FLASHBack Series: Kent State On the Brink of MAC Title
11/7/2020 10:00:00 AM | Football
KENT, OHIO- Welcome to the Kent State FLASHBack series, powered by Ganley Chevrolet. This week, we look at a pivotal November 1972 game against Miami of Ohio.
The 1972 season peaked at the right time for the Golden Flashes. After a 0-1-1 start, the Flashes rolled into the game winners of three of four. A win over Miami would set up a shot at the Mid-American Conference title the following week against Toledo.
A win over Miami would not come easy, the team would go on to finish the year at 7-3 overall and were led by the MAC's eventual Player of the Year in running back Bob Hitchens.
Things did not start well in Oxford that Saturday. A quick three-and-out by the Flashes on their opening possession, opened the door for Miami to score on their first opportunity. A 54-yard run by Chris Brockermeyer did just that and Miami punched it in two plays later to take a 7-0 lead.
The ominous start for Kent State continued on the following possession as a promising drive ended abruptly with an interception at the Miami 10. The defense got the ball right back with a Mike Perlin interception on the ensuing drive, but the ensuing 33-yard field goal attempt by Herb Page was no good and it remained 7-0. After another defensive stand, the Flashes would fumble on their next drive to keep them off the scoreboard. Again, the defense stood tall with Hitchens being stopped on a fourth-and-one at the Kent 15 to keep it a one-score game.
Finally, the offense would get on track. Eddie Woodard would haul in a 32-yard catch and run to put the Flashes in the red zone for the second time. This time, Kent State found paydirt with a Gary Pinkel four-yard touchdown reception, Page added the extra point to knot the game at seven. A Hitchens fumble on Miami's next possession gave Kent State the ball inside the Miami 30. Again, they went to their tight end Pinkel who delivered an acrobatic catch in the end zone to give Kent State a 14-7 lead they'd take into the half.
Miami would trim the lead to 14-10 early in the fourth quarter but would get no closer. The exclamation point on the victory came with two huge defensive stops in the third and fourth quarters. On fourth-and-two at the Kent 30-yard line, Stu Showalter was picked off by sophomore Alonzo Curry who streaked 80-yards up the sideline for the pick six to make it 21-10. The Flashes would slam the door in the fourth quarter when Jack Lambert stopped Hitchens on a fourth-and-goal from the one, turning back the star running back and sealing the game for Kent State.
The Flashes would capture the Mid-American Conference title a week later with a 27-9 triumph over Toledo. Kent State would earn a bid to the Tangerine Bowl that year, the pre-cursor to today's Citrus Bowl. The Flashes would fall to Tampa 21-18, nearly erasing a 21-0 deficit.
Next week, the Ganley FLASHBack series will again travel to the 1970s, looking at a 1973 tilt with the Toledo Rockets.
