemen who played more than a couple of plays got at least one KRB. Seventeen players recorded at least one tackle on defense, and two who didn't broke up a pass. It's nice to win one like this every once in a while. We didn't run up the score on Ohio; our second and third teamers simply had a very good day, too. Recruiting Update We signed two more players this week, including one we're really thrilled to get on board. I honestly thought we were out of the running for Wade Goodstriker, an All-State safety from Fort Wayne, Indiana. He looked like he was on his way to Marshall; he planned his visit there early on, and when we called him, he repeatedly mentioned his interest in their program. Something happened, though, and now he's on his way to Kent State. Wade is the #10 safety in the nation, according to rivals.com, and the #195 player overall. He has a tremendous attitude, and on paper, he reminds me quite a bit of a guy named Adrian Castillo who's had a pretty good career for us. We also signed DT Brad Belzer out of western New York. He doesn't have a glowing reputation nationally, but we like him a lot. He's very solid at the point of attack, and he comes from a program that's prepared him well to play at this level. We missed out on four players, but only one signed with another MAC team: OT Mel Weibel, who's off to Marshall. I suppose we traded him for Goodstriker. Three more players, all linemen, are visiting next week:
Kent State's record: 6-3, 3-3 in MAC play. Last edited by Big Six : 03-19-2010 at 01:04 PM. |
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03-19-2010, 01:38 PM
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#118 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Week 11, 2008
A well-earned bye week. Recruiting Update Two of our targets signed this week, and one signed with us. Welcome to Kent State, Tim Uerling. Unlike our other center from the Badger State, Jerald Kinney, Tim's a city boy from Milwaukee. He's a very good run blocker who should fit in well with our scheme. Guard Glen Perkins chose to accept an appointment to the Air Force Academy. It's hard to say anything but "congratulations, and good luck" to a young man who wants to become an officer in our armed forces. Uerling's decision leaves us with ten of this year's 15 scholarships available. We've given offers to 12 players, four of whom have added us to the list of schools they're visiting:
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03-19-2010, 03:20 PM
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#119 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Week 12, 2008
#35 Kent State (6-3, 3-3) at #54 Marshall (5-4, 4-2) Code:
We went into this game in fourth place in the MAC North, trailing Miami and Central Florida (each 6-1) and Marshall (4-2). Incidentally, Miami is 9-1 overall now, and they're ranked #14 in the coaches' poll. Their only loss was against us. The weather was rainy, nasty, and cold, and we slogged through a disappointing loss that probably ended our chances for an at-large bowl bid. Marshall did a much better job of holding on to the ball than we did; we each threw one pick, but we lost two fumbles and they didn't lose any. That made the difference this week. We outgained Marshall, 273-270, and controlled the ball for almost 37 minutes. Ralph Monroe led us with 91 yards rushing and with 64 yards receiving, but he coughed up the ball on the Marshall 18 and the Thundering Herd drove down the field and scored. Junior Sheehan threw for 199 yards, but he also turned the slippery ball over twice. Frank Miller, Adrian Castillo, and Ross Bowen all made eight tackles, but too often they should have been on the sideline watching their offensive teammates rather than sticking Marshall ballcarriers and passcatchers. Castillo did take the ball back once, picking off a Perry O'Leary pass. Recruiting Update In a week when we could use some good news, we got some very good news on the recruiting front. We went 2-3 this week, landing a quarterback and a defensive end. The QB is Drew Stamper, the state of Ohio's #5 player at his position. I think he's better than the assistants who scouted him do, and he's got a very good attitude. You can't have enough guys like Drew on your team. The DE is Bert Nelson, the Michigan product we were competing with Miami to sign. Michigan State made a late pass at him, but we managed to close the deal. Bert is small for a defensive end--219 pounds right now--but he's a tenacious pass rusher. Even if he's really not as good as our scouts say (they rate him at an 84), he could still become an impact player. Nine players now have standing scholarship offers from us, and seven spots are available in our recruiting class. One more player, FB Dwayne Linkous, a big, tough Pennsylvania kid, is visiting us this week. Kent State's record: 6-4, 3-4 in MAC play. |
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03-19-2010, 07:19 PM
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#120 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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You just can't seem to beat Marshall whatever you do. Creates a nice rivalry storyline, though.
