Fast Start Leads Kent State To 68-43 Win Over Hampton

Courtesy: Kent State Athletic Communications

HAMPTON, VA — Kent State used a 14-0 run to start the game on the way to a 68-43 win over host Hampton University tonight at the Hampton Convocation Center. The Golden Flashes improved to 7-6 with their fourth win in the last five games after holding the Pirates (6-7) scoreless for the first seven minutes of the game.

Playing in his home state, junior Tyree Evans (Richmond, VA/Motlow C.C. (Tenn.) scored six points during the opening run and finished the game with a team high 21 points, including five three pointers Junior guard Chris Singletary (Chicago, IL/Florida Prep.) added 11 points while handing out five assists. Singletary now has 24 assists in his last four games. “I was very amped up for the game and I was excited that my family came out and supported me” said Evans. “It was a good game for Kent State basketball. We talked on defense and let the offense take care of itself.”

Behind the 14-0 start Kent State took a 35-18 halftime lead by forcing the Pirates into 13 turnovers. The Golden Flashes started the second half with a 14-4 run as they built up a 27-point cushion and never looked back. Evans, who is shooting 53.8 percent (14-26) from three this season hit two three-pointers during the stretch.

Senior Julian Sullinger (Columbus, Ohio/Fork Union Military Academy (VA)), scored 10 points to round out the double-digit scorers for Kent State which shot 48.2 percent from the field. Hampton connected on just 23.2 percent for the game. “We played solid defense, but it was a tough shooting night for them,” said Head Coach Geno Ford, “It was nice to get the win, but our defense look a lot better because they missed some open shots.”

Kent State travels to Temple on Monday. Hampton travels to Bethune Cookman on January 10th for a 4 p.m. contest.

Saturday: Kent State at Hampton Pirates

Courtesy: Kent State Athletic Communications

Complete Notes in .pdf

The Game
Kent State (6-6) rings in the new year with games at Hampton on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. and at Temple on Monday. The Golden Flashes are beginning a three game road swing looking for their first win away from home since a Nov. 19 overtime victory over Saint Louis.

Coming off a 93-42 win over Shawnee State on Tuesday, Kent State has won three of the last four. Six players reached double figures in the game for KSU led by 2008 Mid-American Conference Player of the Year Al Fisher with 16 points. Fisher, who played just 22 minutes for the game, tied a career high with four three-pointers - all coming in the first half. The Golden Flashes well balanced offense was fueled by a season high 30 assists - including seven from senior Jordan Mincy - on 36 made field goals. In the his first start of his KSU career, junior guard Tyree Evans scored 12 points and is now averaging 15.0 points and 2.0 steals in his three games Evans is also shooting 50.0 percent (9-18) from three. Freshman Justin Greene led the team with a career best eight rebounds in just 15 minutes of action.

Hampton (6-6) is coming off a 58-56 win over Yale on Tuesday. Led by a season high 21 points from Christopher Tolsen the Pirates snapped a three game losing streak with the win. Tolsen is averaging 19.5 ppg in the last two games, while Vincent Simpson leads the squad with 10.0 ppg this season.

Series Notes
• Kent State leads the series 1-0. The Golden Flashes won the only other meeting 77-71 last season at the M.A.C. Center.
• Kent State is 4-2 all-time against the MEAC after wins against Hampton and Coppin State last season.
• This is just the third game in Kent State history in the state of Virginia (George Mason, 2007; James Madison, 1987).

TV/Radio WNIR 100.1 FM (Tom Linder)

Next Up For Kent State
Kent State heads up east coast for a game at Temple on Monday.

Pdf. Game 13 - at Hampton (1/3/09)

DSU looking for upside in 24-3 loss to Kent State

KENT, Ohio -- Delaware State entertained thoughts of revenge Saturday in returning to the scene of its only regular-season loss of 2007. A second chance to play a Division I-A program like Kent State offered the Hornets another opportunity to test and improve themselves heading into conference play. Even after watching his team's sloppy 24-3 loss Saturday afternoon at Dix Stadium, Delaware State coach Al Lavan was convinced his players would benefit from another visit to Kent.

