2008 Kent State Golden Flashes - Rec. Class

Kent State Golden Flashes 2008 Head Coach: Doug Martin

Kent State Golden Flashes

2008 Recruiting Class

Star of the Class

Josh Pleasant DB 5-10 185 Germantown, Md./Watkins Mill/Hargrave Academy
Recorded six interceptions and returned a pair of punts for touchdowns last season at Hargrave Academy...Washington Post All-Met and All-Sentinel selections after recording 62 tackles, a pair of interceptions and over 1,000 yards of total offense his senior year at Watkins Mill High School...coached by Robert Prunty at Hargrave and Ivan Hicks at Watkins Mill.

Potential Instant Impact Players

Kent Cleveland OL 6-4 285 Atlanta, Ga./St. Pius X
First team all-state, all-county and all-city as a senior at St. Pius X High School...was also a team captain and the school’s offensive player of the year...helped lead team to back-to-back state playoff berths, including a semifinal appearance and a final ranking of No. 4 his junior season

Matt Rinehart P 5-9 160 Dover, Ohio/Dover
Named first team All-Ohio, all-league, all-district and all-region his senior season at Dover High School...was also the player of the year in the region, district and league...garnered league kicker of the year honors for the second straight season...averaged 49.5 yards per punt...led the team with 122 points (11 TD, 41 XP, 5 FG)...made 72 receptions for 856 yards and six touchdowns...also had a successful junior campaign, earning special mention All-Ohio and first team all-league, all-district and all-region honors...averaged 41.9 yards per punt

Rest of the Class
Jharron Armstrong S 6-2 187 Washington, D.C./Dunbar
Sal Battles ATH/QB 5-10 221 Youngstown, Ohio/East
Seamus Garvey OL 6-6 270 Blacklick, Ohio/Gahanna Lincoln
Chris Gilbert WR 6-0 184 Huntersville, N.C./Hopewell
Leon Green S 5-11 203 Monroeville, Pa./Gateway
Ryan Hidalgo LB/LS 6-1 215 Fayetteville, Ga./Whitewater
Matthew Hurdle QB 6-3 190 Richmond, Va./Highland Springs
Ryan Jude DL 6-2 255 Chesterfield, Va./Manchester
Abdul Kanneh S 6-0 185 Woodbridge, Va./Potomac
Josh Kline OL 6-4 270 Mason, Ohio/Mason
Rontez Miles S 6-1 190 Swissvale, Pa./Woodland Hills
Alex Napper WR 6-1 185 Norcross, Ga./Norcross
Mike Roder OL 6-4 310 Ahwatukee, Ariz./Desert Vista/Scottsdale C.C.
Sidney Saulter DB 6-0 165 Miami, Fla./North Miami
Joshua Stover LB 6-4 223 Washington, D.C./Howard D. Woodson
Jacquise Terry RB 6-0 180 Phenix City, Ala./Pacelli (Ga.)
Justin Thompson TE 6-1 225 Gahanna, Ohio/St. Francis DeSales
Ike Washington DL 6-2 288 Dayton, Ohio/Trotwood Madison
T.J. Williams WR 6-0 185 West Mifflin, Pa./West Mifflin

- 2007 KSU Season
- 2007 KSU Preview
- 2006 KSU Season

2007 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 4-8
2007 Record: 3-9

Aug. 30 at Iowa State W 23-14
Sept. 8 at Kentucky L 56-20
Sept. 15 Delaware St W 38-7
Sept. 22 at Akron L 27-20
Sept. 29 at Ohio W 33-25
Oct. 6 Miami Univ. W 20-13
Oct. 13 at Ohio State L 48-3
Oct. 20 B. Green L 31-20
Oct. 27 Central Mich L 41-32
Nov. 10 at No Illinois L 27-20
Nov. 17 at Temple L 24-14
Nov. 24 Buffalo L 30-23 OT

2008 Early Lookahead
Why to get excited: Expect more of the same from one of the nation's best rushing attacks with QB Julian Edelman and RB Eugene Jarvis back. The team fell off the map once Edelman got hurt, and now he's back with Giorgio Morgan and Jon Brown more experienced in reserve. Eight starters return on offense and nine are back from one of the league's best Ds.
Why to be grouchy: Don't expect any more offensive balance. Edelman is a runner with a few passing skills, but he wasn't able to show them off with little receiving talent to work with. TE Tom Sitko is gone, and if Phil Garner and Rashad Tukes don't dramatically improve, it'll be run, run and run some more.
The number one thing to work on is: Besides passing, the team needs to improve the turnover margin and punting game. The defense was good, but it failed to force enough takeaways to help out the offense once Edelman came out. The Golden Flashes were last in the MAC, and second-to-last in America, in punting averaging 30.54 yards per game.
Biggest offensive loss: OG Joe Marafine
Biggest defensive loss: NT Colin Ferrell
Best returning offensive player: QB Julian Edelman, Sr. & RB Eugene Jarvis, Jr.
Best returning defensive player: LB Derek Burrell, Sr.

