(photo courtesy of Dan Dougherty)

You couldn’t have really expected much more out of the Kent State football team. I’ll take a 21-0 loss in this game fairly easy. Yes, the flashes could have upset the Boston College, but they would have had to play a perfect football game.

Safety Brian Lainhart said it best when explained that Boston College is a team that will never beat themselves. And they didn’t. No penalties, no turnovers. That is as clean as you can get.

Kent State would have needed the inexperience of Boston College at quarterback and running back to shine through and neither showed much sign of weakness.

The Eagles also were much bigger and more powerful in the trenches, where I feel football is won.

Boston College came into this game a lot more skilled than I realized they were. Their defense, which finished last season second in the nation in rushing defense, is legitimate and will give any teams fits this year. I would have liked for Kent State to test their passing defense, but unfortunately the pass rush never gave them the chance.

Things I liked

 Very little mistakes

Perhaps the biggest positive to take form this game is the surprising maturity the Flashes played with on both sides of the football.

Committing four penalties for 30 yards is a very large improvement from last year’s team that liked to jump off sides and commit other silly penalties.

The Flashes stayed within their means, tried to execute their offense the best they could against a team they were outmatched by and played intelligent football.

The Turnovers were also kept to a minimum. Yes, Julian Edelman threw two interceptions. One was on third and long. The deep prayer was a glorified punt right before halftime.

His second interception was one of the more regrettable decisions of the night as he forced a ball over the middle when the Flashes had their own real chance for a touchdown. Edelman said that the lineman “made a great play” but I think he realizes he probably shouldn’t have thrown it. His running ability is still what makes him special.

True freshman Josh Pleasant had the Flashes only fumble lost as the ball was knocked out of his hand during a fourth quarter punt return. I’ll chalk that one up as a freshman mistake for now as the play was pretty much meaningless anyways. Welcome to college football Mr. Pleasant. I think he will be alright.

 Matt Rinehart’s punting

Wow, what a difference a good punter makes. Rinehart a true freshman pinned the Eagles inside the 20 twice as he averaged 43.4 yards a punt in his first career collegiate game. Jake Kilroy’s average last year: 36.6 yards a punt.

Rinehart’s longest punt of the night was 54 yards as he showed tremendous hang time on each punt.

Although the longest punt of the night belonged to Edelman as his pooch kicked pinned the Eagles on the one. I really liked the call and the execution on that.

 Andre Flowers

Did anyone run as hard or with as much purpose – atleast in a Flashes uniform– as Flowers did tonight? The Sophomore looked very quick as he came around the edge and ran with a certain demeanor that I love.

While there is no chance of anyone unseating Eugene Jarvis, depth at running back is a great asset. Especially since is style is so much different than that of Jarvis.

I wouldn’t mind seeing a Jarvis used in more of a Michael Westbrook role allowing Flowers to hammer it out, but it is too soon in the season to discuss those types of decisions

I would have liked to see more of…..

The passing game

The Boston College front seven is as good as any, if not the best, The Flashes will see all season. That doesn’t mean I don’t think the Flashes could have done a tad bit more through the air.

I liked that tight end Jameson Konz caught a pass early, but he was non existent after that. His line after the game: two catches, 12 yards.

Konz is a tremendous weapon at his position and can influence a game heavily. The Flashes must find a way to implement him more in the game plan.

When Edelman actually had time he did do a nice job of finding receivers, but the Flashes ran a lot of wide receiver screens and played extremely conservative. He finished the night 10-14 for 123 with two interceptions.

Shawn Bayes was a big plus on his four catches as he showed elusiveness and sauvy. Let’s just hope he doesn’t disappear next week like he seemed to do last year. This receiving group has a tendency to do that.

Eugene Jarvis

Kent State coach Doug Martin couldn’t help but laugh when I asked if Boston college was doing anything special to corral Jarvis.

Boston College was just too big and skilled of a team. After all, they finished last season as the second best team in the nation in rushing defense. Thye returned everyone in the front seven and added two guys who missed last year due to injury.