"They did last year," Lavan said. "What we have to take from coming in to play this level of football [against] this number of good players is this -- we have to be significantly better the next time we play. And I think we will be for having played this type of team and experiencing the adversity we experienced. Now, we have to overcome it and go play at a higher level."

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Attendance: 8,529 (28%) Dix Stadium, Kent, OH (Capacity: 30,520)

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Postgame Notes

Kent State Set To Host Delaware State On Saturday

Courtesy: Kent State Athletic Communications

Complete Delaware State Game Notes (PDF Format)
Click here to Watch the Game Live on K-Zone!

Kent State (0-2) vs.
Delaware State (1-0)
Saturday, September 13, 2008 • 2:00 p.m. EDT
Dix Stadium (25,000/FieldTurf) • Kent, Ohio
WNIR 100.1 FM (Tom Linder, Reggie Crook & Ty Linder)

THE OPENING KICK

Kent State will debut the new-look Dix Stadium on Saturday when the Golden Flashes welcome Football Championship Series opponent Delaware State to Kent for the second consecutive season. Last year, the Flashes earned a 38-7 victory, handing the Hornets their only regular season setback against 10 victories.

In last year’s match-up, Eugene Jarvis rushed for 136 yards and a touchdown, while also catching a 42-yard TD pass as part of a 267-yard passing day for quarterback Julian Edelman. Shawn Bayes started the scoring with a 42-yard touchdown grab before closing out the game with a 95-yard kickoff return with 22 seconds remaining.

SATURDAY'S SCHEDULE IS PACKED

Beginning when doors open on Tailgate Alley at 11:30 a.m. right up until the end of the game, the Heroes’ Day activities surrounding Kent State’s home opener Saturday against Delaware State will have fans excited, entertained and most importantly, educated.

The day will begin at Tailgate Alley with interactive displays and demonstrations from the four branches of the armed forces and local fire, police and rescue squads. In addition, the Flight 93 exhibit and timeline that spent all week at the M.A.C. Center will also be set up.

Prior to the game, the Army Fast Track Jump team will deliver the game ball and the Air Force will conduct a fly-over following a national anthem performance that will be highlighted by the unveiling of a 47’ x 90’ American flag on the field. In addition, family members of the Flight 93 passengers and crew, members of the U.S. Army and a Wounded Warrior representative will be on hand for the coin toss involving a special Flight 93 commemorative coin.

FLASH FACTS

• Running back Eugene Jarvis moved within 12 yards of taking over fourth place in the KSU rushing annals with his 139-yard performance at Iowa State. The junior now has 2,657 yards in just over two seasons.

• Quarterback Julian Edelman has completed 55.6 percent of his passes en route to throwing for 294 yards in the first two games. He is also the team’s second-leading rusher with 97 yards.

• Linebacker Derek Burrell extended his double-digit tackles streak to six games with 11 stops at Iowa State. After two games, he leads the MAC with 25 tackles.

• Delaware State is the only school out of the MEAC that Kent State has faced in its 86-year history.

A GLANCE AT THE SERIES

Kent State won last year’s contest, 38-7, in the first meeting between the two schools. The loss was the only regular season setback for the Hornets as the Flashes improved to 26-22-1 all-time against FCS opponents. DSU is the only MEAC school KSU has ever faced.

KSU VS. FCS OPPONENTS UNDER MARTIN

Year Opponent Result Score
2003 Youngstown State W 16-13
2007 Liberty W 38-10
2007 SE Missouri State W 33-12
2007 Delaware State W 38-7

TELEVISION

None. However, the game can be seen on http://www.kentstatesports.com/ as part of the premium content on the K-Zone.

RADIO

For the second straight year, the excitement of Golden Flashes football can be found on flagship station WNIR 100.1 FM in Northeast Ohio as part of the Kent State ISP Sports Network. New for this year, Tom Linder slides over from the analyst chair to handle the play-by-play duties, with Reggie Crook (defensive back at KSU, 1998-01) joining the team as the color analyst. Once again, Ty Linder will roam the sidelines for all of the broadcasts.

WEB SITE

Live audio for all Kent State football game broadcasts, live video of select games and live stats are available via the K-Zone on the official athletic department web site (http://www.kentstatesports.com/).