2007 Recap
Recap: The Golden Flashes peaked with a Week 1 upset of Iowa State, but it was all downhill from that point.  So much more was expected from a team that went 6-6 in 2006, but Kent State was too sloppy on offense and unpredictable in the red zone to mount comebacks late in close games.  After getting to 3-2 with a win over Ohio, the Flashes disappeared, losing seven straight games and becoming little more than a showcase for RB Eugene Jarvis, the school’s one signature player.

Offensive Player of the Year: RB Eugene Jarvis

Defensive Player of the Year: NG Colin Ferrell

Biggest Surprise: It’s not often that the Golden Flashes beat a team from a BCS conference.  In fact, it hadn’t happened since 1987 until they stuffed Iowa State in the opener, getting a touchdown pass and touchdown run from QB Julian Edelman, and a solid performance from the defense.        

Biggest Disappointment: The Golden Flashes outplayed eventual East champ Miami on Oct. 6, but failed to cash in, losing 20-13 and scoring just six points over the final three quarters.  Kent State struggled in RedHawk territory, a familiar refrain all season, kicking off a dreadful stretch run that resulted in a seven-game losing streak.

Looking Ahead: Kent State is better than last year’s record, but now it has to go out and prove it in 2008.  A good starting point would be to cut down on penalties and turnovers, both of which killed way too many drives in 2007.

Nov 24
Buffalo 30 ... Kent State 23 OT
Brandon Thermilus ran for a one-yard touchdown on Buffalo's overtime possession, and Kent State couldn't answer with Anthony Mazazu getting sacked on fourth down to give the Bulls a share of the MAC East title. Drew Willy threw two second half touchdowns and A.J. Principe nailed field goals from 21, 23 and 23 yards out, while the Golden Flashes got two touchdown passes from Anthony Magazu and a two-yard Andre Flowers touchdown run. Derrek Burrell made 16 stops and forced a fumble for Kent State, while Buffalo's Davonte Shannon made 15 stops with two forced fumbles for the Bulls.
Player of the game: Buffalo QB Drew Willy completed 34 of 44 passes for 334 yards and two touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: Buffalo - Passing: Drew Willy, 34-44, 334 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: James Starks, 18-54. Receiving: Ernest Jackson, 9-118, 1 TD
Kent State - Passing: Anthony Magazu, 12-22, 184 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Eugene Jarvis, 34-183. Receiving: Tom Sitko, 5-61, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The Golden Flashes never seemed to catch the right break over the second half of the season and over the final six-game losing streak. The quarterback injuries were a major part of the problem, but the defense didn't come through when it had to. Against Buffalo, Drew Willy was able to throw way too easily without much of a pass rush getting to him. There's a fine line between a 3-9 campaign and a winning season in the MAC. Last year the team got the right plays at the right time to finish 6-6. This year nothing went right over the second half of the season in crunch time.

Nov. 17
Temple 24 ... Kent State 14
Temple held Kent State to 124 yards of total offense while getting four Jake Brownell field goals and a nine-yard Jason Harper touchdown run for the team's fourth win of the year. KSU took a 7-3 lead into halftime on a 21-yard Eugene Jarvis run, and was up 14-6 after a Coleman Lynn blocked punt for a score, but Temple came up with four interceptions and scored the final 18 points of the game helped by a 20-yard DyOnne Crudup catch. The Owls held on to the ball for 38:40.
Player of the game: Temple QB Vaughn Charlton completed 18 of 27 passes for 191 yards and a touchdown
Stat Leaders: Kent State - Passing: Jon Brown, 11-27, 76 yds, 4 INT
Rushing: Eugene Jarvis, 13-57, 1 TD. Receiving: Tom Sitko, 2-13
Temple - Passing: Vaughn Charlton, 18-27, 191 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Daryl Robinson, 17-105. Receiving: DyOnne Crudup, 7-85
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... This isn't to be mean, but Jon Brown simply isn't a D-I quarterback. KSU might be down to its fourth quarterback option, and as long as Eugene Jarvis and the running game isn't working, it'll be all about throwing the ball to try to stay in the game against Buffalo next week. Brown has to be more accurate and he has to do a far better job of making the right reads, which he struggled to do under pressure against Temple. This is still Temple. There's no excuse for coming up with just seven right downs and 48 rushing yards. On the plus side, the defense did a good job of generating pressure.

Nov. 10
Northern Illinois 27 ... Kent State 20
NIU got the lead on two Justin Anderson touchdown runs, and preserved it late as John Tranchitella picked off a Jon Brown pass at the Huskie ten in the final minutes. Anderson scored from 16 and four yards out, and cot Chris Nendick field goals from 25 and 40 yards out in the second half to stay ahead. The Golden Flashes, only managed two Nate Reed Field goals in the second half and was outgained 510 yards to 363 for the game.
Player of the game: Northern Illinois QB Dan Nicholson completed 21 of 28 passes of 275 yards for two touchdowns and two interceptions, and ran for 19 yards
Stat Leaders: Kent State - Passing: Jon Brown, 16-34, 132 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Eugene Jarvis, 20-170. Receiving: Alan Vanderink, 4-27, 1 TD
Northern Illinois - Passing: Dan Nicholson, 21-28, 275 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: David Bryant, 28-110. Receiving: Reed Cunningham, 7-65, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Kent State was looking for a spark at quarterback with Jon Brown getting a shot. Inconsistent and struggling to provide some balance for Eugene Jarvis and his 170 rushing yards against Northern Illinois. Brown failed to make and big plays in the second half to overcome the Huskie offensive momentum. Now on a four game losing streak, the Golden Flashes have to hope Temple and Buffalo go back to being Temple and Buffalo.

