The McAlary Effect

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Re: The McAlary Effect

MAC FOOTBALL KENT STATE GOLDEN FLASHES
Kent State Game Preview
Buffalo
By Don Knotts | @theotherdonknotts | October 22, 2025

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0-6/0-2 | 4-2/2-0
Week 9
Saturday, October 25 2025 | 7:30PM
Kent, Ohio | Dix Stadium
2024 Record: 5-7/3-5
Team Leaders:
QB Gunnar Gray 1,199Yds 7TD 6Int
HB Lamar Sperling 362Yds 1TD
WR Quenten Pollard 318Yds 3TD
LB Dion Crawford 59Tkl
LB Red Murdock 3.0Sck
CB Oliver Bridges 1Int

Injuries
Kent State: None
Buffalo: None

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Re: The McAlary Effect

MAC FOOTBALL KENT STATE GOLDEN FLASHES
Flashes survive late surge by Buffalo
Kent State nearly squanders 24-6 lead
By Don Knotts | @theotherdonknotts | October 26, 2025

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21 | 24
Saturday, October 25 2025 | 7:30PM
Kent, Ohio | Dix Stadium
(0-7/0-3)|00|03|00|18|21
(5-2/3-0)|07|07|03|07|24


KENT STATE WOULD WIN THIS BATTLE FOR A YARD
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Kent, Ohio - A week after putting up 63 points and coasting to a win at Northern Illinois it was winless Buffalo taking the Flashes down to the final seconds of a 24-21 win.

Buffalo cut the Kent State lead to just three points after stopping them and scoring on two straight possessions late in the fourth quarter. Fortunately for Kent State the defense was able to come up with a late stop and Curtis Douglas iced the game with a pair of first down runs, allowing them to run out the clock and hold on for the win.

Kent State held Buffalo under 300 yards in the game while putting up 419 themselves.

Gavin Garcia spearheaded the effort with 100 yards and a pair of scores on the ground. Curtis Douglas ran nine times for 43 yards.

Tommy Ulatowski was efficient, completing 25 of 37 attempts for 285 yards and a score.

Leading receivers were Chrishon McCray, who caught seven passes for 89 yards and Donte Lee Jr with three receptions for 82 yards. Lee nearly scored a long touchdown but was caught from behind on a 58 yard catch and run.

Tight end Mohammed Hazime caught four passes for 33 yards and a touchdown in the win.

Additional Media







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Scoring
1Q KENT Gavin Garcia 1 Yd run (Will Hryszko kick)
2Q KENT Mohammed Hazime 6 Yd pass from Tommy Ulatowski (Will Hryszko kick)
2Q BUFF Nick Reed 47 Yd FG
3Q KENT Will Hryszko 21 Yd FG
4Q BUFF Nick Reed 47 Yd FG
4Q KENT Gavin Garcia 3 Yd run (Will Hryszko kick)
4Q BUFF Chance Morrow 70 Yd pass from Gunnar Gray (Nick Reed kick)
4Q BUFF Nik McMillan 26 Yd pass from Gunnar Gray (2PT)
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Key Statistics

Passing - T. Ulatowski 25/37 285Yds 1TD
Rushing – G. Garcia 27Car 100Yds 2TD, C. Douglas 9Car 43Yds
Receiving – C. McCray 7Rec 89Yds, D. Lee Jr 3Rec 82Yds, D. Bennett 5Rec 42Yds, M. Hazime 4Rec 33Yds 1TD
Tackles – O. Billotte 8, M. Folk 6
Sacks – O. Billotte 2.0
Takeaways – J. Jackson 1FF
Kicking – W. Hryszko 1/2FG 3/3XP


Passing – G. Gray 13/30 216Yds 2TD
Rushing – L. Sperling 22Car 53Yds
Receiving – C. Morrow 3Rec 97Yds 1TD, N McMillan 2Rec 43Yds 1TD, L. Sperling 4Rec 39Yds
Tackles – D. Crawford 19, S. Brown 16
Sacks – R. Murdock 1.0, S. Riser-Pressley 0.5, D. Ray Jr 0.5
Takeaways – N/A
Kicking – N. Reed 2/2FG 1/1XP
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Up Next
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[djp73]

Re: The McAlary Effect

MAC FOOTBALL
MAC Football Results
Scores, Players of the Week and other news and notes from around the conference
By Don Knotts | @theotherdonknotts | October 27, 2025

MAC Scores
Akron 34, Eastern Michigan 7
Western Michigan 22, Central Michigan 21
Toledo 38, Bowling Green 14
Ohio 34, Ball Sate 17
Miami(OH) 31, Northern Illinois 16
Kent State 24, Buffalo 21

MAC Players of the Week
Kent State DE Oliver Billotte - 8Tkl 2Sck
Akron WR Myles Walker - 11Rec 181Yds 1TD