Not exactly the easiest team to find running room and the reason why Jarvis’ line for the night was 11 carries for 51 yards. He really never got going until the fourth quarter when he had the nifty 34 yard catch in which he batted the ball around the defender before catching it.

Score 14-0 BC

The game could be a lot worse than it is. Boston College has great size and athleticism at its skill positions. I am especially impressed with their running backs.

With that said, the Flashes still show a lot of similarities to last season:

 Strong running game, but it is Andre Flowers instead of Eugene Jarvis.
 Inadequate passing game. Where is Jameson Konz? Or better yet why isn’t Edelman looking for him?
 That good defense is still there.

Kent State needs to score early or this could get out of hand.

Game 1: Boston College versus Kent State
At: Cleveland Browns Stadium
Kickoff: 7:30

First impressions:

Standing on the field before the game I am extremely impressed with the size and stature that the Flashes now possess. It is finally starting to feel like Doug martin’s Flashes are on the cusp of being that winning team he envisions. Game time could be a different story.

Jarvis looks much stronger to me through the lower body today. He will get his yards, but will it matter? Julian Edelman and the passing game need to show up to give the Flashes any chance of upsetting Boston College.

With the eagles implementing an entirely new backfield an upset is possible though.

What to expect early:

The Flashes should, and need, to establish senior tight end Jameson Konz early. It is important for a few reasons.
1.) It will be Konz’s first game playing offense after converting from linebacker. He needs to be apart of the game plan to get his own jitters out.

2.) Edelman needs to establish the passing game early. What better way to do that than utilizing the new speedster at tight end.

Today’s media food:

Chili dogs, hot dogs or what ever you want to make out of them. We had the option of rigatoni as well. I was hoping something a little more gourmet since it is Cleveland Browns stadium, but I think KSU is still fitting the bill. Of course they have Stadium Mustard though.

No one is yet to match North Carolina basketball’s hushpuppies and homemade Banana pudding pie last year. Delicious.

Key’s to the game:

 The Flashes must be able to establish some type of passing game. Boston College ranked dead last in the ACC last year in passing defense. They led the conference in stopping the run though.

In order for Eugene Jarvis and Julian Edelman to get better running lanes the passing game must keep the Eagles honest.

 The Kent State defense needs to apply pressure early. Boston College has an entirely new backfield. The running back, Josh Haden, is a freshman. Senior quarterback Chris Crane is making his first career start.

That inexperience should be used against them. An early interception or just a solid pass rush could go along way in giving the Flashes the psychological edge over its opponent.

 The Flashes cannot beat themselves. The Kent State program feels as if it is finally on the cusp of turning the corner. In order to do that Kent State must avoid the traps that befall past teams: stupid mistakes and hurting themselves. A win today could go long way in establishing Kent State as a winner.

Live Blogging

I will be joining a few other Kent State beat writers on the homepage of the student newspaper, the Daily Kent Stater, for live blogging. Check it out and join us if you like, www.kentnewsnet.com.

The much anticipated college football season will get underway for the Kent State Golden Flashes Saturday against Boston College at Cleveland Browns Stadium.

Could the Flashes pull off another opening day upset? Here is a position by position break down.

COACHING

Interestingly enough Kent State coach Doug Martin, BC head coach Jeff Jagodzinksi and BC offensive coordinator Steve Logan all coached together at East Carolina.

The trio are good friends and share a lot of football philosophy starting with the offense. Kent State and Boston College both run identical pro style offenses, same calls and everything. Making preparation for this game easier on both coaches.

While Martin said the weekly phone calls with Logan did not stop this week, they were a little more reluctant to talk about their respective teams.

In his first season with the Eagles, “Coach Jags” turned them into a winning football team, whether that success can continue into his second season – and without Matt Ryan – is yet to be seen.

Martin enters yet another year of pulling the Flashes out of the perpetual college football hell they have lived in since 1972.

There have been high spots as Kent State knocked off Iowa State last year in the opener. And low spots as the Flashes lost its last seven games with an injury depleted roster.

