Game #9
Kent State (4-4, 3-1 MAC) vs. Western Michigan (4-4, 3-2 MAC)
Saturday, October 31, 2009 • 2:00 p.m. EDT
Dix Stadium (25,000/FieldTurf) • Kent, Ohio
Radio:  WNIR 100.1 FM (Tom Linder, Rob Polinsky & Ty Linder)
Television:  None • Internet:  K-Zone

Gameday Central

The Opening Kick
Tied for second place in the Mid-American Conference’s East Division at the midway point of the conference schedule, Kent State returns home from sweeping a two-game road swing to host Western Michigan for a Halloween afternoon contest.

Arguably one of the biggest games at Dix Stadium in years, the contest will pit the Golden Flashes surging defense (no touchdowns allowed in the last eight quarters) against a potent Broncos offense that is led by senior signal caller Tim Hiller, who is wrapping up his career as one of the top passers in MAC history. Kent State will also be seeking its first win over WMU since 1988 — a span of 12 straight contests.

Shooting For 4-1
Kent State’s victory last Saturday at Ohio pushed the Golden Flashes to at least 3-1 for the ninth time in 58 seasons in the Mid-American Conference (and for just the fifth time in the last 50 years): 1953 (3-1), 1954 (3-1), 1956 (3-1), 1958 (3-1), 1972 (3-1), 1973 (3-1), 1977 (3-1) & 2006 (4-0). Of the previous eight times, the 1954, 1958, 1972, 1973, 1977 and 2006 squads all went on to win four of their first five MAC games.

Flash Facts
• Having made three straight starts (four overall), true freshman quarterback Spencer Keith continues to play solidly. He has completed 56.5 percent of his passes for 1,165 yards, nine touchdowns and six interceptions. • Sophomore Jacquise Terry has proven himself to be an excellent replacement for Eugene Jarvis after rushing for 482 yards in the last five games (96.4 ypg). He is averaging 5.1 yards per carry with three TDs.
• True freshman Tyshon Goode continues to lead the Flashes with 29 receptions for 355 yards and three TDS. However, sophomore Kendrick Pressley has come on as of late with 14 grabs for 203 yards, while senior Phil Garner has 15 catches for 104 yards.
• Junior middle linebacker Cobrani Mixon continues to shine, leading the team with 79 tackles (42 solo) and 9.0 TFL. Junior Monte Simmons and senior Aaron Hull are tied for the team lead with 4.5 sacks.
• With his first quarter pick Oct. 24 at Ohio, junior free safety Brian Lainhart now has 11 interceptions in the last 15 games dating back to Oct. 4, 2008. His 13 career interceptions are tied for third in KSU annals.

A Glance At The Series
With 50 all-time meetings, Western Michigan is Kent State’s most often-played opponent out of the MAC’s West Division. The Broncos have won 12 straight meetings dating back 20 years to 1989 and lead the series by a 32-17-1 advantage. WMU has won 16 of the previous 25 meetings in Kent, including the last six. (For the complete series history see page 12.)

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

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 23-43 (.348) 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 13.)
• Bill Cubit (Delaware ‘75) has a 33-24 record in his fifth season in Kalamazoo and a 67-42-1 mark in 10 years overall. Named the 14th coach in school history on Dec. 4, 2004, Cubit arrived at Western Michigan after spending the previous two seasons at Stanford. His prior head coaching experience includes a 34-18-1 mark in five years at Division III Widener.

Up Next
Kent State goes back on the road to open another two-game swing away from Dix Stadium with the annual Wagon Wheel game against rival Akron on Nov. 7 in InfoCision Stadium. The Zips lead the all-time series by a 29-20-2 margin, claiming 10 of the last 12 meetings, including a 30-27 victory last year in double overtime. Meanwhile, Western Michigan continues its three-game road trip by stepping out of conference one last time to face Michigan State.