MAC Standings
Kent State 5-2/3-0
Miami(OH) 4-3/3-0
Toledo 4-3/2-0
Bowling Green 4-3/2-1
Eastern Michigan 3-4/2-1
Ohio 5-2/1-1
Western Michigan 4-3/1-2
Akron 2-5/1-2
Ball State 2-5/1-2
Central Michigan 2-5/1-2
Buffalo 0-7/0-3
Nothern Illinois 1-6/0-3

MAC Leaders
Passing Yards: KENT T. Ulatowski 2,294
Passing TDs: OHIO C. Wither 22
Rushing Yards: WMU J. Buckley 643
Rushing TDs: OHIO R. Hunt Jr, KENT G. Garcia 8
Receiving Yards: KENT C. McCray 791
Receiving TDs: OHIO R. Harris II 9
Tackles: NIU LB J. Gassaway, BUFF LB D. Crawford 78
Sacks: BGSU G. McNeal 11.0
Interceptions: M-OH CB T. Rush, AKRN CB J. Hunter 3

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Re: The McAlary Effect

MAC FOOTBALL KENT STATE GOLDEN FLASHES
Coaches Corner
Offensive Coordinator Jordan McAlary
By Don Knotts | @theotherdonknotts | October 28, 2025

Each week in the days following Kent State's game I will spend a few moments chatting with members of the coaching staff. I'll share some key points in this column.

This morning I spoke with offensive coordinator Jordan McAlary following Kent State's win over Buffalo.

Close one against a winless Buffalo team. Were you hoping for a more convincing win in this one?
I think you hope for a big win every week but in this conference every team is a threat and any game can go either way. I think you learn more and grow more in a game like this one. We had to make some plays at the end of the game to secure the win and we did that.

Nice clean game with no turnovers. Has that been more of an emphasis for the offense?
Ball security is always a focus of ours. We have been working to eliminate turnovers week to week. That's working with the backs and receivers on ball security. That's working with the QBs on reads and just pulling it down, throwing it away or checking it down. The check downs were there a lot today and Tommy found them.

Player of the Week?
Gavin Garcia ran hard, lot's of carries. Nose for the endzone. Good game from him.

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Re: The McAlary Effect

MAC FOOTBALL KENT STATE GOLDEN FLASHES
Kent State loses two more coveted recruits
Bowling Green snags another Kent State target
By Don Knotts | @theotherdonknotts | October 28, 2025

Ben Redmond, a big bruising runningback from Pennsylvania, has chosen Bowling Green over Kent State. Redmond, who visited Kent State in late September for their win over UMass, was reportedly high on Kent State's recruiting board as they look to replace Gavin Garcia next season. Redmond is a three star rated player and ranked 706th nationally.

Kent State also missed out on three star cornerback Kenya Speed, who elected to stay closer to his Virginia home and signed with James Madison. Speed is the 90th ranked CB in the nation with a three star rating.

Kent State has currently secured just four recruits. Thier class is currently ranked 87th in the nation and 5th best in the MAC.

Recruiting Class
(Listed by National Ranking)
POS|NAME||NATL|STATE|POS|Hometown|HT|WT
ATH(QB)|Lawrence Hamm||676|7|53|Colonial Heights, VA|6'1"|219
P|Hasheem Gwacham||749|25|9|Rockwood, MI|6'2"|206
ATH(QB)|Sal Bryant||1408|28|130|Chesterfield, VA|5'11"|208
OLB|Andy Durant||1472|29|62|Homestead, PA|6'2"|232