THE COACHES

• Doug Martin (Kentucky ‘85) is in his fifth season as a head coach, owning a 15-33 record at the helm of the Golden Flashes. He was promoted to head coach March 1, 2004, after serving as Kent State’s offensive coordinator in 2003. (For a complete Martin bio see page 12.)

• Al Lavan (Colorado State ‘70) has a 30-16 record in his fifth season at Delaware State. Overall, he is 32-17 in six seasons as a head coach, including a 2-1 mark at Eastern Michigan in 2003 after taking over for Jeff Woodruff, who was fired after the Eagles started 1-8.

UP NEXT

The Golden Flashes embark on a two-game road trip beginning at Louisiana-Lafayette on Sept. 20. Following the first-ever meeting between the two schools, Kent State will open up MAC play the following weekend at Ball State in a game that will be televised on ESPN Plus.

DSU can't stop Kent State in second half

By KRISTIAN POPE, The News Journal

Hornets unable to contain I-A foe

KENT, Ohio -- Kelly Rouse had just been stood up straight by an opposing lineman, causing him to miss an easy sack. As he left the field due to fatigue, he was met with some unpleasant prodding by Delaware State defensive teammate Ronn Spinner.

Had Rouse made the sack, the Hornets would have forced Kent State into a fourth-down situation. Instead, on the following play, the Golden Flashes scored, a jagged pill for a DSU defense that had to that point prevented them from reaching the end zone.

The sequence was brief but served as a clear example of what happened to the Hornets on Saturday afternoon.

Playing against their first opponent in 20 years from what's regarded as the upper class of college football -- NCAA Division I-A -- the Hornets couldn't match the level of their opponent, or their own expectations, in a 38-7 loss at Dix Stadium.

Delaware State (2-1), ranked No. 24 among I-AA teams, found itself matched evenly with Kent State for one half. Then, everything seemed to go haywire.

Kent State, held out of the end zone for the majority of the first half, scored three touchdowns in a span of 8:43 from the end of the second quarter to the beginning of the third quarter to pull away without further challenge.

"The only reason we're where we are and they're here is we didn't have the same SAT scores," Rouse said after the game, his first since serving a two-game suspension for violating school policy. "We really are all at the same level. They just found ways to change the momentum."

The Golden Flashes (2-1), with the 15th-ranked rushing offense in the nation, found success often. They gained 201 yards rushing, while quarterback Julian Edelman added 267 passing yards and three touchdowns.

Eugene Jarvis led Kent State with 136 yards rushing and one TD. He also caught a scoring pass.

But it didn't come easily against Delaware State, playing its first I-A foe since a 1987 victory at Akron.

The Hornets received three first-half turnovers (one interception and two fumbles), but couldn't turn them into points.

Kent State's second offensive possession, 18 plays in length, ended with a missed 22-yard field goal attempt. Two possessions later, DSU linebacker Russell Reeves forced an Edelman fumble that was scooped up by defensive back Ryan Robinson and returned to the Kent State 41-yard line.

Edelman had four first-half passes batted down in the end zone by DSU defenders.

"It was frustrating, especially against a team like that," Edelman said. "I'm not trying to say anything bad about them, but we were supposed to win by a lot."

After Robinson's fumble recovery, Delaware State fullback Adam Shrewsbury took a pitch and threw a pass to Shaheer McBride. McBride found the end zone, but the play was called back because of an illegal man downfield.

With Kent State driving again at the end of the first half, Rouse nearly sacked Edelman, who found Phil Garner with a 7-yard pass. On the next play, Edelman connected with Shawn Bayes for a 42-yard touchdown to cap a 94-yard drive with 1:37 left.

"The feeling was, if we didn't let them score, we'd win," Reeves said. "We had a job to do. We were down, but we never thought we were out."

Kent State opened the second half with a 4-yard TD run by Jarvis and followed with Edelman's 56-yard TD pass to Rashad Tukes for a 21-0 lead.

Trailing 31-0, DSU scored its lone touchdown on a 1-yard run by quarterback Vashon Winton with 35 seconds left in the game.

