The unofficial online home for fans of the Kent State University Golden Flashes. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

Breaks a lot of stuff down and is a great read as to where we stand heading into 2013. I believe the 8-4 or 7-5 record they are calling for is spot on. Pull an upset in Happy Valley and take care of business at home against NIU and this could be as interesting of a year as 2012.

http://www.sbnation.com/college-football...dri-archer

Despite two top rushers coming back, I think the most important thing we need is a QB to step up and take over. A passing game helps open up the run game, but I don't expect much, but the team needs a leader back there to manage the offense. Keith had his limitations but stepped up and took charge at various times (Balls Tate, Rutgers...).

The hardest part of replicating last year is going to be because it is very unlikely we will have such a ridiculous turnover margin again. We were good in many areas last year, but without the +/- numbers that we had, we would have lost a few more games. I foresee a better than usual KSU team, but making the MAC CG again, at first glance, seems farfetched.

Exactly. We have Durham, Archer and Nix hopefully reaching their NCAA peaks, but expecting last years results may be a bit out of reach. Many years of catching every bad break and bad bounce culminated in us catching many last year, so expecting the same t/o rate is not reasonable. Flying to the ball and hitting hard will result in some good fortune though.

The under appreciated and seldom noticed efficiency of a veteran and talented offensive line that has graduated will be hard to replace. That is my greatest concern. Also, we had some pretty good linebacker play that will be hard to replace on defense.

(03-18-2013 07:48 PM)dannyb73 Wrote:  The hardest part of replicating last year is going to be because it is very unlikely we will have such a ridiculous turnover margin again. We were good in many areas last year, but without the +/- numbers that we had, we would have lost a few more games. I foresee a better than usual KSU team, but making the MAC CG again, at first glance, seems farfetched.

This is an oustanding point you raise Danny. The freakish T.O. margain we enjoyed lastyear was definitely a huge reason for our turnaround and as you point out, and I agree with you, almost has to fall this year.

Though raking up a margain like we had last year undoubtedly requires more than a fair share of good-fortune, I would think we can still have a good margain this year if we can control the clock with our run game (here's looking at you inexperienced Off. Line)

I like our chances of running a nice efficient and turnover limited offense if Durham & Archer can pound the ball again and limiting the times our inexperienced QB has to sling the ball all over the field.

If the run dominance is there, I can see our T/O margain at least being respectable this year as you can count on Nix and Co. creating some turnovers on the other side of the ball.

Also, it appears Dri Archer will indeed be our Punt Returner this fall as he's already working on it in spring practice. Don't think any of us would mind seeing him touch the ball a few more times if he can do so injury free that is :-D

Source:
http://www.recordpub.com/sports/2013/04/...en-flashes

Haynes 1st D1 transfer, who will make an immediate impact in the defensive backfield for the 2014 season and 2 seasons beyond that. Nice to see a kid transfer to play close to home with 3 yrs of eligibility left.

http://www.kentstatesports.com/sports/fb...bert-_Nick

Biggest question marks that need answered:
-Does Tyshon Goode return to the lineup, better, worse, or the same as his 1st 3 yrs @ KSU?
-Can the young/inexperienced LBs step and produce right away?
-Can Chris Fairchild become the run stuffer with size that this team has missed ever since Kitchen's graduation?
-Can Pizzuro, Witucki, Johnson, & Bitsko step in for Cleveland, Kline, & Winters on the OL? (my speculation on who will be replace them in the starting lineup)
-Can Melchiori step in for Cortez and be a weapon on kickoffs, PATs, & FGs like he was last year on punts?

Nice job on the transfer. That is something I wondered the past two seasons, how Hazell didn't have any kids follow him from Ohio State. Only transfer of substance was McShane; he was on campus for a year and the coaches had no clue, he had to sell himself to then.

Eric Adeyemi was a transfer. [/align]

Yes he was but he also came in under Martin.

Yes, if you read the article I posted about Dri Archer above, it is really nice to see us land a Safety from a school like GA Tech.

If you didn't read it then it basically discussed how under Hayne's defensive scheme, the Safety Position will pretty much be the QB and keystone of the defense, so he will need that position to be as intelligent as they are athletic.

I would like to think a prospect coming from an ACC institution can handle the mental part of things; we'll see about the playmaking- good pick up never-the-less, keep them coming.

With Calvin Tiggle, Tyshon Goode, & Roosevelt Nix sitting out most of the drills this spring, while rehabbing injuries, KSU seems to be building some nice depth. After looking @ the roster, reading most articles in ABJ/RC, & watching the videos posted on http://www.kentstatesports.com, I have come to the following conclusions:

*Pat McShane was moved from RG to LG and Phil Huff is staying @ C
*Reardon has outplayed Fisher thus far in the spring
*After being moved from QB to WR, Evan Shimensky is rounding himself into a nice option @ slot WR
*Jordan Italiano has taken a nice jump forward in his play/development and should be poised for a nice fall
*Trayion Durham has shed some fat and has really taken his work in the weight room, practice field, and conditioning very seriously. A chiseled 235lbs is way better for all involved than a sloppy 250lbs.
*Anthony Pruitt was moved from DL to OL and added size
*NT Chris Fairchild has put on 10lbs since the season ended, which puts him @ 6'2" 312lbs.
*Tons of guys from last years recruiting class redshirted, which gives them all 4 more years of eligibility and chance to provide a nice depth chart

Congrats to Andrew Christopher, DE, who was awarded a scholarship after being a walkon for 3.5yrs. He has continued to work hard and add strength/size. I hope he has a great senior year, kind of like Lee Stalker did a few years ago.