Martin remains steadfast on his commitment to establish a winning tradition at Kent State and I still feel, like he does, that he is very, very close. It just needs to translate to the field
Advantage: BOSTON COLLEGE

QUARTERBACKS

Say what you will about senior Julian Edelman, but he is a difference maker when he is on the field. Edelman is such a good running threat that NFL scouts are eying him as a future return man. His arm has always been the question mark.

This preseason Edelman has looked better than ever according to Kent State coach Doug Martin. What I like the most about him this season is he is throwing to spots, which he didn’t do last year.

This problem was most evident in his air mailed interception against Ohio State. Much to the chagrin of Kent State, I could see Donald Washington sprinting down the sideline for six before it even left Edelman’s hand. That shouldn’t be a problem this year.

Nevertheless I have always enjoyed Edelman’s hard-nosed running as he has ran for 1,113 yards in his two seasons. He has thrown for 3,177 yards already and is creeping up the Kent State record books as well.

Boston College must break in a brand new quarterback in senior Chris Crane. He has played in just five games, but has amassed 262 yards on 27 of 40 throwing, so he is more than adequate.

Who would have ever thought that the graduated Matt Ryan would have been a first round pick before last year, let alone third overall? BC coach Jeff Jagodzinski definitely put his polish on Ryan. Can he have the same effect on Crane?

Advantage: KENT STATE
This is a very close one to call, but my decision is based on two things: experience and what Edelman can do when he is healthy. Considering he upset Iowa State last year and ran all over Kentucky, both when he was still healthy, I believe Edelman is above average. Unfortunately he hasn’t had many chances to showcase his talent yet due to injuries. Saturday would be a great platform to do just that.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Kent State senior left tackles Augustus Parrish (6-foot-5, 305 pounds) and Travis McGraw (6-foot-5, 305), and sophomore right tackle Pat Reedy (6-foot-4, 280) return from last year’s solid line.

Junior college transfer Mike Roder (6-foot-4, 310 pounds) should provide a seamless transition at right guard.

The Flashes will turn to red shirt freshmen Chris Anzevino, center, (6-foot-2, 308) and Michael Fay, left guard, (6-foot-4, 265) at the other two positions.

Parrish is a legitimate NFL caliber talent. All signs point to him having a great season. I also like moving Prishod Koonce, who will see time at right tackle, over from the defense. He is said to bring a mauler mentality to the line.

Boston College lost its stud left tackle, Gosder Cherilus, to the draft last year, but have a very capable fill in. Sophomore Anthony Castonzo was the only true freshman in the last 10 years to start on the offensive line at BC. He moves from right tackle to left tackle this season. Senior Clif Ramsey moves to left guard after starting 13 games at right guard.

Advantage: BOSTON COLLEGE

The Eagles return more overall talent in Castonzo and Ramsey and Rich Tennant, who is a returning starter at center.

RUNNING BACKS
Kent State is clearly in a better situation than Boston College here. Kent State junior Eugene Jarvis is a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate, who averaged more than 139 yards a game. He is also is the leading returning rusher in the nation as he ran for 1,669 yards last season.

On the other hand, the Eagles will turn to true freshman Josh Haden at the position. Haden, 5-foot-8 182 pounds, was an All-State selection in Maryland as a prep.

Sophomore fullback James McCluskey is the leading returning rusher for the Eagles. His line last year: eight carries, 14 yards.

Advantage: KENT STATE

WIDE RECIEVERS

The Boston College receiving corps is described as marginal at best by Athlon Sports, but they only lost one person (Kevin Challenger) from last year. How will that experience play on the field this season, with a new quarterback?

Senior Brandon Robinson (56 catches – 793 yards -5 touchdowns last year) and junior Rich Gunnell (64– 931 -7) provide a nice combo that far exceeds anything Kent State has.

If there is one position that I am not expecting much out of Kent State, it is the wide receivers. They have been streaky at best. Last year I noticed guys like Shawn Bayes or Derek McBryde, but it was only in spurts.

Freshman Chris Gilbert has been a pleasant surprise this year and could help. Defensive back Sam Kirkland has also moved to the other side of the ball and is said to be a natural.