__________________
2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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03-19-2010, 08:47 PM
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#121 | |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Quote:
You noticed that, did you? I thought they were ripe for a beating this time, but nope.Now I pay close attention when we're recruiting the same players. I'm starting to hate losing guys to the Herd. Thanks, as always, for the comment. |
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03-20-2010, 11:07 AM
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#122 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Week 13, 2008
#122 Akron (1-8, 1-6) at #44 Kent State (6-4, 3-4) Code:
On a wintry day at Kent State's Dix Stadium, senior free safety Adrian Castillo went back to receive the opening kickoff. He fielded the kick and, with snow swirling around him, returned it 98 yards for a touchdown as the crowd roared. We took a quick lead and never looked back, winning our final game of the 2008 season over Akron. Ralph Monroe, who gained 97 yards rushing and scored two touchdowns, was named the game's MVP, but Castillo, who put on his blue-and-gold #9 Kent State jersey for the final time today, was truly the hero of the day. He made 14 tackles and intercepted a pass, leading a defensive effort that held the Zips to eight first downs, 121 total yards and, of course, a shutout. Deon Scribner was cleared to play today, and while he looked a little rusty in his return to action after missing time with a herniated disk, it was great to see him back on the field. In snowy conditions, he wisely chose to dump the ball off to Monroe on many occasions, and Ralph caught 7 passes for 72 yards. I'm pleased that we evened our conference record at 4-4, but I had hoped for better. Losing three key offensive players--QB Scribner, WR Jackie Bosworth, and TE Rusty Flynn--for large portions of the season didn't help. I'm a bit frustrated by the fact that our offense has never seemed to jell. I've always liked the Wing T, but perhaps it's time to think about a switch for next year...or possibly it's time to bring in someone new to run it. That's something I'll contemplate this offseason. However, right now I'd rather look back at the career of one of the best players I've ever seen, Adrian Castillo. He will almost certainly end his career with more unassisted tackles than any player in history: 388 initial hits. Add in his 122 assists, and his 510 total tackles average out to about 11.5 stops per game. AC has also made his mark as a return man, taking two punts and three kickoffs to the house during his career, and also returned one of his 16 interceptions for a score. He contributed 2726 all-purpose yards, second only to Blaine Kooistra over the time I've been at Kent State. Congratulations, Adrian, and congratulations to the rest of the seniors who will be leaving the program this year. You're the first class of players I recruited or, in the case of redshirt seniors, who never played for any other coach. Thank you for representing us with class. Recruiting Update We also had a good week recruiting-wise. We went 4-6, adding the following players to our recruiting class:
Conners, the #31 TE in the nation, has a knack for making clutch catches and also played some defense. We need tight ends, however, so we'll leave Larry on offense. He's from a tiny town in New York, up near the Canadian border. Wilcox was on our recruiting radar right away, An All-State DE from Marion, Tommie racked up 15.5 sacks in nine games, so we have a pretty good idea about his ability to harass a quarterback. He's the #26 DE in the nation, and the #200 player overall. Short, another small-town guy from northeastern Pennsylvania, has a great motor and good size (6'5", 258). He might never be a star, but I have a feeling he'll set a great example for his teammates by working his hardest to develop his potential. Now we have 11 of 15 scholarships filled, and four players still are considering their offers from us. Kent State's record: 7-4, 4-4 in MAC play. |
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03-20-2010, 12:20 PM
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#123 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Conference Championship Week, 2008
This year, the Mid-American Conference championship game drew more national attention than it usually does. Two nationally-ranked teams, each with 10-1 records, met to decide who would receive the conference's automatic bid to the Raisin Bowl. The game turned out to be rather unexciting. #14 Miami of Ohio routed #12 Bowling Green, 52-14. Bowling Green promptly accepted an invitation to play Tulane (8-3) in the California Bowl, and a third MAC team--Central Florida (8-3) --will be bowl-bound as well. They'll face 7-4 Auburn in the Bluebonnet Bowl. Recruiting Update This year, we ended our recruiting season on a high note. Four players signed this week, completing our 15-man class:
We've been pursuing Houston all year, and finally lured him away from Miami of Ohio . Mark is a huge target--already 6'4", and 211 pounds--and he's as good as you think at catching the ball in traffic. We were even more determined to bring him to our program after Jumpy Rathbone, who's built like Mark is, killed us in the Buffalo game. Mark is the #46 wideout in the class, and he's from Newark, Ohio.Blaylock, from Pittsfield, Massachusetts, had his heart set on playing for UConn. The Huskies never recruited him, however, and we're happy to have him. Rivals.com lists him as the #43 kicker in the country. We brought in quite a haul of DEs this year, but we needed them. Kimrin is a classic example of a player whose measurables don't tell the whole story. A 6'0", 208-pound defensive end shouldn't be able to hold his own at the Division I level. Donald is a suburban kid, and a lot of times, people unfortunately wonder if they'll be hungry enough to excel. He made All-State in Illinois, and he earns high marks for his attitude. |
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03-21-2010, 05:39 PM
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#124 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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You *have* to export this class to FOF. Adrian Castillo needs to go through the draft process.
__________________
2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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03-21-2010, 07:07 PM
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#125 | |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Quote:
That, my friend, is an absolute given. AC is the first of several Kent Staters who ought to have a chance to play on Sundays. In Adrian's case, it's more than a chance; it's a certainty. I'd say at least one of the O-linemen and probably two or three of the linebackers could get drafted, and perhaps CB Will Pierce, too. |
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03-22-2010, 10:09 AM
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#126 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Postseason 2008
First, let's look at the Mid-American Conference North Division standings: Code:
Miami, UCF, and Marshall appear to have established themselves as the heavyweights in the division. Our task is to find a way to break their stranglehold on the division standings. My teams are 4-1 against Miami in five years; their only loss in 2008 was to Kent State. I'm 3-2 against UCF. Against Akron, our biggest rival, I'm 5-0. However, I'm 1-4 against Ohio and, as you probably already know, I'm still looking for my first win over Marshall. |
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03-22-2010, 06:05 PM
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#127 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Postseason 2008
Code:
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03-23-2010, 09:26 AM
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#128 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Postseason 2008
Let's take a look at Kent State's statistics for the 2008 season Graduating seniors are highlighted in blue. Code:
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03-23-2010, 09:36 AM
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#129 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Kent State's 2008-2009 recruiting class doesn't boast a super recruit like Frank Miller, Ernie Lesch, Neal Hopkins, or Brandon Blackburn. No KSU newcomer ranked among the top 100 recruits on rivals.com's list...but then again, neither did Adrian Castillo.
