UMass pulls away late for a 40-17 win

Saturday, October 11

Kent, Ohio

2:00 p.m.

Kent State University

0-6 , 0-3

University of Massachusetts

1-6 , 1-2

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

UMass

Kent State

10/11/2014 6:06:00 PM | Football

Box Score

Photo Gallery

KENT, Ohio - Blake Frohnapfel tossed three touchdown passes as the University of Massachusetts beat Kent State 40-17, capturing the first win of 2014 for the Minutemen while keeping the Golden Flashes in search of their first victory.

The game only got away from Kent State in the closing minutes after Anthony Melchiori's field goal attempt to pull the Golden Flashes within just seven points was blocked by UMass' Kassan Messiah with just over five minutes to play.

UMass quickly pushed the lead out to 34-17 on a 10-yard touchdown run by Lorenzo Woodley with 2:12 to play after a seven-play, 80-yard march. On the very next play, UMass cornerback Jackson Porter returned an interception of Colin Reardon 34 yards for another quick score.

"It was a disappointing loss," said Kent State head coach Paul Haynes. "But I'm more disappointed with the end. We didn't play like Kent State. We didn't take play like the type of team we are. We were out of character. We can handle losses. We know we are young. We know it is a process. We had a (quarterback) gutting it out on one leg ... But the end of the game was unacceptable."

"I'm worried about not tackling. (A player) getting thrown out of the game. Those things are unacceptable ... We took steps backwards when I thought we had been taking steps forward."

After the game, Kent State's players gathered near the sideline for a short team summit.

"We definitely weren't happy with the outcome and the way we acted," said safety Nate Holley. "We got everyone together ... and had a couple of words with eveybody. It's one of those things where guys have to take a gut check and decide, hey, is this really what we want to be?"

UMass took its first lead at 14-10 when Frohnapfel found Jalen Williams for a 17-yard touchdown on a risky fourth-and-one throw with 9:01 to play in the second quarter. The Minutemen extended their advantage to 24-10 just before halftime on another fourth-down scoring throw of 4 yards to Jean Sifrin.

While the Minutemen made the most of every scoring opportunity, going 6-for-6 in the red zone, the Golden Flashes allowed too many chances deep in UMass territory to slip away behind inopportune penalties, a turnover on downs, and the blocked field goal.

Playing the entire game on an injured ankle that had knocked him out of last week's game at Northern Illinois, Reardon completed 22 of 41 passes for 191 yards and a touchdown. He even broke off a 34-yard run to the UMass 35 with just over seven minutes to play in the fourth quarter and the Flashes trying to cut into a 27-17 Minutemen lead.

Reardon's touchdown pass -a 5-yard strike to Josh Boyle with seven minutes to play in the third quarter - pulled Kent State to within seven points at 24-17.

The Flashes led twice in the first half, scoring first on a 41-yard Melchiori field goal in the first, then going ahead 10-7 on a 43-yard touchdown run by Anthony Meray with 14:42 to play in the second quarter.

Meray bounced out a tackle at the line of scrimmage, then outran the entire UMass defense for the left pylon. The touchdown was the longest play of the senior running back's career.

Kent State finished with 341 yards of total offense on 69 plays while UMass rolled up 482 on 73 plays.

Frohnapfel finished with 286 yards on 23-of-38 passing as the Minutemen improved to 1-5 overall and 1-2 in MAC play.

Kent State (0-6, 0-3) returns to action next week when Army visits Dix Stadium on Homecoming. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.

Postgame Notes

Despite being on crutches earlier in the week, sophomore quarterback Colin Reardon rushed for 53 yards, the most by a Kent State player this season. Reardon moved into a tie for sixth place in career completions (304) and surpassed 3,000 career passing yards (3,184). He also currently ranks eighth in career TD passes (18).

Senior Chris Humphrey moved into a tie for ninth place in career receptions at Kent State with 101.

Senior tight end Casey Pierce had a career-high six catches.