Advantage: BOSTON COLLEGE

TIGHT ENDS

The decision to move Jameson Konz to the offensive side of the ball has looked great throughout spring practices. Konz has a great ability to go and get the ball. His hands are one of the best on the team. Plus, how many 6-foot-3, 220 pound men can run a sub 4.4 forty yard dash like he does? Expect him to also split out and play some at wide receiver giving the team a much needed boost.

Kent State’s backups are also interesting editions. Jonathan Simpson is 6-foot-5 225 pounds and adds a great athleticism to the team. Every time I watch him at practice I get the sense that he could eventually explode and be an all-conference performer. Unfortunately, he just hasn’t been able to translate his talent to the field yet.

Martin also moved Lester Troutman to the position from defensive end. He is more of a physical tight end than the other too and provides good depth.

Boston College senior Ryan Purvis is an All-ACC performer and is on the preseason watch list for the John Mackery Award and Rotary Lombardi Award. With his 54 catches for 553 yard and four touchdowns in tow, he makes this position an easy choice.

Advantage: BOSTON COLLEGE

DEFENSIVE END

Kent State’s front seven is one of the better groups in the conference and it all starts up front with the pass rushers.

No Kent State player opened more eyes this offseason than sophomore buck end Monte Simmons. His quickness will allow for a lot of rushes on the quarterback. There were times during preseason scrimmages that Simmons would manhandle ALL-MAC performer Augustus Parrish on the line. That doesn’t bode well for opposing teams.

I also expect Kevin Hogan and Darrius Carter to put pressure on the quarterback. Hogan has 12.5 career sacks in two years.

Boston College also features one of the better front sevens in its conference and Kent State coach Doug Martin said it could be the best defense the Flashes have seen since Ohio State. That is saying a lot.

Three of the four starters across the defensive line return, but B.J. Raji will fill the only void. Raji was an ALL-ACC second teamer in 2006, but missed 2007 for academic reasons.

Left end Alex Albright and left defensive tackle Ron Brace were both all-conference honorable mentions last year. Albright had 8.5 sacks last year and should continue that pace.

Advantage: BOSTON COLLEGE

Linebackers

In my opinion this is the strongest group of players on the Kent State team. Sophomore middle linebacker Cobrani Mixon will be playing in his first collegiate game. He missed last season after transferring from the University of Michigan.

Weak side linebacker Derek Burrell had a breakout season last year with 112 tackles (9.3 a game). This season he is on the preseason Butkus Award Watch list.

Starting strong side backer Cedrick Maxwell and middle linebacker Stevon Moss would start for any team in the conference.

Mark Herzlich, Mike McLaughlin and Brian Toal make up Boston College’s unit. This group of run stoppers make the BC defense go.

Herzlich is also on the Butkus Award watch list as well as the Lott award watch list. Toal missed last season with a shoulder injury. Expect Robert Francois and Kevin Akins to see a lot of snaps as well.
Advantage: BOSTON COLLEGE

SECONDARY

If there is one glaring weakness in the Boston College defense it may be the secondary. Gone is All-American, and leading tackler, Jamie Silva. Strong safety Paul Anderson is the lone senior of the group.

While the Eagles led the conference last year in stopping the run, they were atrocious at stopping the pass, ranking last.

Kent State is also young in the secondary as corner Rico Murray is the lone senior. The corners have played well in preseason camps, but the safety position seems thin.

Sophomore Brian Lainhart is playmaker at free safety and should be the centerpiece of this group, along with Murray.

At strong safety sophomore Dan Hartman saw plenty of time there last season to get acclimated to the position.

Sophomores Kirk Belgrave and Danny Sadler as well as true freshman Josh Pleasant will all see plenty of time at corner.

Advantage: KENT STATE

KICKING/PUNTING

What a difference a year makes. At this time last season Martin was praying that he could get something different out of his putrid kicking game. The punters couldn’t punt, the kickers couldn’t kick. It all equated to disaster on the field.

Those prayers seem to be answered as Martin calls the punting of true freshman Matt Rinehart a gift from the heavens.