I think this is a very solid class, with a number of players who can help us win in the seasons to come. Code:
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03-23-2010, 10:24 AM
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#130 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Preseason 2009
A new season is upon us, and I hope it will the best one yet. I was frustrated by our stagnating offense last year, so I decided to make a few changes. I'm looking for a more balanced attack, so I hired a new offensive coordinator who will put a pro-style offense in place. His name is Scott Lowe, and he's a veteran coach who has been running the Pro formation with his teams for ten years. Coach Lowe is a particularly inventive play-caller (Excellent), and he's Excellent at rehabilitating injured athletes and getting them back into action. He is Lousy at developing receivers, but he's at least Fair with every other offensive position group, and is Excellent with running backs. Coach Lowe is about as good a coordinator as a school outside the BCS conferences can realistically hope to hire. Here's the schedule we'll face this year, along with each team's preseason ranking. We open the season ranked #43, which is the best we've had since I arrived. Code:
I'm sure West Virginia will be gunning for us, eager to avenge last year's overtime loss to us at their place. That game could, honestly, go either way. The game at Cleveland will be tough, too, and Dayton is no pushover. Still, I'm going to be fairly confident, and realistically predict that we'll be 2-1 going into the conference season. I'm also going to predict two wins in our next three games, especially if we can break the hoodoo that Ohio seems to have on us. We'll need to beat Central Michigan on the road to establish our credentials as a championship contender. Then comes Marshall, who will be favored to win their sixth straight against us. I'm expecting a capacity crowd for the Miami game, and I'd love to see us land a regional TV gig, too. I'm going to be bold and predict a KSU victory, because we've had almost as much success with them as Marshall has had with us. I'll also predict a win at Akron, but I'm not going to be quite so confident about our trip to UCF. Optimistic prediction: 9-2, 6-2 in the MAC, and our first bowl bid. Pessimistic prediction: 4-7, 3-5 in the MAC. |
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03-23-2010, 07:45 PM
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#131 |
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College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Osaka, Japan via Honolulu, Hawaii via Birmingham, Alabama
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I think that Marshall game will be tough, being the end of a three-game road stretch. But the Golden Flashes can beat everyone else. UCF is at home. I say 10-1, 7-1.
__________________
U of Hawaii | U of Alabama | Montreal Impact | Montreal Canadiens | West Ham | West Indies cricket | Portland Trail Blazers |
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03-24-2010, 09:39 AM
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#132 | |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Quote:
That would be way, way cool. I took a quick look at some of our opponents' rosters, and it looks like we're just about as talented as either Marshall or UCF. Marshall's starting QB, Perry O'Leary, will sit out this season because of academic difficulties, and the Herd doesn't have a proven man in reserve. If we catch a break agaisnt Marshall this year, and defend our house against UCF, we could possibly--POSSIBLY--go 11-0. Thanks, as always, for the comment. |
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03-24-2010, 09:44 AM
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#133 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Preseason 2009
NFL News For the first time since I arrived at Kent State in 2004, we have good news to report from the NFL draft. Three Kent State players were chosen in this year's draft!
