Football Pulls Away For 38-7 Victory Over Delaware State
9/15/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
Kent State overcame a sluggish first half before erupting for 31 second half points en rout to a 38-7 victory over Delaware State in the home opener at Dix Stadium on Saturday. The Flashes tallied 468 yards of total offense, while limiting the Hornets to just 191 yards.
Running back Eugene Jarvis ran for 136 yards and scored twice, his third straight game breaking the century mark, quarterback Julian Edelman threw for 267 yards and three touchdowns and the Flashes' defense held Delaware State scoreless for over 59 minutes in the victory.
“We were a little bit sluggish when we came out in the first half,” coach Doug Martin said. “To come back out and finish, is our other mantra we have around here, and with 31 points in the second half, is really big thing for our football program and these players. It big to have them buying into the ideas here, and I was really pleased with that. We have come light years in the kicking game, in the way we kick the ball and in our return game, they are so much better than they have been in the past. The way our defense today stepped up today was big and I was pleased with the overall record.”
After a scoreless first quarter, Kent State (2-1) wide receiver Shawn Bayes made an acrobatic catch to pull in a 42-yard pass from Edelman to break the 0-0 tie. Bayes had four receptions and 100 yards receiving, the first 100-yard day of his career.
“I just got a great opportunity,” Bayes said. “Coach always tells me to use my speed to my advantage, and I just got a chance to get behind the coverage.”
Bayes would end his day by responding to Delaware State's lone score of the game with a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter that he predicted would happen.
“I was talking to my receivers coach before the kickoff happened,” Bayes said. “I was like 'Aw, I've got to take this one to the house.'”
The Flashes' offense proved to be dangerous from anywhere on the field Saturday. In addition to Bayes' two scores, Jarvis and wide receiver Rashad Tukes had touchdown catches of 42 and 56 yards respectively.
Jarvis also scored his third rushing touchdown of the year in the third quarter. Jarvis now has as many rushing touchdowns as he had in all of 2006.
“The vision that Eugene ran with today was great,” Martin said. “Our tackles kept going outside so he was cutting up inside. And we were asking him on the sideline if he wasn't able to get outside and he said the hole was inside. He said that we needed to tell the tackles to move them inside and when they did that's when he really started freezing them. He just has great vision, and is probably the heart of our football team, he and Julian, but particularly Eugene right now, when he has the ball in his hands all the guys think something special is going to happen.”
After having a touchdown called back in the first quarter, Delaware State (2-1) had little success against Kent State's defense, who kept the Flashes in the game until the offensive was able to find a rhythm, until their score in the fourth.
“We practice with these guys (the offense) every day, so we know what they can do,” defensive lineman Collin Ferrell said. “We're a team. The offense struggles sometimes, we know as a defense we've got to step up. I'm sure there's going to be days where the defense struggles and we need to let them have our back.”
The Hornets were unable convert on any of their 14 third-down conversions on the day. Kent State held Delaware State to just 74 passing yards.
Defensive lineman Kevin Hogan paced the defense with one sack, a forced fumble and a team-high eight tackles. Cornerback Rico Murray had the Flashes lone turnover on the day with an interception in the third quarter.
“There are two things that we have done in the first two games that we want to change, the first is that we have given up touchdowns on the first drive of the second half,” Martin said. “But we eliminated that today. Offensively we haven't put up points in the fourth quarter yet this season, and today I think we had ten. And that's not counting the kickoff return, so that would be 17, so that was a positive.”
Kent State returns to action next Saturday when they will try to keep possession of the Wagon Wheel as travel to the Rubber Bowl to face Akron at noon on ESPN Regional.
Running back Eugene Jarvis ran for 136 yards and scored twice, his third straight game breaking the century mark, quarterback Julian Edelman threw for 267 yards and three touchdowns and the Flashes' defense held Delaware State scoreless for over 59 minutes in the victory.
“We were a little bit sluggish when we came out in the first half,” coach Doug Martin said. “To come back out and finish, is our other mantra we have around here, and with 31 points in the second half, is really big thing for our football program and these players. It big to have them buying into the ideas here, and I was really pleased with that. We have come light years in the kicking game, in the way we kick the ball and in our return game, they are so much better than they have been in the past. The way our defense today stepped up today was big and I was pleased with the overall record.”
After a scoreless first quarter, Kent State (2-1) wide receiver Shawn Bayes made an acrobatic catch to pull in a 42-yard pass from Edelman to break the 0-0 tie. Bayes had four receptions and 100 yards receiving, the first 100-yard day of his career.
“I just got a great opportunity,” Bayes said. “Coach always tells me to use my speed to my advantage, and I just got a chance to get behind the coverage.”
Bayes would end his day by responding to Delaware State's lone score of the game with a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter that he predicted would happen.
“I was talking to my receivers coach before the kickoff happened,” Bayes said. “I was like 'Aw, I've got to take this one to the house.'”
The Flashes' offense proved to be dangerous from anywhere on the field Saturday. In addition to Bayes' two scores, Jarvis and wide receiver Rashad Tukes had touchdown catches of 42 and 56 yards respectively.
Jarvis also scored his third rushing touchdown of the year in the third quarter. Jarvis now has as many rushing touchdowns as he had in all of 2006.
“The vision that Eugene ran with today was great,” Martin said. “Our tackles kept going outside so he was cutting up inside. And we were asking him on the sideline if he wasn't able to get outside and he said the hole was inside. He said that we needed to tell the tackles to move them inside and when they did that's when he really started freezing them. He just has great vision, and is probably the heart of our football team, he and Julian, but particularly Eugene right now, when he has the ball in his hands all the guys think something special is going to happen.”
After having a touchdown called back in the first quarter, Delaware State (2-1) had little success against Kent State's defense, who kept the Flashes in the game until the offensive was able to find a rhythm, until their score in the fourth.
“We practice with these guys (the offense) every day, so we know what they can do,” defensive lineman Collin Ferrell said. “We're a team. The offense struggles sometimes, we know as a defense we've got to step up. I'm sure there's going to be days where the defense struggles and we need to let them have our back.”
The Hornets were unable convert on any of their 14 third-down conversions on the day. Kent State held Delaware State to just 74 passing yards.
Defensive lineman Kevin Hogan paced the defense with one sack, a forced fumble and a team-high eight tackles. Cornerback Rico Murray had the Flashes lone turnover on the day with an interception in the third quarter.
“There are two things that we have done in the first two games that we want to change, the first is that we have given up touchdowns on the first drive of the second half,” Martin said. “But we eliminated that today. Offensively we haven't put up points in the fourth quarter yet this season, and today I think we had ten. And that's not counting the kickoff return, so that would be 17, so that was a positive.”
Kent State returns to action next Saturday when they will try to keep possession of the Wagon Wheel as travel to the Rubber Bowl to face Akron at noon on ESPN Regional.
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