Ryan Hidalgo, another true freshman, won the long snapper duties this season. Martin admittedly said the combo’s first punt will make for a nervous coach.

Junior kicker Nate Reed really had breakout season last year and finally provided some consistency in the kicking game.

The Eagles also have a true freshman as a punter. Ryan Quigley was an All-State punter in South Carolina.

Senior place kicker Steve Aponavicious was 13 of 19 a year ago.

Advantage: BOSTON COLLEGE
Although the flashes have made strides, it still needs to translate to the field.

So all signs are currently pointing to Tyree Evans being in class Monday. Talk about playing things low key, but then again he is just a walk on after all — A very talented, possibly one of the most talented players to ever play in the Mid-American Conference type walk on.

For those you, like me, who are interested in the type of game that Evans (may) bring to campus this season check out this Web site from the summer league he played on. The site is loaded with videos of him swishing 3’s. He definitely has a nice shooting touch.

I don’t know Evans personally and I am yet to meet him, but I do know if he does indeed land on campus Monday there will be a lot of questions that both he and Kent State will have to answer to satisfy a lot of nay Sayers.

I hope his past problems with the law are now behind him and he truly has turned the corner, but the ball is truly in his court. Man, that might be the worst cliché I have used in a while, my apologies.

ANOTHER WALK ON

It appears Evans won’t be the only walk on joining the Flashes this season. Former St. Vincent-St. Mary point guard Cameron Joyce will be joining the Flashes as well.

Joyce is the little brother of former Akron standout, and Lebron James best bud, Dru Joyce. The announcement comes as a little bit of a shock considering how popular Dru was as a Zip.

I am willing to bet Akron coach Keith Dambrot just didn’t have the roster space available. Cameron (5-foot-7) will provide depth at point guard for the Flashes.

…Fans from both sides declaring school supremacy can begin posting their humorous comments now. They will eventually be found below…

BROWN, STEINBURG CHANGE PLACES

Head coach Geno Ford still has a coaching spot to fill after the departure of Mike, director of basketball operations.

Brown is replacing Bobby Steinburg as the head coach of Motlow Community College. Steinburg is, of course, the new Kent State assistant coach and staunch supporter of Tyree Evans, his star at Motlow.

No word yet on who may be replacing Brown. Two guys will be interviewed this week.

DIMARIA IMPRESSES

I am hearing good things about red shirt freshman Antonio DiMaria as of late. I was told he registered the highest vertical leap on the team recently and is shooting the ball extremely well. Expect him to play a position similar to Mike McKee with a little more athleticism. If all goes well he could be a nice contributor alongside the streaky McKee and Rashad “What’s defense?” Woods.

Getcha TIVO’s ready! Kent State football coach Doug Martin will appear on Sunday’s Cleveland Indians broadcast to promote his team’s upcoming season opener against Boston College in the Patriot Bowl At Cleveland Browns Stadium.

The Tribe will be struggling errr… I mean playing the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Martin is scheduled to join SportsTime Ohio broadcasters Matt Underwood and Rick Manning in the booth during the fourth inning. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m.

The first inter-squad scrimmage of the season is rarely anything spectacular. Quarterbacks wear their red jerseys signifying they cannot be touched. Plays make clumsy mistakes as they learn the playbook, or work out at a new position. Sometimes it is just plain rust.

Either way, I never expect much from inter squad scrimmages, although there are a few items worth noting from to time.

THINGS I LIKED

Julian Edelman

Anyone who watched the scrimmage can throw out the numbers. Yes, Edelman had two interceptions and no touchdowns, but the picks weren’t his fault. The first one was a actually a pretty good throw before safety Brian Lainhart made a spectacular play jumping the route. More on that later.

The second interception was a result of the receiver running the wrong route. The one thing I have noticed this year is that Edelman does a great job of putting the ball into a spot this year and expecting his receivers to be there. Something only he does on the team.