By that time, the damage and result were complete.

"We did not return the challenge," DSU coach Al Lavan said. "

KSU 38, Delaware State 7: Kent State puts pedal to mettle

By Nate Ulrich, Beacon Journal sportswriter

Golden Flashes don't let last week affect this week

KENT: The Kent State University football team was on the receiving end of a second-half slaughter last week. On Saturday, the Golden Flashes were the ones who punished their opponents after halftime.

Kent State rebounded from a lopsided loss to Kentucky by thrashing Delaware State 38-7 before a crowd of 8,455 in the Golden Flashes' home opener at Dix Stadium.

‘‘We talked all week about not losing two games in a row,’’ KSU coach Doug Martin said. ‘‘And that is a big thing for Kent State. That's a character issue.’’

Delaware State, a Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) team, appeared capable of hanging with KSU (2-1) in the first half.

The Flashes squandered several scoring opportunities and drives with two lost fumbles, an interception and a missed 22-yard field goal attempt. They didn't score until junior quarterback Julian Edelman hit junior wide receiver Shawn Bayes with a pass in the end zone with 1:37 left in the second quarter. Delaware State junior defensive back James Romain was in perfect position for an interception, but Bayes jumped over him and grabbed the 42-yard touchdown pass to give the Flashes a 7-0 lead at halftime.

‘‘I just got a great opportunity,’’ said Bayes, who finished with four catches for 100 yards and a touchdown. ‘‘Coach always told me to use my speed to my advantage, and I got a chance to make a play by getting behind the coverage.’’

KSU lost to Kentucky 56-20 after the score was tied 14-14 at halftime last week. However, the second half Saturday was a different story for the Flashes.

KSU's defense set the tone during the first series of the third quarter, when junior defensive back Rico Murray intercepted Hornets junior quarterback Vashon Winton's pass at the KSU 40-yard line. The Flashes capitalized with a five-play, 60-yard scoring drive that was capped by sophomore running back Eugene Jarvis' 4-yard touchdown run with 11:43 left in the third quarter.

Photo: A mob of Kent State defenders smothers Delaware State running back Chris Strother for no gain during first-half action in the Golden Flashes game against the Hornets at Dix Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 15, 2007, in Kent, Ohio.

KSU's defense then forced Delaware State to go three-and-out during its ensuing possession, and the Flashes' offense took advantage again with a five-play, 68-yard scoring drive. Freshman wide receiver Rashad Tukes had his first career reception and touchdown during the same play, a 56-yard scoring strike from Edelman. Tukes almost fell after making the catch, but he pushed himself with his hand and kept his balance.

‘‘It was a big time play by him,’’ Edelman said of Tukes' touchdown catch. ‘‘I thought he was going down, but he kept his feet. You get excited when you see that stuff as a quarterback.’’

Edelman added a 42-yard touchdown pass to Jarvis with 14:50 left in the fourth quarter to give KSU a 28-0 lead. Edelman completed 18-of-33 passes for 267 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Jarvis finished with 22 carries, 136 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown.

KSU's defense held Delaware State to 191 total yards. The Hornets were 0-for-14 on third-down conversions. Sophomore defensive tackle Kevin Hogan and senior defensive back Fritz Jacques led KSU's defense with eight tackles each.

After Delaware State scored its lone touchdown with 35 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Bayes returned the ensuing kickoff for a 95-yard touchdown. It was the first time KSU had a kickoff returned for a score since 1999.

‘‘To come back out and finish with 31 points in the second half is really big for our football program and these players,’’ Martin said. ‘‘They're buying into what we're talking about, and I was really pleased with that.’’

Final: Kent St. 38, Delaware St. 7

KENT, Ohio -- Eugene Jarvis rushed for 136 yards and scored two touchdowns and Julian Edelman passed for three scores to lead Kent State past Delaware State 38-7 on Saturday.

Jarvis, who carried 22 times, scored on a 4-yard run and also caught a 42-yard touchdown pass from Edelman.

Edelman completed 18-of-33 passes for 267 yards with one interception. He also hit Shawn Bayes on a 42-yard scoring strike and tossed a 56-yard touchdown pass to Rashad Tukes.