Sophomore Nick Holley got his first career action at quarterback. The Flashes picked up three first downs on the drive. Holley had a career-high 49 yards rushing.

Senior Anthony Meray's 43-yard touchdown was the longest run of his career and the first rushing touchdown by a Kent State running back this season. It was Kent State's longest run of the season and Meray's first touchdown of the season. His 51 yards on the game were the second most by a KSU player this season.

The Flashes had a season-high 150 yards rushing and a season-high 341 total yards.

Despite 41 passing attempts, the Flashes' offense did not allow a sack

Junior Josh Boyle scored his second touchdown of the season. He totaled five catches.

Sophomore linebacker Darius Redmond had eight tackles, one under a career-high and a half-sack.

Sophomore Ernest Calhoun had a 41-yard kick return and a 33-yard kick return, Kent State's two longest of the season.

Sophomore James Brooks had a 17-yard punt return, Kent State's longest of the season.

Junior Anthony Melchiori made a 41-yard field goal, giving him a streak of five made attempts from within 50 yards.

Junior Jordan Italiano had a team-high 10 tackles.

Redshirt freshman Ryan Malone had his first career kick return of 18 yards in the first half.

Freshman James Alexander made his first career appearance on special teams.

Kent State's 17 points were a season-high.

Postgame Quotes: Head Coach Paul Haynes

"Disappointing loss, with the end, we didn't play like Kent State, the style team that we are we are we were out of character. This is a process, young guys, a guy on one leg but the end was unacceptable, well get that fixed"

"I'm not worried about the interception, I'm worried about not tackling, getting thrown out of the game that's not the Kent Stat way, unacceptable."

"I don't think we were out of it at that time, the pass interference things we have to get cleaned up, there's always 4 to 5 plays that determine the game, you never know when they will happen, that's the beauty of it. Those things are big that we have to get corrected. We can't grab we can't hold, we have to get corrected."

"We didn't improve, that was thing that we wanted to do, yea we wanted to win but win but we wanted to improve. We took steps back."

"Sunday Monday and Tuesday we had Bolas and Holley. He (Reardon) warmed up Wednesday, practiced Thursday and a little Friday. It was day by day, we always had George (Bollas) ready to roll and that was the plan going into it. We decided to go to Collin."

"It's a part of the game that was practiced during the week, it's things we can add to our repertoire on offense."

"We gave up more big plays when we pressured in the first half, we calmed down more in the 2nd half, and gave up a couple in the 4th, we felt we were pressuring them they got some big plays in 12 personnel, we played more zone and make him find some throws. I can't get the end out of my mind.

"We gave up big plays with it too. We gave up a td on the pressure. We just changed to a 4 man front with zone from a 3 man front with zone."

"They got push up through the middle. That's on protection, we got to get the ball up but we have to protect a little better. Got to get low and drive, and you can't take it for granted. Got to protect and execute."

"We represent this whole university, were going to act a certain way and be about something. We're going to get that fixed."

QB Colin Rearon

(On his ankle)

I felt fine. Once you get in the game, your adrenaline starts rushing and I felt good all day.

It just gets a little more loosened up and it was just a hit when I would step into a throw or take an awkward step and it would just hurt for a minute or two, nothing bad it's just sore still.

(Late in the game)

We were positive after they scored their last run. We were being positive, it didn't seem bad and I just misread the coverage and threw where I shouldn't have. I let it get the best of me and I should never do that.

Safety Nate Holley

Defensively we weren't happy with the outcome. Some guys displayed that with the way they acted. We got together on the sideline and had a few words. It's one of those things when we have to come together not only as a defense, but as a team and move forward. Defensively we were frustrated more with how hard we played than the outcome of the game.

(First Half)

Without watching film I think we hurt ourselves. We gave them more plays than they made. They had talented guys so they made good plays, but we also gave them plays. Once you let an offense get rolling they just keep rolling.

Our big emphasis is when they get in the red zone is they leave with nothing more than a field goal. That's something we'll have to work on, it's all based on focus