Here is the Kent State spring roster: http://www.kentstatesports.com/sports/fb...t=position

With the recruiting class coming in, here are the #s broken down by position:
OT: 1
OG: 0
C: 0
DE: 1
DT: 2
QB: 1
WR: 1
CB: 1
ILB: 2
OLB: 2
Safety: 2
RB: 1
TE: 2
ATH: 5 (I believe all 5 will be CBs and/or Safetys)

Interesting that they loaded up on TE, with that many already on the roster and the 2 TEs from last yrs recruiting class becoming eligible. 1 RB & 1 QB I think is perfect with the depth at those positions. Loading up on LBs makes complete sense with the loss of CJ & Batton. I guess that Haynes/Clark believe that they have enough depth @ OL currently, to only bring in 1 OL. We will find out if Hazell/staff's OL recruits have developed or not. (Nielsen, Witucki, France, Reda, Bitsko, Pruitt).

From Ryan Lewis of the ABJ on the starting 5 @ OL in spring practice thus far:
Continuing the shuffling around that'll continue to happen along the offensive line, the left side stayed intact with the first three practices—Reno Reda at left tackle, Pat McShane at left guard and Phil Huff at center—but the right side was mixed up a bit. Max Plunkett got time with the first-team at right guard and Jason Bitsko was at right tackle. Anthony Pruitt was with the second-team at right guard. Terrell Johnson spent much of practice off to the side doing light workouts. More will be known about his status next week.

Does anyone have info on the Spring Game? I haven't seen anything on the site or KSU twitter account.

(04-15-2013 10:17 AM)GoFlashes7 Wrote:  Here is the Kent State spring roster: http://www.kentstatesports.com/sports/fb...t=position

With the recruiting class coming in, here are the #s broken down by position:
OT: 1
OG: 0
C: 0
DE: 1
DT: 2
QB: 1
WR: 1
CB: 1
ILB: 2
OLB: 2
Safety: 2
RB: 1
TE: 2
ATH: 5 (I believe all 5 will be CBs and/or Safetys)

Interesting that they loaded up on TE, with that many already on the roster and the 2 TEs from last yrs recruiting class becoming eligible. 1 RB & 1 QB I think is perfect with the depth at those positions. Loading up on LBs makes complete sense with the loss of CJ & Batton. I guess that Haynes/Clark believe that they have enough depth @ OL currently, to only bring in 1 OL. We will find out if Hazell/staff's OL recruits have developed or not. (Nielsen, Witucki, France, Reda, Bitsko, Pruitt).

I'm loving the depth too. Like I said after signing day, our class wasn't the most glamourous one on paper, but what we got has complimented what we have very nice.

Out of the 5 or 6 linebackers we landed at least a couple of them should be able to contribute right off the bat next year (I'm thinking Dustyn Moore). Also can't go wrong landing 5 or 6 DB's like we did and Demetrius Monday has potential to be the best one we've had since Usama Young.

Would've liked to see them nab a few more OL's, but you can assume they will hit that postion hard next year.

Overall the depth of this team is definitely the best its been since I've been a fan which is exciting. What a bonus it is getting T Goode back to. I'm hoping he can have a monster year this year.

Quote:*Trayion Durham has shed some fat and has really taken his work in the weight room, practice field, and conditioning very seriously. A chiseled 235lbs is way better for all involved than a sloppy 250lbs.

This is awesome to hear! Durham's ability to attack the outside of defense was already superb for his size, I can't even imagine how much more dangerous he'll be losing that excess weight and becoming a little more quick around that edge.

Quote:Does anyone have info on the Spring Game? I haven't seen anything on the site or KSU twitter account.

The only thing I know on the spring game is that it's 4/27 and I will be in attendence :-D

From Record-Courier this morning:
Prized QB recruit Chayce Crouch spotted at Kent State practice
By Allen Moff | Staff Writer Published: April 16, 2013 4:00AM
While freshman Colin Reardon and senior David Fisher were battling for starting quarterback job on the field, a candidate for quarterback of the future was watching on the sidelines during Monday morning's Kent State football practice.

Chayce Crouch, who led Newark Catholic to the Division VI state championship game as a junior last fall, was spotted at practice on Monday.

The 6-foot-4, 215-pound quarterback is considered a prized prospect, one the Golden Flashes would love to add to their mix at signal-caller for the 2014 season. He has been offered a scholarship by Kent State, Toledo and Western Michigan, according to Rivals.com.