Bayes added a 95-yard kickoff return for a score in the final minute for the Golden Flashes (2-1).

Bayes' return followed a 1-yard touchdown run by Vashon Winton for Delaware State (2-1).

Kent State led just 7-0 at the half but broke the game open with 14 points in the third quarter and the first 10 points of the fourth.

Delaware State mustered just nine first downs. Winton was 11-of-21 passing for 74 yards with one interception. The Hornets added only 117 yards rushing on 41 attempts. Winton was sacked three times for 19 yards in losses.

ATTENDANCE: 8,455

After two-game suspension, DSU Rouse returns to lead defense

By KRISTIAN POPE, The News Journal

Senior apologizes, prepares to face I-A Kent State

DOVER -- It may have been a private affair, but Kelly Rouse made an important public gesture at the start of this week.

He stood up and apologized to his football team.

Rouse, a senior defensive lineman at Delaware State, said he let his teammates and coaches down while serving a two-game suspension for violating school policy. Rouse was told by the coaching staff to decline from publicly saying what he did to get pulled from the season's first two games. However, he said the issue wasn't academics.

"For me, as a senior, not to be out there, I disappointed myself but mostly I disappointed my team and coaches and my family," Rouse said. "I wanted to make an apology to the alumni and students and my family. All I want to do now is make a tackle."

After missing DSU's victories over Coastal Carolina and Florida A&M, Rouse returned to practice this week heading into perhaps the program's biggest game of the season.

The Hornets will play against their first NCAA Division I-A opponent since 1987 when they visit Kent State of the Mid-American Conference today at 4 p.m.

Rouse is considered a leader for the Hornets defense.

"When I was on the sidelines for the first two games, I felt like I was killing my team," Rouse said. "You just get that feeling. When I saw these guys playing hard in the fourth quarter and I couldn't get in there, it felt like they were saying, 'You're killing us.' "

Rouse had been alerted before the season opener that he'd broken a new school rule. But he said he wasn't told that new athletic director Rick Costello had suspended him until a day before the Sept. 1 game.

"I don't know if they wanted to make an example of me," Rouse said. "When one guy does it, you have to do something. But they're more strict now."

If DSU has any chance to beat Kent State, coach Al Lavan, who was comfortable with suspending Rouse for two games, said it could happen only with Rouse, arguably his best defensive player, on the field.

Last season, Rouse, from Newark, N.J., made 47 tackles and 3.5 sacks in nine games.

The Golden Flashes (1-1) run a spread offense, but they have the 15th-best rushing offense in Division I-A, averaging 263 yards per game.

"We can't afford to lose his type of speed on the field," Lavan said. "But we have procedures and policies that have to be adhered to. That didn't happen with Kelly."

Rouse, who moved from linebacker to the defensive line in the spring under new defensive coordinator Ray Petty, will line up on the left side against Kent State. Rouse said he believes this game is his chance to prove himself as a player who can compete at the highest level of college football.

Though the Golden Flashes are a mid-major school, Rouse and his DSU teammates are viewing this as a rare opportunity for a I-AA program.

"They haven't seen me play at all," Rouse said. "They have no idea if I'm even coming. What I want to do is create an unfamiliar atmosphere around their quarterback [Julian Edelman]. I'm not the kind of player looking for stats, but I have some catching up to do."

Delaware State (2-0) at Kent State (1-1) 4:00 pm

by College Football News

Why to Watch: Kent State can’t take it as easy as it might like to against a Delaware State team that just entered the national FCS rankings after a nice 2-0 start. The defense has been nice against Coastal Carolina and Florida A&M, and now the program is looking for one of its biggest wins in years. Kent State is coming off a 56-20 drubbing at Kentucky and desperately needs this win with road dates against Akron and Ohio coming up. Call this a litmus test game for the Golden Flashes. If this is really a team good enough to battle for the MAC title, it should win a game like this without breathing hard.

Why Delaware State Might Win: Kent State is as one dimensional as it gets, running the ball as well as anyone in the country, but failing to get much going through the air. DSU can spend all its prep time worrying about one thing, and while the defensive front isn’t anything special, it’s quick. The big key to pulling off the upset is if KSU starts turning the ball over. With seven giveaways in two weeks, the Golden Flashes haven’t been good when it comes to ball security.