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03-24-2010, 10:04 AM
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#134 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Preseason 2009
It's time for our annual look at the key players for the Kent State Golden Flashes, beginning with the offense: Code:
We're still loaded at RB, with Monroe holding the edge over Kooistra and Lesch based on last season's performance. However, Blaine has proven he can do the job, too...remember 2007? O'Neill is a fine lead blocker who has skills as a ball carrier or pass receiver, too. Flynn looks to be ready to take the field again, after a horrendous knee injury ruined his 2008 season. He's a contender for post-season honors, and a possible future NFL player. Look at Conners' potential...wow. He's got more upside than I thought when I recruited him, and his bars look promising, too. Guenther is poised for an outstanding season; he should thrive in our more wide-open attack. Hopefully Bos can get through a season without hurting himself. We don't have much depth at WR, so I'll hopefully include a good wideout in our recruiting class. With all five starters returning--three of whom have earned post-season awards--we should have a very good offensive line. Blackburn, Piper, and Kinney have all improved tremendously since this time last year, and Gourdine and Boggs are solid, too. Cunningham can play all three positions, and started at center for two years. Godfrey and Calixto have also filled in satisfactorily when needed. Ashworth is developing into one of the conference's best placekickers. Last edited by Big Six : 03-24-2010 at 10:05 AM. |
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03-24-2010, 07:59 PM
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#135 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Preseason 2009
For the first time in four years, the Kent State defense will take the field without its unquestioned leader, Adrian Castillo, who is now playing on Sundays. There are several playmakers still around, however, and hopefully they'll maintain the standard their predecessors have recently established. Code:
Rockwood and Cristal give us two big, tough defensive ends. Rockwood has the potential to be a beast. McWilliams got his grades up, and he'll give us a solid three-man rotation. Cristal and Caskey have both started since their freshman years. Miller and Hawkins return to their natural positions on the outside; both of them have played well enough to justify the reputations they brought with them from high school. Talley and Austin step into the middle, giving us four good starting LBs, and we have a nice mix of veterans and young players backing them up. Pierce has evolved into a true shutdown corner. Horton is as good a #2 cornerback as there is in the conference, and Nobles is a proven player, too. Hill could redshirt; his potential is even better than we predicted. Could Goodstriker one day be as good as Castillo? Farr returns for his third year as the starting strong safety. Hundley has big shoes to fill, replacing the graduating Pat Sawyer. |
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03-27-2010, 02:46 PM
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#136 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Week 2, 2009
#47 West Virginia at #63 Kent State TV4 Code:
What a game! We were actually favored to win this game, but you can't ever let yourself get too confident about your chances to beat a big-time team, even at your place. We stood toe-to-toe with West Virginia for four quarters, fought off their second half charge, and scored a fourth quarter TD to pull out a big win. Our more wide-open offense was very effective today. Deon Scribner enjoyed a career day, throwing for 322 yards and four touchdowns, going 23-36. Carlton Looman was on the receiving end of two Scribner TDs, including the decisive one, and Albert Guenther led the team with 123 receiving yards. Both Carlton and Albert caught five passes. On defense, we got a fine debut game from S Wade Goodstriker, who made nine tackles and intercepted a pass. Wade makes no secret of the fact that he models his game after that of Adrian Castillo, who will open the season with the San Francisco 49ers as a backup safety and special teams player. We allowed the Mountaineers too many yards on offense, especially on the ground, but we'll hopefully tighten up some as the season progresses. Recruiting Update We're looking to bring in a well-rounded recruiting class this year; we don't really need to stock up on any one area this time around. We're always on the lookout for good offensive linemen, and among our early targets are three O-linemen from our region: Andy Nybo, Jamie Agranoff, and Tony Smith. The #2 ranked player in the nation shows up as GREEN on our list! He's Jamie McGregor, a running back from Eugene, Oregon. Clemson has also taken an early interest in Jamie, and I'm sure there will be more schools pursuing him soon. It looks like I might be making a trip out to the West Coast this fall. Kent State's record: 1-0. |
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03-27-2010, 04:08 PM
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#137 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Week 3, 2009
#39 Kent State (1-0) at #102 Cleveland (0-1) TV5 Code:
Wow, talk about a turnaround. I wonder which Kent State team--the one who beat West Virginia, or the one who went to Cleveland and got its butt kicked--is the real one? We didn't move the ball as well on the ground; Ralph Monroe led us with 78 yards on 18 carries. Our passing game was awful; Deon Scribner went 12-28 with three picks. Dwight Ashworth was our offensive star, kicking three field goals. Deon has been diagnosed with severe depression, making his status doubtful for next week. Even worse, we lost tight end Rusty Flynn again. He suffered a high ankle sprain that won't heal for 14 weeks. I wonder if he's out for the year again? Rusty only played in two games for us last year, and I hope we're not looking at yet another lost season. We let Jackie Garner run all over us: 31 carries, 187 yards. We recruited Jackie pretty hard two years ago, and now he's come back to get us good. I made the decision to start Kelly Austin at linebacker despite a knee sprain, and he played tough: 12 tackles, two for losses. He was the bright spot for a defense that's allowed almost 70 points in two games. Recruiting Update Miami (the one in Florida, not our conference opponent), Texas, and UCLA have joined us in pursuit of Jamie McGregor. We've decided to join the battle for Nathan Hoover, a Florida star who is the nation's best safety. We're hoping our success in preparing Adrian Castillo for the next level will appeal to Nathan, who also scored over 1500 on his SAT. We're also in a great contest with several other in-state schools for the services of Warren Stiles, a WR from the little southeastern Ohio town of Scio. As usual, we're recruiting many of the same players the other MAC schools are after, so expect a lot of pitched battles. I'll update you as the players we've targeted begin to pick schools to visit. Kent State's record: 1-1. Last edited by Big Six : 03-27-2010 at 04:11 PM. |
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03-27-2010, 08:41 PM
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#138 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Week 4, 2009
#64 Dayton (1-1) at #78 Kent State (1-1) Code:
If we don't turn things around quickly, this is going to be a very long, very unpleasant surprise of a season. We're not managing to stop anyone from scoring, so our offense is carrying a huge burden. Ralph Monroe scored three touchdowns, but he gained only 40 yards on 17 carries. Eight times he was stuffed for losses. Deon Scribner felt good enough to play, but played poorly--seven completions in 23 attempts, with two interceptions. I've already decided I'll let Junior Sheehan start at QB next week, so Deon can take a break from football while he deals with his depression. Jackie Bosworth demonstrated his ability to gain yardage after the catch, picking up 102 yards on four receptions. The Dayton offensive line pushed us around all day; two of their linemen combined to throw 16 key run blocks. Kelly Austin, Wade Goodstriker, and Ralph Miller all made at least 12 tackles, but too often, they were making them several yards downfield. Quinn Cristal played extremely well (3 sacks), but we allowed well over 400 yards, 26 first downs, and 31 more points. Recruiting Update No real news this week. It's probably a good thing; the way things went, any news we got would have been bad. Kent State's record: 1-2. |
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03-27-2010, 09:29 PM
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#139 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Week 5, 2009
#76 Toledo (1-2) at #87 Kent State (1-2) Code:
We rediscovered our running game this week, and our defense played a much better game. As a result, we put one into the win column. And, even more importantly, we got off to a 1-0 start in conference play. OT Brandon Blackburn missed the game with a separated shoulder, and big Roosevelt Godfrey started in his place. The line jelled well enough for Ralph Monroe to rush for a season-high 174 yards. Blaine Kooistra added 60 more on 11 carries. QB Junior Sheehan struggled, turning the ball over five times (one fumble, four interceptions). One of the interceptions was returned a long way for a touchdown. He did hook up with Albert Guenther on a 49-yard TD. I was really hoping Junior would have a big game today. He's been very inconsistent when he's had a chance to play, and we had such high hopes for him when we recruited him. There's a chance he might never be a full-time starter for us--he'll have to beat out Tim Froese next year--and that's not what we would have anticipated four years ago. Our defense was energized by the ferociousness of our pass rush. We sacked the Buffalo QB six times, and almost every one of our defensive linemen got into the act. Quinn Cristal and Leon McWilliams teamed up on one sack. Quinn got one himself. So did Max Rockwood, Brandon Caskey, and reserve DT Julio Robinson. Our nickel corner, Adrian Hill, played very well, too, making seven tackles and breaking up a pass. With the exception of Sheehan's rough game, we played much, much better this week. Maybe we're about to turn the corner. Recruiting Update Still no news yet. We've made contact with many of the better players in Ohio now; we don't plan to be left hanging if our most highly regarded targets go somewhere else. Kent State's record: 2-2, 1-0 in MAC play. Last edited by Big Six : 03-27-2010 at 09:38 PM. |
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03-27-2010, 10:02 PM
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#140 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Week 6, 2009
#43 Buffalo (2-1, 1-0) at #66 Kent State (2-2, 1-0) TV5 Code:
I've always wondered what Jackie Bosworth could do if he managed to stay healthy. Today, we got a glimpse of what the possibilities can be. Jackie caught nine passes for a Mid-American Conference record 238 yards and two touchdowns as we delighted a big home crowd with a win over Buffalo. Bosworth got things started on our first play from scrimmage, when he caught a bomb from Deon Scribner and ran into the end zone for an 80-yard score. He later scored on a 44-yard play, and Scribner connected with Albert Guenther for a 45-yard TD strike as well. Scribner's week off seemed to have improved his spirits greatly, and he returned to action with one of his best games ever: 17-30, 355 yards, three TD. With Scribner posing a constant threat through the air, the Buffalo defense had to account for him; that made it easier for us to gain yards on the ground, too. Ralph Monroe and Blaine Kooistra had almost symmetrical stat lines--both carried 11 times and gained 72 yards. Blaine ran for a touchdown, and Ralph caught three passes. The defense really stepped up, too. Ralph Miller led the way, with eight tackles and two sacks, but we got contributions from nearly everybody. Robbie Nobles made a huge play early in the second half when he came on a corner blitz and drilled Buffalo's quarterback, Shawn Harzstark, and knocked the ball loose. Thurman Talley fell on it, and three plays later, Kooistra scored his touchdown. We also kept last year's nemesis, Jumpy Rathbone, under wraps. He caught two passes for five yards, and didn't get near the end zone except when he ran out of the tunnel onto the field. Recruiting Update The first player from this year's recruiting class to visit campus will arrive next week. He's cornerback Buddy Chepaitis, from Vermillion, Ohio. Buddy is the #35 corner in the country, and is ranked #2 at his position in the state. Despite a 5'11", 172-pound frame, he loves to stick opposing ball carriers, and he's already picked off 13 passes in his team's first six games. Buddy wants to play his college ball in his home state, and he's also considering Cleveland, Bowling Green, Zanesville, and Miami. Kent State's record: 3-2, 2-0 in MAC play. |
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03-27-2010, 10:49 PM
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#141 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Week 7, 2009
#52 Kent State (3-2, 2-0) at #83 Ohio (2-2, 1-0) Code:
Before last year, I was 0-4 against Ohio. Last fall, we surprised everyone--including myself--with a huge 55-3 victory that I hoped would break the spell that the Bobcats seemed to have cast over us. This year's game was much, much closer, but thanks to a fantastic second-half comeback, we ran our Mid-American Conference record to 3-0 with a 28-24 win. We're now tied with Central Florida for first in the MAC North. (Am I the only one who thinks it's really weird that a team from Florida is in the MAC North, while there are teams from Michigan in the MAC South?) Neither team could generate much offense on a chilly, rainy day, but we did just enough to win. With Blaine Kooistra nursing a sore knee, we shifted more of the load onto Ralph Monroe's shoulders, and he rushed 22 times for 99 yards. Deon Scribner completed passes to seven different receivers, and hooked up with Jackie Bosworth for another score. OT Ty Boggs is probably out for the year with a horrendous concussion. Fortunately, Brandon Blackburn was healthy enough to play, so he returned to his usual spot at left tackle and we shifted Rosie Godfrey to the right side. Colin Cunningham , our utility lineman, played quite a bit there, too, so we feel like we'll be OK without Boggs. Our starting free safety made 15 tackles, intercepted a pass, and earned game MVP honors. If you've been following Kent State football for a few years, that scenario probably seems fairly familiar to you...but this time, the man of the hour was true freshman Wade Goodstriker. There's one thing that concerns me about our bend-but-don't-break defense. Only four teams have allowed more yards rushing than we have: an even 1000 in six games. Opposing backs gain 100 yards or more on a frightening basis. Against really good teams, this will probably hurt us. However, we're winning again, so I suppose I shouldn't worry...not too much. Recruiting Update It's time for the mid-season deluge of visits, and this year there will be no fewer than 15 players converging on Kent State:
Kent State's record: 4-2, 3-0 in MAC play. |
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03-28-2010, 12:36 AM
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#142 |
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Head Coach
Join Date: Sep 2004
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Fantastic start to the MAC season! No doubt that's doing Adrian Castillo proud in San Fran.
