Kent State Tops Ohio University 28-6 To Complete Perfect MAC Regular Season
11/23/2012 12:00:00 AM | Football
Kent State applied the finishing touches to a perfect Mid-American Conference season with a 28-6 win over Ohio University during Friday's Senior Day at Dix Stadium.
The MAC East Division title was already secure, but the Golden Flashes entered their regular-season finale playing for the chance to make more history. The victory made them the first East Division team to go a perfect 8-0 in MAC play since the Ben Roethlisberger-led Miami Redhawks of 2003.
Capturing a 10th consecutive win to finish a program-best 11-1 overall should also keep Kent State climbing the polls and the BCS Standings. The Golden Flashes began the week ranked No. 23 by the Associated Press and in the BCS.
For now, however, Kent State's focus is centered on just one goal.
"When the clock hit zero, it was all about Northern Illinois," said senior Kent State linebacker C.J. Malauulu.
The Golden Flashes will face Northern Illinois on Nov. 30 in Detroit's Ford Field when the two nationally-ranked teams meet in the Marathon Mid-American Conference Championship game. The battle will feature two teams with identical 11-1 overall records and 8-0 conference marks.
The only other MAC Championship Game featuring two ranked opponents (both by the AP) was played in 2003 when No. 13 Miami beat No. 20 Bowling Green.
"This was another great win for us," said Kent State coach Darrell Hazell. "Even though we didn't play as well as we would have liked to on offense, we came away with a big win and finished 8-0 in the conference, which has never been done before here. Our defense played phenomenally.
"But the biggest thing for me is how proud I am of our football team. All of the players and coaches in the locker room keep battling no matter what the circumstances are, and always come up on the right side."
Fitting on a day when Kent State celebrated the 19 players who were appearing in their final game in Dix Stadium, the Golden Flashes found an early spark from their senior class when Malauulu forced a fumble that senior safety Luke Wollet scooped up and returned 50 yards for the opening score with 13:02 to play in the first quarter.
Malauulu added a touchdown of his own just three minutes later when he returned an interception of Ohio quarterback Tyler Tettleton 33 yards. Blocks by seniors Luke Batton and Sidney Saulter cleared a path for Malauulu, who reached the end zone with a lunge for the left pylon.
"We like to come out hot and set the pace," said Malauulu. "We did that."
The two defensive scores sandwiched a 15-yard touchdown run by Trayion Durham as Kent State jumped out to a 21-0 lead before the game was even five minutes old.
Two more Kent State seniors sealed the victory in the fourth quarter when quarterback Spencer Keith fired a 24-yard touchdown pass to Eric Adeyemi with 11:44 to play.
Keith completed 9-of-20 passes for 170 yards in his final home game before a crowd of 18,230 at Dix Stadium.
"There are a couple of us who played as true freshman," said Keith, naming Wollet, kicker Freddy Cortez and left tackle Brian Winters. "We've done a great job of leading the team. Last year was disappointing, but we came back in the fall wanting to turn this whole program around."
The difference between last year's 5-7 campaign and this year's 11-1?
"We started making plays," said Keith.
Hazell said the Kent State locker room had enough talent to be dangerous on the day he took the job in December of 2010.
"The belief was not always there … and there wasn't always enough attention to detail," Hazell remembered.
While there was reason for hope when Kent State won four of its final games in 2011, Hazell didn't start to believe 2012 would be something special until Aug. 2, "our first day of camp when we turned out the lights, put on a tape and tried to do some visualization. There was a sense at that point in time, and it really came across that these guys got it."
The Golden Flashes have been making big plays ever since.
Kent State's most notable playmaker, Dri Archer, finished with just 53 yards on 13 carries and another 58 yards on two catches. But he also managed to return to the game after suffering a frightening ankle injury in the third quarter.
Playing despite a hip pointer that kept him from finishing last week's game at Bowling Green, Durham finished with 97 yards on 16 carries, including his touchdown at the 6:11 mark of the opening quarter.
Kent State's defense made life miserable for Tettleton, sacking the Bobcats quarterback a season-high eight times while taking advantage of the slew of injuries that have hit the Ohio offensive line. Dana Brown and Richard Gray got to Tettleton twice each, while Batton, Jake Dooley and Roosevelt Nix added single sacks. Mark Fackler and Zack Hitchens combined on another.
Ohio has lost 10 players from its starting 22 since opening day, including three offensive linemen who could not finish Saturday's game.
The Bobcats scored only on Matt Weller's field goals of 33 yards in the first quarter and 41 yards in the second quarter.
Team Notes
Kent State became the first East Division team to go 8-0 in the MAC since 2003.
The Golden Flashes have done in two seasons (16 wins) what once took 12 years. In a 12-season span from 1989-2000, Kent State combined for only 16 wins (16-115-1).
Kent State went unbeaten at home (5-0) in a season for the first time since 1956.
Kent State's 10-game winning streak is the longest in program history.
Kent State's 11 wins are the most in school history, two more than any other season.
Kent State has won 15 of its last 17 games.
The Flashes have won 12 straight against teams currently in the MAC.
Kent State raised its NCAA-leading forced turnover total to 35.
The Flashes did not allow a touchdown for the first time since 2010 (Ohio).
The KSU defense had eight sacks in a game for the first time since 1994.
KSU improved to 14-1 since last season, when outgaining opponents on the ground.
