Flashes Visit Central Michigan Saturday on CBS Sports Network
10/25/2016 12:34:00 PM | Football
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For the first time in 12 years, Kent State heads to Kelly/Shorts Stadium Saturday in Mount Pleasant to take on Central Michigan. The Golden Flashes and Chippewas will be meeting for the 34th time.
Facts In A Flash
• In three of its losses this season, Kent State has held leads in the latter half of the fourth quarter. The Flashes were also four yards away from taking a late fourth quarter lead against Ohio.
• With seven touchdowns in his last three games, junior quarterback Nick Holley ranks 11th in the FBS in total touchdowns.
• The Flashes rank 27th in the FBS in total defense.
• Academic All-American, and senior linebacker Nick Cuthbert has made 32 tackles in his last five games with a recovered fumble. He was recently named a Campbell Trophy semifinalist.
• Senior safety Nate Holley leads the nation with 8.8 solo tackles per game (next highest is 7.0) and ranks second in total tackles (12.6).
• Senior apache Najee Murray ranks ninth in the nation in passes defended per game (1.5).
• Following his third pick of the season against Ohio, junior cornerback Jerrell Foster ranks 17th in the FBS in interceptions.
• The Flashes have not lost a fumble in their last four games and rank eighth in the FBS in fumbles recovered.
• Five Kent State offensive linemen have made a combined 125 career starts.
• Sophomore center Stefano Millin was chosen to wear the No. 54 jersey. (see page 6)
• Sophomore kicker Shane Hynes improved to 13-of-17 on field goal attempts this season and has made his last five kicks.
• Senior defensive end Terence Waugh ranks 37th in the nation in sacks (6.0).
• Kent State returned 10 Academic All-MAC selections and three MAC Distinguished Scholar-Athletes.
All-Time Series
Central Michigan leads the all-time series with Kent State 23-10, including a 27-14 win in Kent last season. Cooper Rush threw for 337 yards for the Chippewas, while Nate Holley led the Flashes with 15 tackles. Johnny Woods made four catches, including his first career touchdown. CMU leads the series in Mount Pleasant 12-4, including a win in 2004. Kent State's only overtime win in program history came in Mt. Pleasant in 2000.
TV/Video/Radio
Saturday's game can be seen on CBS Sports Network with Ben Holden (play-by-play), Jay Feely (analyst) and John Schriffen (sideline). The game can be heard live on 640 WHLO and Golden Flashes Radio on iHeartRadio. Ty Linder will handle the play-by-play duties and is joined in the booth for the seventh year in a row by color analyst Rob Polinsky. Jacob Pavilack will be the sideline reporter. iHeartRadio can be heard on a computer, smart phone or tablet.
The Coaches
• Paul Haynes is in his fourth year at his alma mater. In 2013, Haynes became the first Flashes' head coach to win his debut since 1988. He was a two-time All-MAC safety at Kent State from 1987-91, despite joining as a walk-on. He returned as an assistant in 1999 and was promoted to assistant head coach in 2000. After seven seasons on an Ohio State staff that won six Big Ten titles (2005-11), Haynes spent 2012 as defensive coordinator at Arkansas. His current tenure has also brought Kent State's academic achievements to new heights with the highest term and cumulative team grade point averages in program history.
• John Bonamego (Central Michigan '87) led the Chippewas to a bowl appearance and a share of the MAC West title in his first season at the helm in 2015. Bonamego is in his 28th season of coaching and second as a head coach. He has served as special teams coordinator of the Miami Dolphins, Jacksonville Jaguars and New Orleans Saints and has also spent time with the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers. Bonamego's college experience includes stops at Maine, Army and Lehigh. He was also a player/coach for a team in Verona, Italy.
Previewing Central Michigan
• The Chippewas won their first three games of the season, highlighted by a 30-27 victory at Oklahoma State.
• Central Michigan ranks second in the MAC in passing offense, averaging 288.4 yards per game.
• The Chippewas defense held a potent Toledo offense to just three points in the first half this past Saturday.
• CMU has won seven of its last nine home games dating back to last September. The Chippewas returned 17 starters from last season's team.