Top 20 Targets
(Listed by National Ranking)
##|POS|NAME||NATL|STATE|POS|Hometown|HT|WT|Stage: Schools
01|ATH(QB)|Deonte Dalton||477|17|39|Long Branch, NJ|5'11"218|Top 5: Kent State, UMass, Temple, Marshall, Middle Tennessee
02|ATH(WR/TE)|Nick Sumner||516|18|31|Dayton, OH|6'1"|230|Top 5: Kent State, Ohio, New Mexico, Ball State, NM State
03|ATH(TE)|Zach McClung||592|18|34|Germantown, MD|6'5"|227|Top 5: Kent State, Old Dominion, Marshall, Charlotte, Middle Tennessee
04|LE|Cameron Cantwell||776|4|33|Newburyport, MA|6'2"|299|Top 3: UMass, Kent State, Buffalo
05|FS|Jeremy Skaggs||978|7|39|Urbandale, IA|6'1"|205|Top 5: Kent State, Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan, North Texas, Marshall
06|ATH(G/C)|Tevin Cantrell||1030|22|32|Chesapeake, VA|6'2"|287|Top 5: Kent State, Liberty, Navy, Buffalo, UMass
07|ATH(TE)|Max Kowalewski||1163|147|62|Winter Park, FL|6'5"|236|Top 5: Western Kentucky, Kent State, Central Michigan, New Mexico, NM State
08|RG|Tyrese Vernon||1202|23|55|Erie, PA|6'2"|305|Top 5: Kent State, Ohio, Buffalo, Marshall, Ball State
09|LG|Zach Scmysniak||1471|8|30|Boston, MA|6'5"|306|Top 5: Kent State, Army, UMass, Navy, Buffalo
10|TE|Brian Durant||1515|30|89|Downingtown, PA|6'5"|238|Top 5: Kent State, UMass, Navy, Buffalo, Western Michigan
11|RE|Cornell Heggie||1527|126|94|Smyrna, GA|6'5"|291|Top 5: Kent State, Charlotte, Eastern Michigan, Marshall, Coastal Carolina
12|WR|Pat Brock||1543|41|176|Potomac, MI|6'1"|192|Top 5: Old Dominion, Kent State, Marshall, Charlotte, Middle Tennessee
13|CB|Jamal Rabe||1550|188|123|Daytona Beach, FL|5'10"|176|Top 5: Appalachian State, Kent State, Charlotte, Ball State, Akron
14|ROLB|Nathan Lucien||1553|32|67|Pittston, PA|5'11"|222|Top 8: Kent State, UMass, Ohio, Buffalo, Marshall, Ball State, Eastern Michigan, Temple
15|SS|Layne Flanagan||1574|42|46|Upper Marlboro, MD|6'1"|211|Top 8: Kent State, UMass, Buffalo, Eastern Michigan, Charlotte, Ohio, Coastal Carolina
16|MLB|Vernon Davey||1610|66|92|Broadview Heights, OH|6'1"|221|Top 5: Kent State, Ohio, Ball State, Buffalo, Northwestern
17|DT|Alexander Wire||1625|65|72|Hightstown, NJ|6'3"|293|Top 5: Rutgers, Kent State, UMass, Buffalo, Eastern Michigan
18|ATH(LB)|Ethan Boyett||1633|44|93|Severn, MD|6'3"|234|Top 5: Kent State, Buffalo, Eastern Michigan, Marshall, Charlotte
19|ATH(DE)|Alami Kumar||1652|43|99|West Bloomfield, MI|6'3"|250|Top 5: Kent State, Eastern Michigan, New Mexico State, Georgia State
20|C(JUCO)|Larry Morris||1695|70|51|Stow, OH|6'3"|292|Top 5: Kent State, Ohio, Ball State, Buffalo, Marshall

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Re: The McAlary Effect

MAC FOOTBALL KENT STATE GOLDEN FLASHES
Kent State Game Preview
Bowling Green
By Don Knotts | @theotherdonknotts | October 29, 2025

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5-2/3-0 | 4-3/2-1
Week 10
Saturday, November 1 2025 | 4:00PM
Bowling Green, OH | Doyt Perry Stadium
2024 Record: 4-8/3-5
Team Leaders:
QB Frederick Collie 761Yds 4TD 5Int
HB Terion Stewart 421Yds 3TD
TE Harold Fannin Jr 373Yds 3TD
LB Justin Eklund 37Tkl
DE Garrison McNeal 11.0
FS Tracy Revels 2Int

Injuries
Kent State: None
Bowling Green: QB H. Haarberg, TE J. Endries, C A. Padgett, DE G. McNeal, CB J. Henry

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Re: The McAlary Effect

MAC FOOTBALL KENT STATE GOLDEN FLASHES
Kent State blows out Bowling Green
Flashes dominate both sides of the ball
By Don Knotts | @theotherdonknotts | November 2, 2025

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35 | 10
Saturday, November 1 2025 | 4:00PM
Bowling Green, OH | Doyt Perry Stadium
(6-2/4-0)|07|14|07|07|35
(4-4/2-2)|00|03|07|00|10


ULATOWSKI WOULD NOT BE DENIED ON THIS FIRST QUARTER TD RUN
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Bowling Green, Ohio - Kent State held Bowling Green under 200 yards of total offense and put up nearly 500 themselves while also topping them with 29 first downs to just 8. Kent State won in lopsided fashion 35 to 10.

Kent State QB Tommy Ulatowski did it himself on the first possession of the game, running and diving into the endzone from 14 yards out.

Kent State would run their lead to 21-0 via a four yard Gavin Garcia touchdown run and a 70 yard Ulatowski to Donte Lee Jr touchdown pass in the second quarter.

Bowling Green got on the board as the first half expired when Ethan Warner connected on a 48 yard field goal.

Ulatowski would find Dontrell Bennett for a four yard touchdown pass midway through the third quarter to make it 28-3.

Bowling Green's Terion Stewart found the endzone for the first time late in the third quarter with a three yard touchdown run to cut into the lead, making it 28-10.

Kent State would add a one yard touchdown run by Curtis Douglas early in the fourth quarter before running out the clock late to secure the win.

Kent State has now won two straight against Bowling Green, topping them 45-21 on 2024.

