Flashes Give No. 14 Broncos a Scare in 37-21 Loss

Saturday, October 29

Mount Pleasant, MI

12:00 p.m.

Kent State University

3-6 , 2-3

Central Michigan University

5-4 , 2-3

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Kent State

Central Michigan

Flashes Give No. 14 Broncos a Scare in 37-21 Loss

11/8/2016 11:38:00 PM | Football

Box Score

KENT, Ohio – Kent State gave the 14th-ranked team in the nation a scare before falling 37-21 to Western Michigan on Saturday at Dix Stadium.

After trailing by no more than seven points while opening the season 9-0, Western Michigan found itself trailing 14-0 less than 10 minutes into the first quarter. The Golden Flashes scored on the very first Broncos snap when Juantez McRae stripped the football and Najee Murray raced 47 yards with the recovery for a touchdown. Nick Holley added to Kent State's early lead with a 3-yard touchdown run with 5:14 to play in the first.

Even after the Broncos battled back to take the lead late in the third quarter, the Flashes (3-7, 2-4 MAC) bounced right off the mat, tying the game on a 20-yard Justin Rankin touchdown run on the first play of the fourth quarter.

"It was a tough, hard-nosed football game," said Kent State head coach Paul Haynes. "Our guys fought like crazy for as long as we could. When we look at the film, I'm sure we'll see a lot of good individual efforts. We just came up short, but we'll get back together tomorrow to move forward and get ready for Bowling Green."

Included in those impressive individual performances was a 141-yard, 22-carry effort by Holley and a 19-tackle night by Nick Cuthbert. Only two players in FBS have recorded more tackles in a game this season.

The turning point of the game came early in the fourth quarter when a Western Michigan punt rolled out of bounds at the Kent State 1-yard line. On the very next play, Rankin was tackled in the end zone for a safety that put the Broncos on top for good at 23-21 with 12:04 to play.

Western Michigan (10-0, 6-0) added a 19-yard touchdown run by Jarvion Franklin and a 5-yard scoring run by Fabian Johnson to put the game out of reach.

"We didn't get off of the field on a couple of third downs that we wish we could have," said Haynes. "We have good depth, but not great depth for this time of the season. They are a good football team with big backs who run strong. You get into the fourth quarter and that's tough duty (to defend).

Kent State goes on the road Nov. 15 to take on Bowling Green before closing the 2016 season Nov. 25 at home against Northern Illinois.

Postgame Notes
Senior Najee Murray scored his first career touchdown on a 47-yard fumble recovery. Murray has had a hand in a turnover five times this season and three times in the last two games. He made six tackles.

Junior Nick Holley ran for his 10th touchdown of the season, all in his last six games. Holley rushed for over 140 yards for the fourth time in five games and had his fifth 100-yard game of the season.

Senior linebacker Nick Cuthbert made a career-high 19 tackles, the third most by an FBS player this season. Cuthbert made 11 solo stops and a tackle for loss.

Freshman Justin Rankin scored his fourth touchdown of the season and third rushing TD.

Sophomore Jim Jones made a career-high nine tackles.

Kent State has scored defensive touchdowns on fumble recoveries three times this season.

Postgame Quotes

Paul Haynes
It was a tough hard nose football game. Give Western credit. Our guys fought like crazy for as long as we could fight. As we watch the film, I'm sure a lot of good individual efforts and we just came up short, but you know we'll get back together tomorrow to move forward to get ready for Bowling Green. So we're proud of this football team, proud of the way these guys fought. Nobody would ever expect us to play Western that good for three and a half quarters and we just kind of wore down at the end, but I'm proud of these guys and proud of their preparation.

On Western getting on field for some long drives
Yeah and we didn't get off the field on a couple third downs that you wish you could have got off the field you know, I mean, we've got good depth but not great depth you know especially at this time a year. They're a good football team. They do what they do and they do it well. The backs are big.

On the defense
I think we did a really good job against the pass. That has really been kind of their M.O. and throwing it over your head. They didn't get a lot of big plays on us in the pass game.

P.J. Fleck

On being down 14-0
We knew this would be tough, Paul Haynes and the Kent State Golden Flashes, their defense is the best in the league. We knew it would be tough to throw with the type of defense they play and the type of personnel they have. We knew we'd have to run the ball. We hit the big plays because of the run game. I've never more been more proud of a football team in my career than I am tonight. They continued to row the boat, the continued to show their character but you have to give Kent State a lot of credit, that's a really good football team."

On Fabian Johnson
The offensive line did an incredible job. They really were inside zone busters. Jarvion puts the ball on the ground, he responds elite. Then you get Fabian Johnson. Fabian Johnson is a senior, he was 1-11, Fabian Johnson was a back-up tailback in high school and look at what he's done, a senior. Outstanding performance by him.

How crucial was the safety?
I think it was the play of the game. It's 21-21 they're pinned inside their one yard line to get a safety, It's 23-21 and now we're rolling. We put our defense in a tough spot to start the game. That quarterback they have, he's outstanding. He's one of the most dynamic players. I would love to have him on our football team right now.