• Chippewa special teams units have blocked two kicks this season.
• The Central Michigan defense ranks 14th in the nation in passes intercepted.
Key Players To Watch
• Senior quarterback Cooper Rush has completed 61 percent of his passes for 2,289 yards and 19 touchdowns. He ranks 25th in the nation in yards per passing attempt. Rush was an All-MAC second team selection last season and an Academic All-American in 2014.
• Junior wideout Corey Willis ranks 12th in the nation in receiving touchdowns (8) and 25th in receiving yards (639).
• Junior running back Devon Spalding averaged 6.5 yards on 10 carries at Toledo. Spalding has 612 yards rushing and 117 yards receiving this season.
• Sophomore Jack Sheldon averaged 47.7 yards per punt at Toledo.
• Junior defensive back Amari Coleman has three interceptions and 10 pass breakups.
• Junior defensive back Josh Cox also has three interceptions along with 25 solo tackles.
Playing Disciplined
Against Ohio, the Flashes did not turn the ball over for the third time in their last four games. Kent State also committed just two penalties against the Bobcats.
The Flashes rank 30th in the FBS in turnover margin 29th in fewest turnovers lost.
Kent State ranks 24th in the nation for fewest penalty yards and 22nd in fewest penalties per game.
Kent State did not commit a single penalty at Alabama, marking the first time the Flashes had not been penalized since the 2012 MAC Championship game.
Third Down Defense
Ohio was just 2-for-9 on third down attempts against the Flashes, who rank 24th in the nation in third down defense.
In each of its last two games, the Kent State defense has held opposing offenses to five 3-and-outs.
Making Them Play Catch Up
Kent State's defense has not allowed a first half touchdown in 4-of-8 games this season. In each of the Flashes' two victories this season, its defense has not allowed a touchdown in the first three quarters.
• Kent State bucked a trend against Ohio and did not allow a point in the second half for the first time in 14 games.
CMU-Kent State Ties
Head Coaches Paul Haynes and John Bonamego both served on Tom Coughlin's Jacksonville Jaguars staff in 2001.
CMU DC Greg Colby was Kent State's DC when Haynes served as an assistant coach in 1999 and 2000. Chippewas' special teams coordinator and safeties coach Mike Dietzel was KSU's DC in 2001-02.
CMU OC Morris Watts was the OC at Michigan State, while Don Treadwell served as wide receivers coach from 2000-02.
Treadwell served as OC at Cincinnati in 2004, while CMU running backs coach Gino Guidugli played quarterback for the Bearcats. Mark Spencer was also on that Cincinnati staff as a quality control coach.
KSU receiver Miles Daniel and CMU defensive lineman Shahid Bellamy were high school teammates at Oak Park.
Chippewa offensive lineman Matt Doan is a Ferris State transfer, who played for Flashes' O-line coach Rob Zeitman in 2015.
Back-to-Back 17-Play Drives
Kent State ended its first half against Ohio with a season-long 17-play drive that went 91 yards. On their very next drive to open the second half, the Flashes put together another 17-play drive, using a season-high 8:18. On that drive the Flashes converted a third-and-21 and had a third-and-12 that resulted in a fourth-and-one conversion.
Monday Back in his Role
Against Ohio, junior cornerback Demetrius Monday got his first start since week two. Monday had missed three games with an injury and saw limited action in the next two. Monday was one of 39 defensive backs named to the Jim Thorpe Award Watch List. Last year, Monday finished seventh in the nation in total interceptions (6) and had a pair of defensive touchdowns. Monday also led Kent State cornerbacks with 35 tackles in 2015. He made nine starts as a freshman and had seven interceptions in a 13-game span.
Adams Pinning Them Back
True freshman Derek Adams placed five of his seven punts inside the 20 against Ohio. Over his last five games, Adams is averaging 41.7 yards on 32 punts with 13 inside the 20. Adams set career-highs for his longest punt three different times at Alabama with a 51-yarder in the first quarter followed by a 56 and 67-yarder. He averaged a career-high 46.0 yards on nine punts with three downed inside the 10-yard line, including two of them downed at the Alabama two.