Additional Media








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Scoring
1Q KENT Tommy Ulatowski 14 Yd run (Will Hryszko kick)
2Q KENT Gavin Garcia 4 Yd run (Will Hryszko kick)
2Q KENT Donte Lee Jr 70 Yd pass from Tommy Ulatowski (Will Hryszko kick)
2Q BGSU Ethan Warner 48 Yd FG
3Q KENT Dontrell Bennett 4 Yd run (Will Hryszko kick)
3Q BGSU Terion Stewart 3 Yd run (Ethan Warner kick)
4Q KENT Curtis Douglas 1 Yd run (Will Hryszko kick)
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Key Statistics

Passing - T. Ulatowski 19/31 251Yds 2TD 2Int
Rushing – G. Garcia 23Car 134Yds 1TD, C. Douglas 19Car 84Yds 1TD, T. Ulatowski 2Car 20Yds 1TD
Receiving – D. Lee 1Rec 70Yds 1TD, C. McCray 6Rec 62Yds, M. Hazime 4Rec 58Yds, G. Garcia 3Rec 31Yds, L. Langford 2Rec 15Yds, D. Bennett 2Rec 14Yds 1TD
Tackles – O. Billotte 5, J. Dotson 5, J. Hinton 5
Sacks – N/A
Takeaways – N/A
Kicking – W. Hryszko 5/5XP


Passing – F. Collie 7/12 90Yds
Rushing – T. Stewart 16Car 50Yds 1TD, R. Garcia II 4Car 22Yds, F. Collie 9Car 16Yds
Receiving – J. Valsin III 1Rec 30Yds, R. Garcia II 2Rec 24Yds, H. Fannin Jr 2Rec 18Yds
Tackles – X. Pratt 14, T. Revels 11, L. Yates 10
Sacks – N/A
Takeaways – T. Nelson 1Int 1FF, T. Revels 1Int
Kicking – E. Warner 1/1FG 1/1XP
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Up Next
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[djp73]

Re: The McAlary Effect

MAC FOOTBALL
MAC Football Results
Scores, Players of the Week and other news and notes from around the conference
By Don Knotts | @theotherdonknotts | November 3, 2025

MAC Scores
Ohio 31, Buffalo 23
Akron 51, Toledo 49
Western Michigan 34, Eastern Michigan 7
Kent State 35, Bowling Green 10
Ball State 23, Miami(OH) 17
Northern Illinois 23, Central Michigan 19

MAC Players of the Week
EMU DE Joshua Lloyd 1Tkl 1FF 2FR
AKRN WR Myles Walker 12Rec 176Yds 4TD

MAC Standings
Kent State 6-2/4-0
Miami(OH) 4-4/3-1
Ohio 6-2/2-1
Toledo 4-4/2-1
Akron 3-5/2-2
Ball State 3-5/2-2
Bowling Green 4-4/2-2
Western Michigan 5-3/2-2
Eastern Michigan 3-5/2-2
Nothern Illinois 2-6/1-3
Central Michigan 2-6/1-3
Buffalo 0-8/0-4

MAC Leaders
Passing Yards: OHIO C. Wither 2,551
Passing TDs: TOL J. Richter 26
Rushing Yards: WMU J. Buckley 821
Rushing TDs: OHIO R. Hunt Jr, KENT G. Garcia 9
Receiving Yards: KENT C. McCray 853
Receiving TDs: AKRN M. Walker 10
Tackles: BUFF LB D. Crawford 88
Sacks: BGSU G. McNeal 11.0
Interceptions: BGSU T. Revels, M-OH CB T. Rush, AKRN CB J. Hunter 3

[djp73]

Re: The McAlary Effect

MAC FOOTBALL KENT STATE GOLDEN FLASHES
Coaches Corner
Offensive Coordinator Jordan McAlary
By Don Knotts | @theotherdonknotts | November 3, 2025

Each week in the days following Kent State's game I will spend a few moments chatting with members of the coaching staff. I'll share some key points in this column.

This morning I spoke with offensive coordinator Jordan McAlary following Kent State's big win over Bowling Green.

That was a nice comfortable win over Bowling Green on the road. Rivalry game. Five game win streak. Alone at the top of the conference now. What's the vibe around the team these days?
I think if I had to sum things up it would be happy but not satisfied. We're after the MAC championship this season, maybe more. So we're happy with what we have accomplished so far but we're not satisfied. If things went south these next four games we wouldn't be satisfied.

Heavy on the ground again this week. 44 runs to 31 passes.
If it ain't broke don't fix it you know. We're moving the line and the backs are hitting the holes. Moving the ball is moving the ball.

Player of the Week?
Got to hand it to the whole offensive line in that one. Just steamrollers in the run game and Tommy wasn't hurried too much, maybe three or so.