The Flashes ran for over 200 yards for the eighth time in the last 10 games.
Individual Notes
Junior Luke Wollet scored his third career touchdown on a fumble recovery forced by CJ Malauulu.
Malauulu also intercepted a pass and returned it 33 yards for his first career touchdown, becoming the 13th Kent State player with an interception. It was only Tyler Tettleton's third thrown interception of the year.
Senior Luke Batton matched a career-high of 16 tackles. He had two tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble.
Sophomore Trayion Durham scored his 14th rushing touchdown of the season. He ran for over 85 yards for the ninth time this season.
Junior Dri Archer totaled 124 all-purpose yards on 16 touches.
Junior Roosevelt Nix had his 20th career sack and upped his career TFL total to 51.0.
Senior Jake Dooley upped his sack total to 6.5.
Dana Brown and Richard Gray had two sacks apiece.
Senior Eric Adeyemi caught a touchdown pass for the second straight game and his third of the season. His 74 yards receiving were a career-high.
Spencer Keith threw his 44th career touchdown pass.
Freddy Cortez had touchbacks on each of his first four kickoffs.
On his senior day, Trip Ison made his first appearance on a kickoff.
Postgame quotes
Kent State Head Coach Darrell Hazell
Opening statement:
"Well, it was a great win for us even though we didn't play that well on offense. I thought we came away with a big win that makes us 8-0 in the conference. It hasn't been done here before, 11-1. I thought our defense played phenomenal throughout the whole course of the game. We gave them the short field and scored enough points offensively to keep the lead. I thought we played pretty good special teams other than a few misfielded punts. I thought we flipped the field a few times. The biggest thing for me right now is how proud I am of this football team. All the players know to keep battling no matter what the circumstance. They always find a way to come out on the right side and that says a lot about their character, their attention to details - that kind of thing. This is obviously a big week coming up. Enjoy this one and get back to work tomorrow."
On the enjoys the pressure:
"It's been fun to watch this team all season long. They're mature, they don't flinch, they don't panic and they feed so well off of each other. That's probably one of the biggest reasons why."
When do you think the players and yourself started believing in the potential of the team:
"When I first took the job, I knew these guys were talented. If you look in our locker room, it's full of talent. The belief was not always there, paying attention to the specifics weren't always there, but those are things that you can correct. When I really got a gut feeling was the first day of Fall Camp, August 2. We turned the lights out and put on a tape to try and do some visualization. We turned the lights back on and there was a sense at that point in time...that they get it."
Kent State Senior QB Spencer Keith
On his touchdown pass to Adeyemi:
"He did a great job at the top of his route, he stepped to the outside of the safety. I just lead him a little inside and he did a great job of setting it up."
Did you ever think a MAC championship was possible?
"Well, you know we hoped it. Coach Hazell has done a great job of coming in here and turning the whole thing around. We've all responded really well, and we've got to keep it going these last two games."
Talk about the class of guys you came in with:
"There's a couple of us that played as true freshmen: Cortez, Batton, Winters, I can't remember everyone, but they've done a great job. Last year was disappointing, but we came into fall camp wanting to turn this program around."
Kent State Senior Linebacker C.J. Malauulu
On the defense tiring early in the game:
"I was winded at some points, but you just keep on pushing on and fight. That's our attitude."
Talk about scoring the touchdown in the first half:
"That was a crazy play. It happened so fast. I was manned up on the tight end who was off the ball. He stayed in the block, I read the quarterback's eyes, I rolled over that way and came up with the ball. I picked it and I was like 'Oh my gosh, I caught the ball.' Started running up the field and I saw Tettleton, he was about to cut me off so I waited for Batton and Saulter to clear him out and thankfully I got in. If I didn't make it, our offense was going to."
Any specific things game-planned to slow down Ohio:
"Containing Tettleton and keep him from getting out of the box, especially to his right.I think we did a good job of that, and covered him when we needed to, got sacks, and I'm just grateful for all those guy [teammates]. "
Ohio Head Coach Frank Solich
On bowl eligibility:
"I'm not making a case. We are what we are, we've got eight wins. We're a banged up football team. We'll go with the bowl seed, and we'll go from there, but I'm not making a case one way or another."
On sacks and what went wrong:
"It's hard to tell. They blitzed a lot, that was part of it. So, you're one-on-one an awful lot. I'd have to look as to, sometimes you can see the tackle because they are on the outside, and it shows if they get by pretty quickly, I saw a little bit of that. It's just what it is. When you're playing with inexperienced linemen, you're playing a very good defense, you're gonna have your fair share of sacks. But along with that, we had some really good plays, had some chances to keep some drives alive, but we weren't able to keep them alive."
Ohio junior running back Beau Blankenship
On not being able to finish:
"We just kill ourselves with the turnovers. With my fumble, they scored off of that, and Tyler's (Tettleton) interception they scored off of that. Just stupid plays."
On timing of turnovers early:
"It was terrible. We tried to rebound from it, we kept our heads up and tried to pull it out, and it's upsetting to finish the season like this."
On injuries:
"We just have to keep our head up and keep working and hopefully some time off will help them, but some of them are season ending. It's gut wrenching, we had some guys step up. It's hard to see them go down, I'm close to them and I love them."
On going to a bowl:
"We want to go to a bowl game, it's up to those people. We can play when we want to play."
