This year’s Mediocrity Bowl….. err, Battle of the Wagon Wheel at Dix Stadium, was a fun, fun football game to watch. Two teams that mirror each other in skill level fighting it out for neighborhood bragging rights.
Two overtimes, big plays and even questionable calls were enough to entertain anyone who attended, whether KSU or Akron fan.
In the end Akron walked away with a 30-27 victory and retained ownership of the Wagon Wheel.
Kent State has no one to blame but them selves for this loss. After limiting the Zips to four consecutive three and out possessions in the fourth quarter, Junior Phil Garner was unable to handle an Akron punt, fumbling and giving the Zips a short field with four minutes and 24 seconds remaining. At the time the Flashes were firmly in control 21-17.
Akron quarterback Chris Jacquemain hit receiver Deryn Bowser for a 24-yard touchdown pass that was originally ruled incomplete. After reviewing the play it was reversed giving the Zips a 24-21 lead with one minute and 28 seconds remaining.
Just enough time for Kent State quarterback Julian Edelman to construct a 14-play drive to set up a game tying 32-yard field goal by Nate Reed at the end of regulation. The kick just barely made it through the uprights.
Both teams traded field goals in overtime until Reed missed his second chip shot of the game to give the Zips the victory. His first miss was from 27 yards, the second was from 23.
For the second year in a row the Flashes dominated in most phases of the game, but came out empty-handed against the Zips.
Akron rushing yards: 58
Kent State rushing yards: 256
Akron passing yards: 243
Kent State passing yards: 157
Akron total yards of offense: 301.
KSU total yards of offense: 413
GOOD IDEA
The idea to play freshman wide receiver Kendrick Pressley was intelligent and well though out. Kent State coach Doug Martin had everyone thinking that Pressley may red-shirt this season since he did not join the Flashes until the first day of school.
Instead, he prepared him all week with three to four different routes and found innovative ways to get the ball in his hands today. Kent State first offensive play was actually an Edelman pass to Pressley. It was dropped. Go figure.
Pressley played much better though after that. He led all receivers with eight catches for 57 yards. He also ran the ball three times for 15 yards.
Not to bad of a debut for Pressley. He will help this team tremendously at the wide receiver position. They need all the help they can get.
WHY KEEP PLAYING HIM?
I really don’t like to rip into players, but I have to say something about Garner. His fumble on the punt return that set Akron up for its late touchdown was ridiculous. Why not fair catch? Garner nearly lost the punt that preceded that one too.
A few weeks back Martin said that he needed to determine the players who can and cannot perform in game situations. Unfortunately, I think Garner may be one of those players who cannot.
His numerous drops at the wide receiver position all season have constantly hindered this team. By my uneducated guess he had at least three dropped balls today. One he was helped out by a pass interference call on Akron, but the ball was in his hands and still somehow found the ground. He finished the game with one catch for 14 yards and three return yards on four attempts.
I hate to write any of that, because Garner is a talented player. Heck, there is a reason why I am typing and he is playing on Saturdays. Show it to everyone Mr. Garner.
WHY BOTHER ARGUING
I have already heard a few grumblings about the overturned Akron touchdown and the questionable holding call on Kent State defensive back Danny Sadler a few players earlier, I believe it was on third down.
Who cares? They are all moot points. If Kent State doesn’t fumble the punt then none of it even happens.
“SPECIAL” TEAMS
How many games can Kent State lose over the span of three years because of its special teams? So far it is two this season (Iowa State and Akron). It’s absurd.
BAD IDEA
I won’t be surprised if Martin is bludgeoned by the media a bit tomorrow. After the game he had this to say in his opening statement of the press conference.
”I’m very proud of our team that they played with class and they showed class after the game, which can’t be said about everybody and I am just really proud of them.”
No one was really sure what Martin meant by it other than to take the implication that he directed that quote toward Akron for something they may have did or said. Martin refused to elaborate on the quote by saying he was “done with it” when another reporter asked.
By not elaborating Martin has opened himself up to criticism, but then again he opened himself up just by saying it to begin with. It will be interesting to see how the quote is interpreted in tomorrow’s paper by numerous media outlets.
FIRE DOUG MARTIN?
Calm down nay Sayers. I am already getting comments that Martin needs to be fired after Saturday’s game.
Martin cannot make players catch punts or make field goals. He can only put those players in positions to succeed. While sometimes I do agree Martin that does not always make the best decisions. This is not one of those games.
Martin did a very good job of coaching this game and the loss wasn’t his fault. His pooch punt with Edelman in the first half was a great call, as was the new wrinkle by playing Pressley. i also liked his going for it on fourth down a dew times in the game.
Julian Edelman said it best in his post game remarks when he said this is a loss that is on the players. There was no reason to lose this game. I thought Martin coached the hell out of the game until overtime when I thought he should have attacked the end zone a little more.
But then again that’s a moot point. They should have never even been in overtime if Reed kicks and Garner catches.