[djp73]

Re: The McAlary Effect

MAC FOOTBALL KENT STATE GOLDEN FLASHES
Kent State sees another top target head elsewhere
Three star DE Cantwell heading to UMass
By Don Knotts | @theotherdonknotts | November 4, 2025

Kent State has lost another of their top targets at three star DE Cameron Cantwell has decided to stay close to home. The Newburyport, Massachusetts native has given the Minutemen a verbal commitment.

Archer Kuhn, a QB that Kent State had cooled on, signed with Akron.

Recruiting Class
(Listed by National Ranking)
POS|NAME||NATL|STATE|POS|Hometown|HT|WT
ATH(QB)|Lawrence Hamm||676|7|53|Colonial Heights, VA|6'1"|219
P|Hasheem Gwacham||749|25|9|Rockwood, MI|6'2"|206
ATH(QB)|Sal Bryant||1408|28|130|Chesterfield, VA|5'11"|208
OLB|Andy Durant||1472|29|62|Homestead, PA|6'2"|232

Recruiting Targets
(Listed by National Ranking)
##|POS|NAME||NATL|STATE|POS|Hometown|HT|WT|Stage: Schools
01|ATH(QB)|Deonte Dalton||477|17|39|Long Branch, NJ|5'11"218|Top 5: Kent State, UMass, Temple, Marshall, Middle Tennessee
02|ATH(WR/TE)|Nick Sumner||516|18|31|Dayton, OH|6'1"|230|Top 5: Kent State, Ohio, New Mexico, Ball State, NM State
03|ATH(TE)|Zach McClung||592|18|34|Germantown, MD|6'5"|227|Top 5: Kent State, Old Dominion, Marshall, Charlotte, Middle Tennessee
04|FS|Jeremy Skaggs||978|7|39|Urbandale, IA|6'1"|205|Top 3: Kent State, Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan
05|ATH(G/C)|Tevin Cantrell||1030|22|32|Chesapeake, VA|6'2"|287|Top 5: Kent State, Liberty, Navy, Buffalo, UMass
06|ATH(TE)|Max Kowalewski||1163|147|62|Winter Park, FL|6'5"|236|Top 5: Western Kentucky, Kent State, Central Michigan
07|RG|Tyrese Vernon||1202|23|55|Erie, PA|6'2"|305|Top 5: Kent State, Ohio, Buffalo, Marshall, Ball State
08|LG|Zach Scmysniak||1471|8|30|Boston, MA|6'5"|306|Top 5: Army, Kent State, UMass, Navy, Buffalo
09|TE|Brian Durant||1515|30|89|Downingtown, PA|6'5"|238|Top 5: Kent State, UMass, Navy, Buffalo, Western Michigan
10|RE|Cornell Heggie||1527|126|94|Smyrna, GA|6'5"|291|Top 5: Kent State, Charlotte, Eastern Michigan, Marshall, Coastal Carolina

11|WR|Pat Brock||1543|41|176|Potomac, MI|6'1"|192|Top 3: Old Dominion, Kent State, Marshall
12|CB|Jamal Rabe||1550|188|123|Daytona Beach, FL|5'10"|176|Top 5: Appalachian State, Kent State, Akron, Charlotte, Ball State
13|ROLB|Nathan Lucien||1553|32|67|Pittston, PA|5'11"|222|Top 8: Kent State, UMass, Ohio, Buffalo, Marshall, Ball State, Eastern Michigan, Temple
14|SS|Layne Flanagan||1574|42|46|Upper Marlboro, MD|6'1"|211|Top 5: Kent State, UMass, Buffalo, Eastern Michigan, Marshall
15|MLB|Vernon Davey||1610|66|92|Broadview Heights, OH|6'1"|221|Top 5: Kent State, Ohio, Ball State, Buffalo, Northwestern
16|DT|Alexander Wire||1625|65|72|Hightstown, NJ|6'3"|293|Top 5: Rutgers, Kent State, UMass, Buffalo, Eastern Michigan
17|ATH(LB)|Ethan Boyett||1633|44|93|Severn, MD|6'3"|234|Top 5: Kent State, Buffalo, Eastern Michigan, Marshall, Charlotte
18|ATH(DE)|Alami Kumar||1652|43|99|West Bloomfield, MI|6'3"|250|Top 5: Kent State, Eastern Michigan, New Mexico State, Temple, Georgia State
19|C(JUCO)|Larry Morris||1695|70|51|Stow, OH|6'3"|292|Top 5: Kent State, Ohio, Ball State, Buffalo, Marshall
20|CB|Lyle Mixon||1835|149|145|Atlanta, GA|5'10"|176|Top 5: Appalachian State, Kent State, Ohio, Ball State, Marshall

21|DT|Nazir Spears||1854|36|86|Catawissa, PA|6'0"|298|Top 5: Kent State, Ball State, Bowling Green, Ohio, Buffalo
22|K|Pat Thompson||2464|47|45|Merrillville, IN|5'9"|172|Top 5: Kent State, Indiana, Ball State, Middle Tennessee, Northwestern