Another great example of this is when the first team offense were starting from their own two. Edelman fired the ball downfield and to the left. About 15 yards away, a receiver turned around and got hit right in the breadbasket with the ball. The receiver wasn’t ready for the ball to be there. Edelman expected him to be at that spot, at that time. That is experience and that is why Edelman, if healthy, could have a great year.

Kent State coach Doug Martin said that this summer is the best he has ever seen Julian throwing the ball. I couldn’t agree more.

Edelman also showed his competitive side after the interceptions. On the Lainhart pick Edelman ran over and took Lainhart’s legs out, sending the safety flying through the air.

Lainhart, his off-campus roommate, said he should have known better than to think Edelman would not make the tackle while wearing the red jersey. No matter what they are doing, whether its basketball or video games or anything else, Lainhart said Edelman never stops competing.

On the second interception, by Dan Hartman; Edelman met Hartman on the sideline with a hit that probably made the linebackers proud.

Josh Pleasant

Perhaps the brightest spot of Tuesday’s scrimmage was the play of true freshman Josh Pleasant. He may have sealed up his position as a punt returner already.
With the offense pinned on the two-yard line, Pleasant fielded a 44-yard punt from Freshman Matt Rinehart.

He caught the ball on the right side of the field and spun out of a tackle by starting middle linebacker Cobrani Mixon. Pleasant then cut left and found a wall beginning to form. His plus speed and some nifty moves at the five got him past the punter Rinehart and into the end zone.

The Punting game

You did read correctly. It was a 44-yard punt by Rinehart. Martin referred to the punting game this summer as “A blessing straight from the heavens.” Hopefully the punting woes of the last two seasons can finally disappear this year.

The defense

At this point in the season the defense is definitely ahead of the offense. Then again, it’s hard to gage what the offense can do really do when Eugene Jarvis and Andre Flowers both get just a handful of snaps. Edelman cannot take off and run being his usual self either. Why get those guys hurt or tired at this time of the year?

Never the less, Coach Martin raved about the defensive front seven and rightfully so. Lineman Monte Simmons is a player who has been great in both spring and summer practices and looks to make a big impact on the defensive line.

Kevin Hogan, a holdover from last year’s defensive line, has also looked good in spurts. One person who grabbed my attention in Tuesday’s scrimmage was Lee Stalker. Stalker teamed with Darrius Carter for a sack against the second team offense. He also forced freshman Jacquise “Speedy” Terry to fumble.

Sophomore Dorian Wood, who is coming off a knee injury, recovered the fumble and ran 36 yards for a touchdown. Stalker is expected to supply depth on the line.

Brian Lainhart

My first instincts told me that his interception was a little bit of Lainhart knowing his own team all too well, Then Lainhart told us (the media) that the play was the exact same play Iowa State ran last year when he had an interception against them. Lainhart made a great play.

I liked Lainhart’s ability to recognize and react to the play. If he can read offenses like that on a consistent basis he will be on the field even more than he already is.

Found a nice Denver Post story about Jack Williams today. It's a little dated (July 22), but I don't think many people in these parts have seen it. You can check that out here.

Williams played special teams off the bat the other night against Houston. He got in on defense in the third quarter.

Friday marked the first full pads practice of the season for the Kent State football team. What better way to celebrate then to put all the players into an Oklahoma drill. It’s one defensive player versus one offensive player crashing together at a midway point. It was great.

Linebacker Cobrani Mixon, a Michigan transfer, had no problems shedding an offensive lineman during his first drill. It didn’t take long for the attention to move over to the defensive backs and wide receivers though.

They seemed to get a little chippy with each other throughout the Oklahoma drill. By my unofficial count defensive backs coach Scott Booker had to separate players at least 10 times. There was plenty of trash talked spewed. If it were a game, flags and ejections would have been all over the place. The hastiness toward each other ended immediately with the conclusion of the drill though.

Coach Doug Martin said he loved the competitiveness as long as the players shake hands and take care of each other after wards, which they did.

It is a good sign to see the receivers showing passion and feistiness in the drill. The group seems to be playing with a bit of a chip on their shoulder after the unit was ranked at the bottom of the MAC. The ranking is now being used as motivation, Phil Garner said at Tuesday’s practice.

