FLASHBack: Harrison's Sack Party
11/21/2020 10:00:00 AM | Football, The Golden Flashes Club
KENT, OHIO- It's the final week of our FLASHBack football series powered by Ganley Chevrolet. This week we head back to 2001 for the season finale against the Miami Redhawks.
History was on the line in the final week of the 2001 season. The Flashes had won four of their previous five games to even up their record at 5-5. Standing in the way of the first winning season since 1987 was a Red Hawk team led by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
Roethlisberger and the Red Hawks got off to a quick start in the first half. Miami jumped out to a 20-7 lead and threatened for more as the half wound down. Miami had the ball at the Kent 24-yard line when Kent State's head coach Dean Pees dialed up some defensive pressure. The blitz worked as Roethlisberger threw a wobbly ball that was picked off by Nashville Dyer, to keep it a 20-7 Miami lead at the half.
That play proved pivotal as Kent State went to work in the second half. Chante Murphy had two big runs on the opening drive of the half. Those set up Demarlo Rozier to make it a 20-14 game with a one-yard touchdown run. After the defense made another key stop, quarterback Josh Cribbs took control of the game. Cribbs broke four tackles and tight roped down the sidelines for a 51-yard touchdown run, the extra point would give Kent State its first lead of the game.
The defense would make that lead hold up. Kent State added a field goal to make it 24-20 and force Big Ben and the Red Hawks to need a touchdown on their final drive. The leader of that Kent State defense in 2001 was future Pittsburgh Steeler and Roethlisberger teammate James Harrison. Harrison on that day was a one-man wrecking crew, recording 12 tackles including five sacks and a forced fumble. The five sacks remain a single-game Kent State record. Harrison put his name atop the record book with sacks on the final two plays of the game to preserve the victory.
Kent State would secure that winning season, thanks in part to two future NFL talents in Harrison and Cribbs. Kent State would knock on the door of winning seasons a few more times before the magical 11-3 season in 2012.
This concludes our FLASHBack series powered by Ganley Chevrolet. We hope you enjoyed it. The Golden Flashes are back in action at Buffalo on Saturday, November 28th. Kick-off from UB Stadium is set for noon and will air on CBS Sports Network and the Kent State Radio Network.