[djp73]

Re: The McAlary Effect

MAC FOOTBALL KENT STATE GOLDEN FLASHES
Kent State Game Preview
Ball State
By Don Knotts | @theotherdonknotts | November 5, 2025

@
3-5/2-2 | 6-2/4-0
Week 11
Saturday, November 8 2025 | 11:00AM
Kent, Ohio | Dix Stadium
2024 Record: 4-8/3-5
Team Leaders:
QB Kiael Kelly 1,277Yds 9TD 5Int, 323Rush Yds 2TD
HB TJ Horton 291Yds 4TD
WR Justin Bowick 424Yds 1TD
WR Qian Magwood 286Yds 3TD
TE Tanner Koziol 224Yds 3TD
LB Sam Feeney 60Tkl
LB Jackson Wiegold 3.0Sck
LB Caden Johnson, SS DD Snyder, CB Myles Norwood 1Int

Injuries
Kent State: None
Ball State: QB K. Kelly, DE C. Smith, DT D. Harper, LB D. Harper, LB J. Stemler, LB J. Wiegold, FS J. Carter

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Re: The McAlary Effect

MAC FOOTBALL KENT STATE GOLDEN FLASHES
Kent State overcomes slow start, dominates Ball State for sixth straight win
Ulatowski, McCray abuse Ball State secondary
By Don Knotts | @theotherdonknotts | November 8, 2025

@
20 | 52
Saturday, November 8 2025 | 11:00AM
Kent, Ohio | Dix Stadium
(3-6/2-3)|06|00|00|14|20
(7-2/5-0)|00|28|10|14|52


CRISHON MCCRAY ENJOYS THE BAND AFTER ONE OF HIS TOUCHDOWN RECEPTIONS
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Kent, Ohio – Kent State's day started pretty poorly. With lost fumbles on each of their first two possessions and a poor punt on their third they found themselves trailing Ball State 6-0 at the start of the second quarter. An interception by Flashes senior CB Jaylen Dotson on the third play of the second quarter changed the Flashes fortunes.

Kent State put together a seven play drive that culminated in a two yard touchdown run by Gavin Garcia with Will Hryszko's extra point giving Kent State the lead. They would go on to score 28 points in the second quarter and never looked back.

Following a Ball State three and out the Flashes marched down the field again and made it 14-6 after a two yard Tommy Ulatowski touchdown pass to Donte Lee Jr. After another Ball State three and out Kent State needed just one play to extend their lead with Ulatowski finding Chrishon McCray behind the defense for a 73 yard catch and run. Ball State turned the ball over on their second offensive play and Kent State capitalized with Ulatowski and McCray connecting on a 21 yard score. The Flashes took a 28-6 lead into halftime and looked to be in total control of the game.

Kent State kept their foot on the gas after halftime, scoring on their third play when Ulatowski found McCray once again, this time for a 46 yard score. Hryszko would connect on a 21 yard field goal midway through the third quarter and Kent State held a 38-6 lead going into the fourth.

Garcia scored another rushing touchdown early in the fourth quarter before Ball State finally found the endzone on a two yard rushing touchdown by Christian Davis. McCray found himself in the endzone yet again just two plays later, this time on a 61 yard play.

Ball State, working against the backup Kent State defense, made things slightly more respectable with a second touchdown with around three minutes to play via a Kadin Semonza touchdown pass to D.J. Rice from 28 yards out.

Kent State's backup offense ran the clock out to secure the win.

Chrishon McCray's 316 yards receiving is a new MAC single-game record.

The Flashes rolled up 654 yards of total offense along with 59 first downs.

The Flashes defense held Ball State to 279 yards and nine first downs.

Additional Media

















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Scoring
1Q BALL Jackson Courville 35 Yd FG
1Q BALL Jackson Courville 41 Yd FG
2Q KENT Gavin Garcia 2 Yd run (Will Hryszko kick)
2Q KENT Donte Lee Jr 2 Yd pass from Tommy Ulatowski (Will Hryszko kick)
2Q KENT Chrishon McCray 73 Yd pass from Tommy Ulatowski (Will Hryszko kick)
2Q KENT Chrishon McCray 21 Yd pass from Tommy Ulatowski (Will Hryszko kick)
3Q KENT Chrishon McCray 46 Yd pass from Tommy Ulatowski (Will Hryszko kick)
3Q KENT Will Hryszko 21 Yd FG
4Q KENT Gavin Garcia 3 Yd run (Will Hryszko kick)
4Q BALL Christian Davis 1 Yd run (Jackson Courville kick)
4Q KENT Chrishon McCray 61 Yd pass from Tommy Ulatowski (Will Hryszko kick)
4Q BALL D.J. Rice 27 Yd pass from Kadin Semonza (Jackson Courville kick)
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Key Statistics