Why Kent Might Win: There isn’t any one thing Delaware State does really well. It doesn’t have a high powered offense, it’s not particularly great at generating pressure, and the special teams aren’t anything to get too fired up about. Kent State shouldn’t have to do anything out of the ordinary to come up with the easy win.

Who to Watch: Eventually, a wide receiver has to emerge for the Golden Flashes So far, the passing game as revolved around Eugene Jarvis and Tom Sitko, while no one has stretched the field enough to make any defense blink. That has to change this week. You schedule a Delaware State to work on what you need to, and this week, Shawn Bayes and Phil Garner have to become dangerous targets.
What Will Happen: Kent State will run for 300 yards on the way to a walk in the park win.

CFN Prediction: Kent State 38 … Delaware State 13 ... Line: No Line

Kent State welcomes Delaware State for home opener

Kent State Athletic Communications

THE OPENING KICKOFF

After splitting a pair of season-opening road games at a pair of BCS schools, Kent State makes its 2007 debut at Dix Stadium at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 15 against Delaware State.
The game will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools, and the Golden Flashes’ first contest against a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opponent. KSU will be attempting to improve to 6-1 in its last seven home openers as the Football Championship Subdivision Hornets play their final game of the season outside of the MEAC.

The contest marks the Flashes’ only appearance at home over the course of the first five weeks of the season.

FLASH FACTS

• A win over the Hornets would move Kent State to 2-1 for the first time since 2003.
• Delaware State is the only opponent on this year’s schedule that the Flashes have never faced before. The Flashes are 25-22-1 all-time against FCS schools (formerly I-AA).
• Running back Eugene Jarvis is 22nd in the nation at 122.0 rushing yards per game, while quarterback Julian Edelman had a career-high 135 rushing yards at Kentucky. The pair have helped KSU to 263.0 ypg (15th in the nation).
• Defensive backs Jack Williams and Fritz Jaques lead the Flashes with 16 tackles each, while linebacker Jameson Konz has a pair of sacks.

THE SERIES

Saturday’s game will be the first meeting between Kent State and Delaware State, with the Hornets being the only new opponent on the Flashes’ 2007 schedule. KSU has never faced a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference school before and is 25-22-1 all-time against Football Championship Subdivision schools (formerly I-AA).

KSU VS. FCS SCHOOLS UNDER MARTIN
YEAR OPPONENT RESULT SCORE

2003 Youngstown St. W 16-13

2004 Liberty W 38-10

2005 SE Missouri St. W 33-12

The Flashes have won six straight against FCS opponents dating back to a 26-20 loss to Youngstown State on Sept. 16, 2000.

TELEVISION

None, although live video of the game can be seen via the K-Zone on http://www.kentstatesports.com/

RADIO

Together for the sixth straight year, Bill Needle (play-by-play), Tom Linder (color analyst) and Ty Linder (sidelines) call the excitement of Golden Flashes football on the Kent State Sports Network. KSU football may be heard on flagship station WNIR 100.1 FM in Northeast Ohio.

WEBSITE

Live audio for all Kent State football game broadcasts, live video of select games and live stats are available via the K-Zone on the official athletic department web site (http://www.kentstatesports.com/).

THE COACHES

• Doug Martin (Kentucky ‘85) is in his fourth season as a head coach, owning a 13-23 record at the helm of the Golden Flashes. He was promoted to head coach March 1, 2004, after serving as Kent State’s offensive coordinator in 2003.
• Al Lavan has a 20-14 record in his fourth season at Delaware State. Overall, he is 22-15 in five seasons as a head coach, including a 2-1 mark at Eastern Michigan in 2003 after taking over for Jeff Woodruff, who was fired after the Eagles started 1-8.

UP NEXT

Kent State makes the short trip west to visit arch rival Akron on Sept. 22 at noon. The Mid-American Conference opener for both schools will be broadcast on ESPN Regional. Meanwhile, after a week off, Delaware State returns to MEAC action at Hampton on Sept. 29.