Big hitters in the drill for the defensive backs were junior Danny Sadler, sophomore J’Darrin Bell and true freshman Josh Pleasant.

Red shirting? I doubt it

The next few practices will help determine which players will be utilized this year and who will be red shirted, Martin said after practice.

Two plays I don’t expect to sit out this season are Pleasant and h-back Sal Battles. The freshmen seem to be all over the field in important positions and situations.

Battles already feels like a valuable part of the offense as he lines up at h-back. I also wanted to call him Chris Singletary most of the practice. Despite the obvious fact he wears No. 2, he also has a body type that is very similar to the basketball stars, just not as tall. Battles looks to be a viable option this season on offense.

Pleasant, who is also wearing No. 2, works out with the first string’s nickel package and hauled in an interception during Friday’s scrimmage. He showed tremendous speed after the catch. I wouldn’t be surprised if both players were excellent return men.

No question, it’s Edelman

Quarterback Julian Edelman looked better than ever running the football. He was wearing the red jersey that signifies he cannot be hit, but his legs looked fresh. He seemed to have an extra pep in his step that I haven’t seen for quite some time.

There always seems to be a lot of varying opinion of how good Julian Edelman is and whether or not Giorgio Morgan should now be the starter. For the naysayers, just watch one practice.

Although Edelman lacks the arm strength of Morgan, he is able to place the ball better than him at this point. He is the only quarterback who throws the ball to his receivers before their breaks. Morgan has a bright future, but that is after Edelman graduates. Morgan will get a series every half this season though to prepare him for that.

One has to like Edelman’s work ethic as well. During team sprints Edelman leads his group every single time whether it is the first sprint or the last. He also has clearly added more weight this offseason, but still looks very nimble.

This will mark the first time in Edelman’s injury-marred career that he was able to compete at spring practice and now summer practices. That will make a huge difference come Aug. 30.

Despite the issues with durability Edelman has quickly become one of the better passers in KSU history. He is ninth all-time in career completions (232), Ninth in attempts (431), sixth in yards (3,177), sixth in passing touchdowns (17), fifth in completion percentage (53.8) and second in passing efficiency rating (119.48). Josh Cribbs and Jose Davis, who is the older brother of Ball State standout quarterback Nate Davis, are above Edelman on most of the lists.

Running backs look good

The running backs could be a strength of this team. Eugene Jarvis was being his usual self has he skirted to the left on and broke a huge gain between the tackles. I am not sure if he was even touched when the whistle blew halfway down the field.

Andre Flowers looks as if he may have added more weight in the offseason as well. As the year progressed last year Flowers seemed to get a better understanding and improved with each game. As a sophomore this year he will once again get a lot of carries. True Freshman Jacquise Terry also looked sharp in practice and has a bit more speed than Flowers does.

The run of the day goes to red shirt freshman Jamar Cromwell who trucked through the right side on a goal line drill. He pan caked a defensive back at the goal line for the score.

I can see all four of them contributing this season.

A big scare

Perhaps one of the biggest fears of any coach is to lose a player to injury on the first day of hitting drills. That was nearly the case for two Kent State players Friday.

Freshman wide receiver T.J. Williams had to be taken to a local hospital shortly after the Oklahoma drill. The 6-foot 180 pound player complained of dizziness before losing consciousness on the side of the field.

Before Williams was taken away on a stretcher he did regain consciousness. By the end of practice. Williams was alert at the hospital. There was a chance he stayed over night of observation.

Another scare

The hearts of the coaching staff had to be planted in their throats when standout defensive lineman Kevin Hogan laid on the ground clutching his knee during a goal line scrimmage. Things didn’t look good at all for the junior, but after a few minutes the training staff helped him up and he was able to put pressure on the knee.

The diagnosis I received as a tweaked knee and he will be good to go. He was held out of practice for the rest of the day. It is much better than being held out of Aug. 30 in my opinion.

Bruce Feldman of ESPN.com points out 10 of the secrets of college football. Eugune Jarvis of the Flashes comes in at No. 6. Check out the full list here.