Passing - T. Ulatowski 18/30 390Yds 5TD 1Int, D. Kargman 2/3 29Yds
Rushing – G. Garcia 23Car 136Yds 2TD, P. Taylor 6Car 40Yds, T. Ulatowski 4Car 52Yds, C. Douglas 2Car 7Yds
Receiving – C. McCray 10Rec 316Yds 4TD, D. Lee Jr 6Rec 78Yds 1TD, C. Douglas 1Rec 7Yds, G. Garcia 1Rec 7Yds, M. Hazime 1Rec 6yds, J. Kimbrough 1Rec 5Yds
Tackles – C. Young 8, R. Nicholl 6, M. Folk 6
Sacks – R. Nicholl 1.0
Takeaways – J. Dotson 1Int, J. Rawlison 1FF, 2FR
Kicking – W. Hryszko 1/1FG 7/7XP


Passing – C. Harrison 9/22 92Yds 1Int, K. Semonza 8/10 89Yds 1TD
Rushing – T. Horton 9Car 34Yds, K. Seomnza 3Car 27Yds, C. Davis 4Car 21Yds 1TD
Receiving – D. Rice 4Rec 57Yds 1TD, Q. Magwood 2Rec 26Yds, M. Webster 2Rec 23Yds, J. Bowick 2Rec 21Yds
Tackles – M. Norwood 11, S. Feeney 10, C. Johnson 9
Sacks – S. Feeney 0.5, M. Norwood 0.5
Takeaways – A. Sutton 1Int, S. Feeney 1FF, C. Johnson 1FF, M. Potts 1FR, M. Norwood 1FR
Kicking – J. Courville 2/2FG 2/2XP
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[djp73]

Re: The McAlary Effect

MAC FOOTBALL
MAC Football Results
Scores, Players of the Week and other news and notes from around the conference
By Don Knotts | @theotherdonknotts | November 10, 2025

MAC Scores
Kent State 52, Ball State 20
Buffalo 24, Northern Illinois 10
Bowling Green 41, Miami(OH) 20
Western Michigan 28, Akron 20
Toledo 38, Eastern Michigan 24
Ohio 37, Central Michigan 14

MAC Players of the Week
KENT LB Rocco Nicholl 6Tkl, 1Sck
KENT WR Chrishon McCray 10Rec 316Yds 4TD*
*Also National Player of the Week

MAC Standings
Kent State 7-2/5-0
Ohio 7-2/3-1
Toledo 5-4/3-1
Bowling Green 5-4/3-2
Miami(OH) 4-5/3-2
Western Michigan 6-3/3-2
Akron 3-6/2-3
Ball State 3-6/2-3
Eastern Michigan 3-6/2-3
Buffalo 1-8/1-4
Northern Illinois 2-7/1-4
Central Michigan 2-7/1-4

MAC Leaders
Passing Yards: KENT T. Ulatowski 2,935
Passing TDs: TOL J. Richter 31
Rushing Yards: WMU J. Buckley 963
Rushing TDs: KENT G. Garcia 11
Receiving Yards: KENT C. McCray 1,169
Receiving TDs: OHIO R. Harris II 11
Tackles: NIU MLB J. Gassaway 98
Sacks: BGSU G. McNeal 11.0
Interceptions: BGSU T. Revels, M-OH CB T. Rush, AKRN CB J. Hunter 3

[djp73]

Re: The McAlary Effect

MAC FOOTBALL KENT STATE GOLDEN FLASHES
Coaches Corner
Offensive Coordinator Jordan McAlary
By Don Knotts | @theotherdonknotts | November 11, 2025

Each week in the days following Kent State's game I will spend a few moments chatting with members of the coaching staff. I'll share some key points in this column.

This morning I spoke with offensive coordinator Jordan McAlary following Kent State's blowout win over Ball State.

Huge win over Ball State. Started tough but bounced back and ran away with it. What were some adjustments that were made to be able to turn the game around?
Early on we had some ball security issues. Had our first pair of drives end with lost fumbles so from there it's just a matter of getting settled in. Defense picked us up early in the second quarter and we were able to execute from there.

Huge games from Tommy Ulatowski and Chrishon McCray. What led to that?
You know they had some injuries defensively, had some young guys out there. We saw them running a bunch of cover zero and Tommy and Chrishon are a couple of the best players in the conference so it's just making the read and execution and we got the better of them a number of times.

Player of the Week?
Yeah it's Chrishon obviously but he couldn't do it alone. Big game from Tommy. Gavin Garcia kept them honest. Nice game from the offensive line.

[djp73]

Re: The McAlary Effect

MAC FOOTBALL KENT STATE GOLDEN FLASHES
WR Brock choses Old Dominion
Dalton, Sumner narrow lists to three
By Don Knotts@theotherdonknottsNovember 11, 2025

Kent State WR target Pat Brock of Potomac, Maryland has given Old Dominion a verbal commitment according to Rivals.com. The three star physical receiver had Kent State and Marshall rounding out his top three.

