FLASHBack: Defense Continues Impressive Streak
10/31/2020 10:00:00 AM | Football
KENT, OHIO- It's week nine of our FLASHBack football series powered by Ganley Chevrolet. To get ready for week one of the 2020 season, we take a look at a game that happened on November 4, 1933.
It was homecoming for the Golden Flashes and Kent State welcomed in the Marietta Pioneers, and the Flashes were welcoming in several thousand fans to see the Buckeye State clash. It would be the first of three all-time meetings between the teams.
The Flashes came into the game at 1-2-2 on the season but after tough losses to start the season, Kent State was unbeaten and not scored upon in their last three leading into the homecoming games.
Kent State's defense would ride the momentum of the previous three contests into this one with the Pioneers. Marietta sprung the biggest play of the first quarter when Ned Hickel sprung free and rolled 93 yards for what looked to be a sure-fire score. Roy Landis had other ideas, chasing down Hickel and the Pioneers settling for a goal-to-go situation.
Landis' chase-down tackle proved monumental as the Golden Flashes' defense held strong, pushing Marietta back to the 12-yard line and forcing a fourth-and-goal. The Pioneers made an ill-advised pass attempt on 4th-and-12. The Kent State defense had held opponents to 3-of-34 passing through five games that season. This attempt saw a similar fate. Jay Littlepage jumped an underthrown pass, intercepting it at the goal line and broke the other way. Getting great blocking from his teammates, Littlepage raced out to midfield with only one Pioneer left to beat. Losing steam, Littlepage looked to be brought down inside the Marietta 40. That's when teammate Joe Taborsky came out of nowhere to throw the final, perfect block, springing Littlepage the final 35 yards for the game's first score.
Marietta was able to move the ball against Kent State for much of the game, with a few long runs highlighting drives that would stall. The Pioneers had 11 first downs in the contest, compared to just four for Kent State, but Kent State continued to lead in the only stat that matters.
The game would remain 6-0 deep into the third quarter when a big play sparked Kent State once again. The Flashes were able to block a Pioneer punt, recovering at the Marietta 25. Joe Taborsky took the next play inside the Pioneer five on a halfback sweep as the third quarter expired. On the opening play of the fourth quarter, the Littlepage-Taborsky connection struck again. This time around, it was Littlepage who threw the block for Taborsky, who scored to make it a 12-0 ballgame after a missed extra point.
That proved to be the final as the Kent State defense pitched its fourth-straight shutout. The Flashes would run that streak to five after closing the season with a 0-0 tie against Mount Union. Kent State would finish the year 2-2-3 and close on a five-game unbeaten streak. Head coach Joe Begala would spend one more year on the sidelines before stepping down.
In week 10 of the FLASHBack series, powered by Ganley, we take a look at the 1972 season and a November contest with Miami of Ohio.
