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Game #11

Kent State (4-6, 3-3 MAC) at Western Michigan (4-6, 3-3 MAC)

Saturday, November 20, 2010 • 2:00 p.m. EDT

Waldo Stadium (30,200/FieldTurf) • Kalamazoo, Mich.

Radio: WNIR 100.1 FM (Ty Linder & Rob Polinsky)

Television: None • Internet: All-MACcess

The Opening Kick

Kent State plays its final road game of the year, while making its first trip outside the state of Ohio since Sept. 18, as the Golden Flashes square off against Western Michigan Saturday. The game marks just the second trip to Kalamazoo in the last 13 years for the Flashes.

The cross-divisional match-up pits the top-ranked defense in the Mid-American Conference (Kent State is 17th in the nation in total defense) against the league's number one passing offense (Western Michigan is 10th in the country). A win would put the Flashes in a position to finish 5-3 in the MAC for just the second time in the last 23 years (2001 & 2006).

Possession Problems

In dropping its last two games, Kent State has been on the wrong end of some lopsided possession statistics. Temple owned a 38:54-21:06 advantage, while Army had a 38:02-21:58 margin. Golden Flashes opponents are converting 52% of their third down attempts during that span (Kent State is just at 32%), while the Flashes are minus-four in turnover margin.

Facts In A Flash

• Sophomore quarterback Spencer Keith has completed 58.3 percent of his passes (179-306) en route to throwing for 1,868 yards and eight touchdowns so far this season. He has spread the wealth to 12 different receivers.

• Sophomore wide receiver Tyshon Goode leads the Flashes with 49 grabs for 606 yards and five TDs. Junior wideout Sam Kirkland is second with 45 catches for 530 yards and a touchdown.

• Junior running back Jacquise Terry has rushed for 518 yards and seven touchdowns, while making 20 catches for 257 yards and two TDs.

• Defensively, senior linebacker Dorian Wood leads the team with 82 tackles, while senior safety Brian Lainhart has 77 stops. Junior cornerback Norman Wolfe is tied for 10th in the country with five interceptions.

• Lainhart has contributed to 19 turnovers in the last 29 games. His 16 career INTs are three shy of the school record and are the most among current FBS players.

• Freshman lineman Roosevelt Nix leads the MAC in sacks (8.5, tied) and tackles for loss (17.5) and is 2nd in forced fumbles (4).

A Glance At The Series

With 51 all-time meetings, Western Michigan is Kent State's most often-played opponent out of the MAC's West Division. The Broncos lead the series by a 32-18-1 advantage. WMU owns a 16-8-1 record against Kent State in Kalamazoo, including nine of the last 10. (For the complete series history see page 11.)

Television

None. However, the game can be seen on www.mac-sports.com as part of the premium content on the All-MACcess package.

Radio

For the fourth 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 Sports Network from IMG College. Ty Linder will handle the play-by-play role and is joined in the booth by color analyst Rob Polinsky.

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 seventh season as a head coach, owning a 28-52 (.350) 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 14.)

• Bill Cubit (Delaware '75) has a 38-33 record in his sixth season in Kalamazoo and a 72-51-1 mark in 11 years overall. Named the 14th coach in school history on Dec. 4, 2004, Cubit arrived at Western Michigan after spending the previous two seasons on the staff at Stanford (2003-04). He also served as the offensive coordinator at Missouri (2000) and Rutgers (2001-02). His prior head coaching experience includes a 34-18-1 mark in five years at Division III Widener.

Up Next

The Golden Flashes close out the 2010 season by hosting Ohio on Friday, Nov. 26 at 11 a.m. in Dix Stadium, in a contest that was moved from 2 p.m. after being picked up by ESPNU. The Bobcats lead the all-time series by a 38-22-2 margin, including a 21-9-1 advantage in Kent. Meanwhile, the Broncos are in action again the same day when they travel to Bowling Green.