After signing four three star recruits fairly early in the season Kent State has not been able to secure any further commitments.

Top targets Deonte Dalton and Nick Sumner have both narrowed their lists to three schools with Kent State at the top of both players' lists.

Sources inside the recruiting process indicate that the team may be looking to narrow their recruiting focus over the next few weeks as they look to add some numbers to their class.

Recruiting Class
(Listed by National Ranking)
POS|NAME ***** NATL|STATE|POS|Hometown|HT|WT
ATH|Lawrence Hamm|***|676|7|53|Colonial Heights, VA|6'1"|219
P|Hasheem Gwacham|***|749|25|9|Rockwood, MI|6'2"|206
ATH|Sal Bryant|***|1408|28|130|Chesterfield, VA|5'11"|208
OLB|Andy Durant|***|1472|29|62|Homestead. PA|6'2"|232

Recruiting Targets
(Listed by National Ranking)
##|POS|NAME|***|**|NATL|STATE|POS|Hometown|HT|WT|S tage: Schools
01|ATH(QB)|Deonte Dalton|***|477|17|39|Long Branch, NJ|5'11"|218|Top 3: Kent State, UMass, Temple
02|ATH(WR/TE)|Nick Sumner|***|516|18|31|Dayton, OH|6'1"|230|Top 3: Kent State, Ohio, New Mexico
03|ATH(TE)|Zach McClung|***|592|18|34|Germantown, MD|6'5"|227|Top 5: Kent State, Old Dominion, Marshall, Charlotte, Middle Tennessee
04|FS|Jeremy Skaggs|***|978|7|39|Urbandale, IA|6'1"|205|Top 3: Kent State, Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan
05|ATH(G/C)|Tevin Cantrell|***|1030|22|32|Chesapeake, VA|6'2"|287|Top 5: Kent State, Liberty, Navy, Buffalo, UMass
06|ATH(TE)|Max Kowalewski|***|1163|147|62|Winter Park, FL|6'5"|236|Top 3: Western Kentucky, Kent State, Central Michigan
07|RG|Tyrese Vernon|***|1202|23|55|Erie, PA|6'2"|305|Top 5: Kent State, Ohio, Buffalo, Marshall, Ball State
08|LG|Zach Scmysniak|***|1471|8|30|Boston, MA|6'5"|306|Top 5: Army, Kent State, UMass, Navy, Buffalo
09|TE|Brian Durant|***|1515|30|89|Downingtown, PA|6'5"|238|Top 5: Kent State, UMass, Navy, Buffalo, Western Michigan
10|RE|Cornell Heggie|***|1527|126|94|Smyrna, GA|6'5"|291|Top 5: Kent State, Charlotte, Eastern Michigan, Marshall, Coastal Carolina
11|CB|Jamal Rabe|***||1550|188|123|Daytona Beach, FL|5'10"|176|Top 5: Appalachian State, Kent State, Akron, Charlotte, Ball State
13|ROLB|Nathan Lucien|***|1553|32|67|Pittston, PA|5'11"|222|Top 5: Kent State, UMass, Ohio, Buffalo, Marshall
13|SS|Layne Flanagan|***|1574|42|46|Upper Marlboro, MD|6'1"|211|Top 5: Kent State, UMass, Buffalo, Eastern Michigan, Marshall
14|MLB|Vernon Davey|***|1610|66|92|Broadview Heights, OH|6'1"|221|Top 5: Kent State, Ohio, Ball State, Buffalo, Northwestern
15|DT|Alexander Wire|***|1625|65|72|Hightstown, NJ|6'3"|293|Top 3: Rutgers, Kent State, UMass
16|ATH(LB)|Ethan Boyett|***|1633|44|93|Severn, MD|6'3"|234|Top 5: Kent State, Buffalo, Eastern Michigan, Marshall, Charlotte
17|ATH(DE)|Alami Kumar|***|1652|43|99|West Bloomfield, MI|6'3"|250|Top 5: Kent State, Eastern Michigan, New Mexico State, Temple, Georgia State
18|C(JUCO)|Larry Morris|***|1695|70|51|Stow, OH|6'3"|292|Top 5: Kent State, Ohio, Ball State, Buffalo, Marshall
19|CB|Lyle Mixon|***|1835|149|145|Atlanta, GA|5'10"|176|Top 5: Appalachian State, Kent State, Ohio, Ball State, Marshall
20|DT|Nazir Spears|**1854|36|86|Catawissa, PA|6'0"|298|Top 5: Bowling Green, Ball State, Kent State, Ohio, Buffalo
21|K|Pat Thompson|**2464|47|45|Merrillville, IN|5'9"|172|Top 5: Kent State, Indiana, Ball State, Middle Tennessee, Northwestern