Kent State Prepares To Make The Short Trip To Akron Saturday
Courtesy: Kent State Athletic Communications
Release: 11/03/2009
Courtesy: David Maxwell/OhioSportsShooters.com
Game #10 Kent State (5-4, 4-1 MAC) at Akron (1-7, 0-4 MAC)
Saturday, November 7, 2009 • 3:30 p.m. EDT
InfoCision Stadium (30,000/ProGrass) • Akron, Ohio
Radio: WNIR 100.1 FM (Tom Linder, Rob Polinsky & Ty Linder)
Television: Fox Sports Net Ohio (Jeff Phelps & Hanford Dixon) • Internet: K-Zone
The Opening Kick
Riding a three-game winning streak and tied for second place in the MAC’s East Division with three games remaining, Kent State renews its rivalry with Akron this Saturday as the Wagon Wheel is contested for the first time in InfoCision Stadium. The game will air on Fox Sports Ohio as well as part of the ESPN GamePlan package and on ESPN360.com.
Relying on stout defensive play and a consistent offense to win three in a row for the first time since 2006, the Golden Flashes will attempt to overcome the fact that they’ve dropped 10 of their last 12 to their foes just 12 miles to the west, including 8-of-9 in Akron.
Shooting For 5-1
Kent State’s victory last Saturday against Western Michigan pushed the Golden Flashes to 4-1 for just the seventh time in 58 seasons in the Mid-American Conference, joining the 1954, 1958, 1972, 1973, 1977 & 2006 squads. Of those, only the 1958 team went on to win five of its first six games. (The 1954, 1972 & 1973 teams only played five MAC games). The 1976 squad set the school record with six MAC wins (6-2) after starting 1-2.
Flash Facts
• Having made four straight starts (five overall), true freshman quarterback Spencer Keith continues to play solidly. He has completed 58.8 percent of his passes for 1,538 yards, 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
• Sophomore Jacquise Terry has proven himself to be an excellent replacement for Eugene Jarvis after rushing for 572 yards in the last six games (95.3 ypg). He is averaging 4.9 yards per carry with four TDs.
• True freshman Tyshon Goode continues to lead the Flashes with 40 receptions for 553 yards and five TDS. Senior Jameson Konz has 17 grabs for 242 yards and a pair of TDs, while senior Phil Garner has 15 catches for 104 yards.
• Junior middle linebacker Cobrani Mixon continues to shine, leading the team with 89 tackles (48 solo) and ranking third with 9.0 TFL. Junior end Monte Simmons paces the squad with 7.5 sacks and 10.0 TFL.
• With his first quarter pick Oct. 24 at Ohio, junior free safety Brian Lainhart now has 11 interceptions in the last 16 games dating back to Oct. 4, 2008. His 13 career interceptions are tied for third in KSU annals.
A Glance At The Series
Akron leads the overall series by a 29-20-2 margin in a series that began in 1923. Kent State has just two wins in the last 12 meetings (2003 & 2006) and has dropped eight of its last nine games at Akron. This marks the latest point in the year that the Wagon Wheel has been up for grabs since the teams met in the final game of the 2005 campaign.
Television
The game will air live on Fox Sports Net Ohio, as part of ESPN’s national GamePlan package and on ESPN360.com. Jeff Phelps will call all the action while Hanford Dixon, a three-time Pro Bowl defensive back with the Cleveland Browns, will handle the color analyst duties. The game will also air on K-Zone as part of the premium video subscription.
Radio
For the third 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. Now in his second year in the play-by-play role (and his 11th as part of the broadcast), Tom Linder is joined this year by new color analyst Rob Polinsky, while Ty Linder continues his fine work on the sidelines.
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 (www.kentstatesports.com).
The Coaches
• Doug Martin (Kentucky ‘85) is in his sixth season as a head coach, owning a 24-43 (.358) 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.
• J.D. Brookhart (Colorado State ‘88) has a 28-40 (.412) record in his sixth season at Akron. In 2005 — his second year at the helm of the Zips — Brookhart guided Akron to a victory in the MAC Championship and a berth in the school’s first ever bowl game.
Up Next
Kent State is off next week before making its third trip in the last four years to Philadelphia to face East-leading Temple on Nov. 21. The Flashes have won two of the previous three meetings with the Owls. Meanwhile, Akron hosts Temple on Nov. 13 in its penultimate home game of the season.
Courtesy: David Maxwell/OhioSportsShooters.com
