Kent State hosts Eastern Michigan in final home game Friday at 6 p.m.
11/15/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
KENT, Ohio The Kent State University football team attempts to snap a three-game losing streak as the Golden Flashes play their final home game of the 2006 season, Friday, Nov. 17, against Eastern Michigan University. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m., at Dix Stadium (FieldTurf/29,287).
The Golden Flashes and Eastern Michigan each come into Friday's game with a three-game losing skid, with both team's last win coming against Toledo; KSU won 40-14 Oct. 14, while EMU won 17-13 a week later.
FLASH FACTS
• The Golden Flashes will honor 15 seniors prior to Friday's game that are playing in the final home game of their careers.
• Jack Williams filled the stat sheet Saturday at Virginia Tech, recording nine tackles, a sack and two forced fumbles.
• The KSU defense held Virginia Tech's Brandan Ore, the nation's ninth-leading rusher 31 yards below his season average.
• Kevin Hogan is 11th in the nation in sacks per game, averaging 0.94 per contest.
THE OPENING KICKOFF
• Kent State attempts to snap a three-game losing streak when it hosts Eastern Michigan in the Golden Flashes' final home game of the 2006 season. Kickoff at KSU's Dix Stadium (29,287/FieldTurf) is at 6 p.m., Friday, Nov. 17.
TELEVISION
• The game will be available in the K-Zone on Kent State's athletics web site (www.kentstatesports.com).
RADIO
• Together for the fifth 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 WHLO-AM 640 in Akron, WHK-AM 1420 in Cleveland and WHKZ-AM 1440 in Youngstown.
WEBSITE
• Live audio all Kent State football game broadcasts, live video of select games and live stats are available via the Golden Flashes' official athletic department web site (www.kentstatesports.com).
THE SERIES
• The all-time series between Kent State and Eastern Michigan is tied 13-13. The Eagles won the most recent meeting between the teams, 27-20, Oct. 1, 2005, in Ypsilanti.
THE COACHES
• Doug Martin (Kentucky '85) is in his third season as a head coach, owning an 11-21 record leading the Golden Flashes. He was promoted to head coach March 1, 2004, after serving as the team's offensive coordinator in 2003.
• Jeff Genyk (Bowling Green '82) is in his third season at Eastern Michigan, owning a 9-23 record with the Eagles.
UP NEXT
• Both teams close out the regular season next Friday, Nov. 24, with the Flashes playing at Ball State, while Eastern Michigan hosts Northern Illinois.
SCOUTING KENT STATE
• The Golden Flashes' defense performed admirably against the No. 20 team in the nation, limiting Virginia Tech to just 214 yards of total offense in a 23-0 loss... The Flashes trailed just 6-0 at the half, and limited the effectiveness of Brandan Ore, who came into the game as the ninth-leading rusher in the nation... He had been averaging 113.1 yards per game and 5.2 yards per carry, but he was held to 72 yards on 25 carries, a 2.9 yards per rushing average.
• Senior wide receiver Najah Pruden became the second KSU wide receiver to post 2,000 career receiving yards... His one catch of 49 yards at Virginia Tech, pushed Pruden to 2,029 yards, joining Eugene Baker as the only Flashes with more than 2,000 career receiving yards... Pruden also is fifth all-time with 107 career receptions and second with 14 receiving touchdowns.
• The Golden Flashes pass defense held Virginia Tech to 141 yards, which improved Kent State to the nation's fifth-best defense against the pass.
• Junior quarterback Michael Machen made his first start of the season at Virginia Tech, completing 6-of-16 passes for 98 yards.
• Junior cornerback Jack Williams loaded his stat line at Virginia Tech, totaling nine tackles, of which three were for a loss, with one sack, and he added two forced fumbles... Williams has forced a team-high five fumbles this season and also leads the team with four interceptions.
• Freshman defensive end Kevin Hogan picked up another sack against Virginia Tech, pushing his season total to 7.5, which is the fifth-most in a single-season in Kent State history... He is 11th in the nation in sacks.
• Junior Tom Sitko, who came to Kent State as a quarterback and was on the depth chart as QB as recently as the start of the 2005 season, now is the Flashes' second-leading receiver as a tight end... He has 13 receptions on the year for 163 yards and a score.
• Junior Jon Drager averaged 9.0 yards on three punt returns and 24.7 yards on three kickoff returns at Virginia Tech... Drager is fourth in the MAC in punt returns.
• Junior Fritz Jacques led the Flashes with 10 tackles at Virginia Tech... On the year he is second on the team in tackles with 66.
• Kent State was shutout for the second time this season, 23-0 at Virginia Tech... It is the first time KSU has been blanked on the scoreboard twice in the same season since 1994, when Central Michigan (45-0) and Ball State (34-0) each shutout the Flashes.
• Virginia Tech totaled just 73 yards rushing, on 36 attempts, the second-fewest Kent State has allowed this season... Only Temple had fewer rushing yards against the Flashes this season, posting 50 yards on 25 attempts in a 28-17 loss... KSU has held three opponents to less than 100 rushing yards this season.
| Complete game notes in PDF format |