Martin may or may not get fired at the end of the season. Losing this game doesn’t help his chances, but who knows.
He has struggled winning on Saturdays, but everything else about the team is good. Players are graduating; they rarely cause problems off the field; and the program, although it doesn’t show in the record, has made strides from where it was.
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
An opportunity to turn the season around went down the drain! We out played them the entire game except for special teams.
Two suggestions to Coach Martin:
1. DO NOT ALLOW ANY PLAYER TO ATTEMPT TO FIELD A PUNT! PERIOD! Just rush everyone. You hold them on 3rd and 11 and force the punt…there goes the game! It can't be any worse than it has been! Just rush everyone and don't put anyone back to field punts! The freshman can't field them and neither can the junior! Just get out of the way!
2. SCOUT THE SOCCER TEAM! Our girls can kick, our guys can't! Seriously, travel to any high school in a 20 mile radius on a Friday night and you can find a bloody kicker that can hit a 23 yarder consistently!!
Special teams are killing us and it's a shame! Play that hard to lose that way!
Basketball practice starts on October 17th. It can't get here fast enough!
Yes, basketball can't get here fast enough. I hope Tyree Evans is allowed to take his house arrest bracelet off for games.
Maybe he can play football too!
Good ole Kent State…I don't hate ya, I just don't like ya.
Good lord, what a loser attitude you project on your blog.
"He has struggled winning on Saturdays, but everything else about the team is good. Players are graduating; they rarely cause problems off the field; and the program, although it doesn’t show in the record, has made strides from where it was."
Rarely cause problems off the field – looj into the credit card scandals from last year.
Has made strides? What strides.
Losers lose and Kent State is 1-4. Who will want to sign to play for a team that will fail to win a FBS game for a third time in a coach's tenure.
Maybe it was the Spy issue that caused the team to fail to WIN.
Talent on the field needs to be matched by talent on the sideline. Martin is just another in a long string of bad football coaches at Kent State, which is now the undisputed cess pool of losers in MAC football. 37 years and counting since the last bowl trip.
Laing Kennedy has been a wonder with hoops coaches, but that string has too run it's course with Ford. The Evans signing may pay dividends, but he has been kicked out of multiple colleges for being a bad egg. Add in a proven and indisputable cheater in Rob Senderoff on the bench and you have a pair of bad judgement calls before the first game of his head coaching career at Kent State. I wont even mention that he was a sub .500 coach at a D2 school.
Captain Obvious,
One thing that is "obvious" that you failed to mention is this; Yes, Kent State football is woeful, but Akron football is almost as bad. It amazes me how so many Akron fans wildly celebrate a win in which the Zips were outplayed for most of the game & barely beat such a bad opponent.
Being as objective as possible, Kent State football does in fact stink, but Akron football stinks too. In the big picture, as perceived by sports fans outside of the Akron – Kent areas (and I travel extensively throughout the Midwest) both teams are embarrassing to their respective Universities…
I watched this rivalry for the first time. I think a lot of the problem with Kent is that they allow themselves to exist in this loser mentality. It starts from the top down. It's nice to see one school making an attempt to legitimize this rivalry by investing in both academics AND athletics. It's nice to look at moral victories, but teams and fans should never mention "outplaying" in almost all areas of the game when only one area counts. The final score. This is even more apt in a rivalry game, where records (and sometimes talent level) is out the window. It's fairly obvious that these two teams do have similar talent levels, however only one is making an obvious attempt at improving theirs. Let's hope Kent State can invest in keeping this both a football AND basketball rivalry and not be left in the dust by an improving Akron program.
Improving Akron program?
WOW!
Let's not forget that the Akron program had its azz handed to it for most of the game and it wasn't until that bad Kent State program shot itself in the foot that Akron won the game.
Ask your coach what he said after the game. It sure wasn't, "We went out and played hard and did what we had to do to win the game."
No, he knew how fortunate his improving program was to escape losing to the woeful Kent State program.
Akron fans really are delusional. At least in Kent the fans know how bad their team is.
Did you see the Buckeyes last night?
Blain,
When was the last time the Flashes won a MAC championship in football? In case you missed it, the Zips won one in 2005.
Hilltopper,
First of all, I'm talking about this years Akron and Kent teams, not 2 – 3 years ago. Secondly, I'm fully aware of the Zips title in 2005 and as I recall, they clearly "backed" into that one. Due to a strange schedule that year (which has been rectified), I don't think they played every MAC East team. Also, in the Championship game, they were fortunate that NIU's excellent Senior QB was injured and was forced to play the game with a Freshman at QB. With all that said, it took a miraculous last second long TD pass for the Zips to win it. The Zips were a reasonably good team that year. Not great by any measure, but they were reasonably good. Didn't shine in the Motor City Bowl either as I recall playing and losing to a mediocre Memphis team.