__________________
2006 Golden Scribe Nominee 2006 Golden Scribe Winner Best Non-Sport Dynasty: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) Rookie Writer of the Year Dynasty of the Year: May Our Reign Be Green and Golden (CK Dynasty) |
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03-28-2010, 01:38 AM
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#143 |
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College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Osaka, Japan via Honolulu, Hawaii via Birmingham, Alabama
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Great MAC start, but goodbye to my predicted 10-1 record.
__________________
U of Hawaii | U of Alabama | Montreal Impact | Montreal Canadiens | West Ham | West Indies cricket | Portland Trail Blazers |
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03-28-2010, 08:50 AM
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#144 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Week 8, 2009
#38 Kent State (4-2, 3-0) at #102 Central Michigan (1-4, 0-2) Code:
Going into the season, many people identified this stretch of three road games as a crucial stretch. If we played well, we would potentially set ourselves up as contenders for a bowl bid. So far, that's exactly what we've done. It was great to go up to Central Michigan, play well, win, and get a lot of our players onto the field. What's more, we've taken over sole possession of first place in the MAC North. Three quarterbacks saw significant amounts of action this week, and all played well. Deon Scribner went 10-15 for 175 yards and a TD, and he also scored himself on a 10-yard scramble. Junior Sheehan was 4-8 for 54 yards and a score. Redshirt freshman Alfred Eastman was even sharper, completing four of six passes for 77 yards in his first collegiate game. Together, the three passers finished the day 18-29 for 308 yards and three scores, and none of them threw an interception. I'll take that kind of performance anytime. Their favorite target, Jackie Bosworth, was again voted game MVP on the strength of his seven catches for 92 yards and a TD. Ralph Monroe looked a bit run down today (20 carries, 76 yards), but until Blaine Kooistra's knee heals completely, we don't dare use him too extensively. Blaine rushed six times for 44 yards, so he's effective in smaller doses. The defense pitched a shutout until late in the fourth quarter, at which point our starters had been out of the game for a while. We held CMU to 215 total yards and ten first downs, while we piled up 435 and 27. Central Michigan converted only three of 14 third down opportunities, so we made good plays when it mattered. The worst news came from the injury report. Brandon Blackburn, who just got back into the lineup, bruised his ribs and will probably miss at least one game. That means we'll go into the Marshall game next week with reserves starting at both OT positions. Senior Colin Cunningham, a natural center who started there for us for two years, will man the left side, while Roosevelt Godfrey will return to the lineup at right tackle. Incidentally, the Thundering Herd aren't quite as formidable as they have been in years past. They lost this week for the fourth straight time--this time to Eastern Michigan--and are 0-3 in the conference. We have our best chance yet to get off the schneid against them. Recruiting Update We signed our first recruit of the year, and he's a very good one. Chris O'Neal is the #5 quarterback in the nation. according to rivals.com. Chris comes out of a Fort Wayne, Indiana high school that is known for preparing its players well for collegiate life, both on the football field and in the classroom, and Chris appears to be a prime example of how well that preparation can work. He completed 53 percent of his passes as a senior, and although he didn't run much, it's said he's dangerous when he tucks the ball away. We didn't fare as well with several of our other targets. Darren Lathon chose Georgia; Andy Nybo picked Michigan; Curtis Peterson signed with Illinois. All went with a BCS school from their home state, so I'm not too surprised there. I'm a little more frustrated by Warren Stiles' decision to play at Miami of Ohio. I hate losing our recruits to other MAC schools. Still, we've landed the most highly regarded quarterback prospect we've had at Kent State since I got here. Hopefully Chris will develop into the kind of player people think the #51 recruit in the nation should be. Kent State's record: 5-2, 4-0 in MAC play. |
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03-28-2010, 09:01 AM
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#145 | |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Quote:
Adrian reports that his 49ers teammates are teasing him a little about the fact that as soon as he leaves, the team suddenly turns into the powerhouse of the Mid-American Conference. Unfortunately for AC, the 49ers are off to a slow start. After seven games, they're 1-6. Even so, he's probably enjoying life more than either Ross Bowen or Wayne Merrill, who were both released and are looking for new NFL gigs. Thanks for the comment, Izulde. It's always good to see one of KSU's most devoted "followers" stop by. |
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03-28-2010, 09:18 AM
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#146 | |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Quote:
Thanks, bbgunn. I was afraid we'd end up closer to 1-10 after I saw how badly our defense got pushed around in the first weeks of the season. We've pulled it together, though--despite some injuries--and hopefully we'll keep the momentum going through the rest of the conference season. I hope your prediction about the Marshall game doesn't come true. If it does, we'll have to really step up against a Central Florida team that looks like it's as good as always. Thanks for the comment, bbgunn. Good to see you. |
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03-28-2010, 10:23 AM
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#147 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Week 9, 2009
#29 Kent State (5-2, 4-0) at #87 Marshall (2-4, 0-3) Code:
FINALLY!!!!! I know this year's Marshall team isn't nearly as powerful as what we've seen from them the past few years. For one thing, their quarterback, Perry O'Leary, is academically ineligible, and they're missing several key players who are injured, including their best running back and wideout. On the other hand, Blaine Kooistra isn't getting any better, and we're playing with two reserves at offensive tackle, so we're not exactly at full strength, either. No matter what the circumstances are, we went to Huntington, took control of the game, and got rid of the lingering doubts that we simply couldn't beat Marshall. The man of the hour was Freon Deon Scribner, who fired four touchdown passes: two to Jackie Bosworth, one to Albert Guenther, and one to freshman Jack Dunlap. With one more TD pass, Deon will tie his own school record, set his freshman year, and he still has three more games to play. Bosworth (six catches, 137 yards) and Guenther (5-104) each gained 100 yards receiving or more, and Ralph Monroe rushed for 85 on 22 carries. Big FB Jeff O'Neill got a chance to carry the ball down close to the goal line, and he rammed the ball into the end zone. Our defensive effort was, once again, very solid; the Herd scored 17 of their points in the last quarter against our reserves, and one of their TDs came on a blocked punt. Wade Goodstriker contributed eleven more tackles, but I had to have some less-than-cheerful words with him concerning his grades. Wade is failing a course, and with his ability (Intelligence 60, Aspiration 55, 3.16 high school GPA, 1290 SAT), there is absolutely no excuse for that. Wade might be enjoying collegiate life a bit too much. When we returned to Kent after the game, we were met by a loud, joyous group of students, yelling, waving signs, and simply enjoying themselves. They cheered all the players, but Deon Scribner received the loudest praise of all. It's great to see a senior like Deon step up, take charge of the team, and lead it to victories it might not have thought it could achieve. Recruiting Update We suffered two losses in this week's recruiting battles, and in both cases the player in question was a cornerback. Buddy Chepaitis, the tough little corner who was the first player to pay us a visit, signed with Cleveland instead. Bert Bensen, another Ohio player, is off to Toledo. Now we'll have to look at a couple more DBs, because I'd like to have a corner in this year's class. Two highly regarded defensive players from California are still considering us. DE Ryan Brock has been rated as high as #91 in the nation overall, and #16 in the nation at his position. He's small (5'10", 208 pounds), but he's tough. Fresno State, Texas A&M, Ohio State, and UNLV are also in the running. DT Herman Wynn is also a Top 100 player; #95 overall, #9 DT. Herman excels against the run, and he's also looking at Fresno State, Florida, and Toledo. I'm a bit concerned that we have only one player signed so far. Hopefully we'll have a wave of signings in the next week or two. We don't play during Week 10, so we can concentrate on recruiting. That, and enjoy our 5-0 conference record. Kent State's record: 6-2, 5-0 in MAC play. Last edited by Big Six : 03-28-2010 at 10:42 AM. |
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03-28-2010, 11:06 AM
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#148 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Week 10, 2009
Bye week. Recruting Update We signed two players this week, both in-state guys we've been recruiting for a while. Kelly Gabrielson, an All-State player from Fitch High School in nearby Youngstown. Ranked #221 in the nation, Kelly is the #22 guard in his class. He prefers run blocking to pass blocking, and at 277 pounds, he's big enough to get the job done. He projects as another 300-pound bulldozer of a lineman, similar to the ones we have on our O-line now. Our third commitment came from Derrick Arton, a linebacker from Leetonia, OH, a town about 40 miles from here. Derrick needs to get bigger and stronger--he's only 197 pounds now--but he's quick and has a nose for the ball. In both cases, we beat out a nice selection of schools. Gabrielson also visited Miami, Bowling Green, Ohio State, and Michigan State, while Arton picked us over offers from Cleveland, Miami, and Ohio. Last edited by Big Six : 03-28-2010 at 11:08 AM. |
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03-28-2010, 12:11 PM
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#149 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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#59 Miami of Ohio (4-4, 4-2) at #29 Kent State (6-2, 5-0)
TV5 Code:
It took a clutch field goal from Dwight Ashworth late in the fourth quarter to send the game into overtime, and several more big plays to win it in the extra period, but our undefeated Mid-American Conference record remains intact. Miami played a very good game against us, before the first capacity crowd we've had at Dix Stadium in my six seasons here. The Redhawks took the lead, and we had to come from behind to force overtime. Deon Scribner played another fine game at QB for us. His two touchdown passes--one to true freshman TE Larry Conners that won the game for us in OT--gave him 15 for the year and a new KSU record. Deon didn't throw an interception; he's thrown only seven picks all year. His ability to take care of the football and move the team down the field has been a huge, huge key to our success. It was great to see Blaine Kooistra back at something close to full strength. He split carries with Ralph Monroe, and they combined for 105 yards against a hardnosed Miami defense, led by Pete Kulaga--a linebacker we recruited heavily. Blaine set up our overtime touchdown with a 20-yard run, and on the next play, Deon found Conners in the end zone. I've never heard our stadium as loud as it was when our defense took the field in OT, and the guys pinned their ears back and brought it straight to Miami. First, Quinn Cristal got in their QB's face and forced him to make a bad throw. They completed two short passes for a first down, but then Brandon Caskey got his big paws on the quarterback and sacked him. Another incomplete pass set up third-and-16, and Kelly Austin picked off a pass to end the game. Our students swarmed the field, and at first, I thought they were going to try to tear down the goalposts. Frank Miller, who had nine tackles and a sack, was named the MVP. Wade Goodstriker (12 tackles), Brandon Blackburn (4 KRB) and Conrad Piper (4 KRB) also deserve some mention for their outstanding contributions. Central Florida had an off week, so they're still 5-0 in the conference. They play at Marshall next week, while we're at Akron, and they'll end their season the week after they play us with a home game against Ball State. How cool would it be to play UCF with the division title on the line? Recruiting Update We went 1-3 in recruiting this week. We signed RB Wayne Binns, an Indiana product who admittedly needs lots of grooming. He comes from a high school that rates ZERO for Athletic Prep, which probably scared more than a few teams off. We can fortunately afford to be somewhat patient with Wayne, whom we feel is somewhat of a diamond in the rough. We lost Ryan Brock to Fresno State, which honestly wasn't much of a surprise. He'd indicated he wanted to remain close to home, and FSU was the only California school still on his list. Stephen Dawkins, an offensive tackle, signed with Steubenville. Kent State's record: 7-2, 6-0 in MAC play. |
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03-29-2010, 08:10 PM
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#150 |
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High School Varsity
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
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Week 12, 2009
#23 Kent State (7-2, 6-0) at #93 Akron (3-6, 2-5) Code:
There's something about playing in the snow that makes even a lousy game seem pretty good, and when you win, it's even better. It was 35 degrees and snowing at game time, and it didn't let up all afternoon long. Neither did our defense, who led the way to our 21-3 victory at Akron. Sophomore linebacker Ralph Miller earned his second straight game MVP selection, racking up three sacks and stuffing ballcarriers for losses two other times. Ralph also broke up four passes. It's still early in Ralph's career, but it looks like he's well on his way to justifying the hype that surrounded him in high school. Max Rockwood recorded a sack, and pressured the quarterback three other times. And Wade Goodstriker hit ballcarriers a lot harder than he hits his Geology book, recording a team-high eleven tackles. On offense, Blaine Kooistra celebrated his return to full health by gaining 131 yards on 20 carries. Ralph Monroe ran well too, with 60 yards on 10 attempts. It wasn't a great day for passing, and Deon Scribner threw three picks. He did, however, hook up with TE Larry Conners for two touchdowns. Marshall nearly did us a big favor; they played Central Florida tough and came within five points of upsetting them. The Golden Knights' 42-37 victory kept them undefeated in the conference and set up the most important game in my six years at Kent State. Recruiting Update We signed three players this week, and we hope they all turn out to be sleepers. None are ranked among the top 1000 players in the nation, and two aren't even listed among Ohio's top 100. We think they're all better than the "experts" do, and we hope we're right. Tight end Antonio Bradley from New Carlisle, Ohio is a big target at 6'6" and 250 pounds, and he comes from a high school with an outstanding reputation for preparing players for the next level (Athletic Prep 93). If he proves to be as good a blocker as his size might indicate, he'll be even more useful. We'd had bad luck signing DBs until this week, when we snagged two of them. Cornerback Rico Duran loves the challenge of matching up with receivers in man-to-man coverage. He has a knack for big plays, as evidenced by his nine interceptions and three sacks as a high school senior. The Hamilton, Ohio product has flown under the radar of most schools; he attracted some interest from four Buckeye League programs before signing with us. Kendall Caldwell, from Maumee, OH, is the #3 safety in the state this year, but the crop of players at his position is admittedly shallow. Caldwell brings a reputation as a sure tackler and, like Bradley, played for a very good high school program (Athletic Prep 88). Kent State's record: 8-2, 7-0 in MAC play. Last edited by Big Six : 03-29-2010 at 08:11 PM. |
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