Crouch threw for 236 yards and two scores in Newark Catholic's 28-21 state-title game loss to Maria Stein Marion Local. One game earlier, he led the Green Wave to a 31-21 victory over Mogadore in the state semifinals For the season, Crouch threw for 2,077 yards and 18 TDs, while adding 11 touchdowns on the ground.

Along with Reardon and Fisher, the Flashes have incoming freshman Nathan Strock set to compete for the quarterback position starting next fall. Strock is a 6-3, 200-pound signal-caller from Zanesville, who threw for over 7,000 yards during his high school career.

FYI, update from the latest spring practice via Ryan Lewis of the ABJ:

The Golden Flashes were pushed inside by the rain for the first time this spring and took part in a slightly shortened practice in shells in the Fieldhouse. Tomorrow is KSU's jersey scrimmage and the first real test of the spring. It's also the first time new Kent State Head Coach PaulHaynes might be able to evaluate certain position battles, namely at quarterback. Below is a video of what Haynes is looking for tomorrow.

Haynes certainly wasn't going to let the Jersey Scrimmage be decisive (he may not even allow the Spring Game to decide much, at least in at the quarterback spot). But it might not even be able to show him what little he was hoping for. Quarterback David Fisher was walking around very gingerly at practice Friday morning and didn't participate in any on-the-field drills. Haynes said he wants to look at his situation further before saying anything but doesn't think it's too serious. Still, it'd be a surprise if Fisher did much of anything tomorrow.

With Fisher out, sophomore Colin Reardon took more snaps with the first team, and he took advantage of it, hitting every kind of throw. He looked comfortable and confident in the pocket during 7-on-7s and delivered a couple of passes into tight spots. On his first snap, he hit Chris Humphrey on a curl route. On the next, Humphrey ran a hitch-and-go. Reardon sold the pump fake, got cornerback Malcolm Pannell to bite and delivered a picture-perfect deep ball down the sidelines. Later, Reardon went on the run and found Dri Archer on a crossing pattern, who had plenty of room to run with tight end Kyle Payton throwing some terrific down-field blocks. Archer followed Payton up the sidelines before changing direction, swinging across the field and scoring. After completing another pass on the run, Reardon delivered a 20-yard strike while throwing off his back foot to Tim Erjavec. Then, with two linebackers in his face, Reardon reared back and hit Josh Boyle for a 35-yard gain.

With more time with the first team, he looked really strong. Fisher might want to get healthy, and soon.

(04-19-2013 05:10 PM)GoFlashes7 Wrote:  FYI, update from the latest spring practice via Ryan Lewis of the ABJ:

The Golden Flashes were pushed inside by the rain for the first time this spring and took part in a slightly shortened practice in shells in the Fieldhouse. Tomorrow is KSU's jersey scrimmage and the first real test of the spring. It's also the first time new Kent State Head Coach PaulHaynes might be able to evaluate certain position battles, namely at quarterback. Below is a video of what Haynes is looking for tomorrow.

Haynes certainly wasn't going to let the Jersey Scrimmage be decisive (he may not even allow the Spring Game to decide much, at least in at the quarterback spot). But it might not even be able to show him what little he was hoping for. Quarterback David Fisher was walking around very gingerly at practice Friday morning and didn't participate in any on-the-field drills. Haynes said he wants to look at his situation further before saying anything but doesn't think it's too serious. Still, it'd be a surprise if Fisher did much of anything tomorrow.

With Fisher out, sophomore Colin Reardon took more snaps with the first team, and he took advantage of it, hitting every kind of throw. He looked comfortable and confident in the pocket during 7-on-7s and delivered a couple of passes into tight spots. On his first snap, he hit Chris Humphrey on a curl route. On the next, Humphrey ran a hitch-and-go. Reardon sold the pump fake, got cornerback Malcolm Pannell to bite and delivered a picture-perfect deep ball down the sidelines. Later, Reardon went on the run and found Dri Archer on a crossing pattern, who had plenty of room to run with tight end Kyle Payton throwing some terrific down-field blocks. Archer followed Payton up the sidelines before changing direction, swinging across the field and scoring. After completing another pass on the run, Reardon delivered a 20-yard strike while throwing off his back foot to Tim Erjavec. Then, with two linebackers in his face, Reardon reared back and hit Josh Boyle for a 35-yard gain.

With more time with the first team, he looked really strong. Fisher might want to get healthy, and soon.

I hope Reardon wins the job. I was not impressed with Fisher in the limited time he played LY.

Ryan Lewis of ABJ blog from yesterday's jersey scrimmage:
http://www.ohio.com/blogs/kent-state/ken...e-1.391405

Good info and story about "Hank" the biggest KSU fan there is :)

1 thing Haynes keeps saying is that a lot of guys are injured and #s are low this spring. Here's to hoping that all return healthy for fall camp/next season.

Boyle, Fisher, Nix, and Tiggle have all missed significant parts of the spring, if not all.