The MAC overall was poor in 2005. In years such as 2002, 2003 or 2004, Akron would probably have gotten beaten badly by the top 25 Miami and BGSU teams. Hey, I'm objective, same goes for Kent State Mens hoops when they won the MAC in 2006 and 2008. Very weak league allowed that to happen. Poor showing in the NCAA tourney proved how weak the MAC really was. Any team can win a league championship if they play in a weak enough league…
I wish good luck to the Zips. Due to a terrible MAC East this season, Akron could end up winning the East title. I just want Akron fans to be objective about the current state of both Akron and KSU football teams. That is, that at this point in time, neither team is very good and both have a lot of building to do to get to respectability.
Kent State is bad in football. Kent State is about to be bad in men's basketball too, but may have a good year behind Evans (Convicted Felon) and Senderoff (A proven breaker of NCAA rules). Ford cannot bring in recruits and the gravy train is about to start eroding.
Mr Obvious,
I tried to be reasonable and courteous to you but you had to be rude, mean spirited and basically a jerk with your reply. Apptarently no one has ever taught you how to gracious and classy? I hope you are a young fan as if you are young, there is still time for you to grow up and take on a decent and respectful attitude.
Now to your comments…Akron has brought in it's share of troubled kids too. Don't even make me go thru the littany because I could. As far as Senderhoff goes…if you knew Rob at all and fully understand his situation at Indiana, you wouldnt pipe off as you do. The Zips have a head Men's BB coach with a troubling incident of his own. The fact is that he's moved on past that. Aren't you glad that Akron saw that and gave him a chance to redeem himself? Doesn't Senderhoff deserve another chance as as well?
As far as Ford being able to recruit. Well, we'll have to wait and see about that. Akron people said the same things about Coach Christian and look how that worked out. Again, you may young and not informed. If that's the case, then listen up…Geno Ford and his family are legends in Ohio basketball and are tremendously respected by High School coaches, college coaches and people "in the know" throughout Ohio. Geno is also a friendly, hard working, and smart young man who seems to have all the tools to bring in a lot of talent to KSU. His 1st class is highly regarded by most recruiting services, even w/o Evans.
Life's too short to be angry…
I don't believe it is a "loser attitude" to point out that Martin has the highest graduation rate in the Mid-American Conference. It takes a pretty big loser to put education over wins at the college level, especially at a historically poor (record wise) school. Please note the sarcasm.
I merely bring up the question of what is important at the school. Do you fire a coach who is putting productive citizens on the field and eventually into the community when he is struggling to win for an historically bad program?
Martin has struggled winning. It's a fact. Some of it could be bad luck. Some of it could be bad coaching. Most of it is extraneous factors.
For all I care, pull Phil Garner's scholarship. Is that insensitive? I'm sorry, but I had to keep a high enough GPA to keep all my academic scholarships at Kent State. If football players go out there all season long and drop passes, make terrible decisions and cost their team the game, why not? Many of them are getting full-ride scholarships to earn 2.2 GPAs that are assisted anyway.
Garner not only missed an easily catch-able ball prior to his fumble, he chased down one headed toward the sideline and tried to catch it. What was he doing? Trying to prove to the crowd that he really can catch punts? If you miss the easy catch, don't sprint across the field to make a dazzling play on a punt not even close to you when the game's on the line! Let it roll to the 2. I don't care. Just don't give your biggest rival the ball deep in your territory with a four-point lead and 4 1/2 minutes to play!
As for Kent's kicking game, this has not changed for years. As soon as Vanderink missed the touchdown pass in 2OT, I knew it was over because I can't remember the last time I saw a Kent kicker make more than two field goals within 30 yards in the same game.
To Akron's fans: this victory means about as much as you beating us in women's basketball (which hasn't happened in how many decades?). Celebrate your wheel, and brag about it all winter when you finish the season 4-8 or 5-7, and are spectators for another basketball post-season.
Record Courier reports Garner will not be the starting punt returner for the Flashes this week, instead giving the job to Josh Pleasant.
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The problem of KSU's pathetic football program isn't as much about Doug Martin as it is about Lefty "Loot" Lefton (who really doesn't care for sports and probably never played one but would rather take trips to Europe), and an apathetic Board of Trustees (who also has demonstrated their lack of interest by hiring a president who doesn't care). But mostly, it's about it's athletic director, LAING KENNEDY, who doesn't know a football from a hockey puck. During the past 14 years, the period of Laing Kennedy's tenure as AD, KSU has played 164 football games winning ONLY 41. Is this truly "Excellence in action?" This kind of incompetence in the most major of all college sports programs for most univerities certainly would have resulted in the AD being FIRED long ago! KSU has had only one winning season in the past 14 years, three different head coaches but ONE common problem, it's Athletic Director, LAING KENNEDY. If Kennedy truly loved the university as he claims he does, he'd have the decency and courage to do what Lloyd Carr did at Michigan when he felt he no longer had the answers to fix Michigan's football problems. Coach Carr passed the torch. Kennedy, it's time for you to do the same.