Oct. 27
Central Michigan 41 ... Kent State 32
Central Michigan cranked out 580 yards of total offense with Dan LeFevour connecting on three touchdowns passes and Justin Hoskins scored twice. Kent State kept pace early with two Nate Reed field goals, and three Giorgio Morgan touchdown passes. A 14-yard Eugene Jarvis touchdown run pulled KSU within six, but CMU's defense held in the fourth quarter.
Player of the game: Central Michigan QB Dan LeFevour completed 33 of 43 passes for 359 yards and three touchdowns with an interception, and ran 12 times for 75 yards
Stat Leaders: Central Michigan - Passing: Dan LeFevour, 33-43, 359 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Justin Hoskins, 24-151, 2 TD. Receiving: Bryan Anderson, 10-142, 1 TD
Kent State - Passing: Giorgio Morgan, 18-28, 247 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Eugene Jarvis, 19-156, 1 TD. Receiving: Phil Garner, 7-89, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Giorgio Morgan might not be Julian Edelman running the ball, but he threw well against Central Michigan. The defense wasn't even close to slowing down the CMU offense, and the offense couldn't keep pace throughout, but the team battled back well in the third quarter to make it interesting. The O just couldn't get over the hump in the fourth. Now comes the supposedly easy part of the schedule, but beating Northern Illinois, Temple and Buffalo will be tougher than it appears.

Oct. 20
Bowling Green 31 ... Kent State 20
Willie Geter ran for 203 yards and a four-yard touchdown, but it was the passing game that helped Bowling Green pull away with Tyler Sheehan hitting Anthony Turner with a 31-yard touchdown pass and Corey Partridge from 24 yards out for a 28-13 lead. The Golden Flashed tried to rally with a 32-yard Rashad Tukes catch to pull within eight, but Sinisa Vrvilo ended it with a 49-yard field goal. The two teams combined for 18 penalties.
Player of the game: Bowling Green RB Willie Geter ran 22 times for 203 yards and a touchdown, and caught four passes for 51 yards
Stat Leaders: Bowling Green - Passing: Tyler Sheehan, 14-25, 184 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Willie Geter, 22-203, 1 TD. Receiving: Corey Partridge, 4-61, 1 TD
Kent State - Passing: Julian Edelman, 8-14, 128 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Eugene Jarvis, 33-168. Receiving: Rashad Tukes, 3-78, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... After getting blasted by Ohio State, Kent State needed a good performance to get back on track in the MAC, and it got it, but it wasn't enough against Bowling Green. There weren't enough early scoring drives, and there wasn't any run defense. The offense worked fine, Julian Edelman and Eugene Jarvis got their yards, but the Falcons were simply stronger. Winning out is now a must. The East title is still possible with a little bit of help, but there can't be any slips. That's not a plus with Central Michigan up next.

Oct. 13
Ohio State 48 ... Kent State 3
Brian Hartline caught a 14-yard touchdown pass and returned a punt 90 yards for a score and a 14-0 Ohio State lead, and then things got ugly in a 28-point second quarter with Chris Wells running for a seven-yard score, Maurice Wells catching a 15-yard touchdown pass, and Donald Washington taking a Julian Edelman pass 70 yards for a score. Kent State only managed 223 yards of total offense and didn't get on the board until Nate Reed hit a 34-yard field goal late in the fourth.
Player of the game: Ohio State QB Todd Boeckman completed 13 of 16 passes for 184 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Kent State - Passing: Julian Edelman, 4-10, 49 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Eugene Jarvis, 16-84. Receiving: Rashad Tukes, 2-21
Ohio State - Passing: Todd Boeckman, 13-16, 184 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Brandon Saine, 9-69. Receiving: Brandon Saine, 5-76
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The Golden Flashes have to quickly forget about the loss to the Buckeyes. OSU's defense might be the best in America, and it played like it against the KSU running game. Eugene Jarvis was able to juke his way to a decent day, but the passing attack had no prayer of mounting a comeback, and didn't even try. The MAC slate is what matters, and now the secondary will have to prove it can play better than it did this week with the Bowling Green air attack up next.

Oct. 6
Miami University 20 ... Kent State 13
Miami got a 27-yard Nathan Parseghian field goal with 5:27 to play, and then got a goal line stop with just under two minutes left, as Julian Edelman scrambled on fourth and goal from the 13 and was stopped at the one. Eugene Jarvis ran for a three-yard score to start off the scoring for the Golden Flashes, but Miami answered with a one-yard Austin Sykes run. The Golden Flashes outgained the RedHawks 463 yards to 411, but lost three turnovers and got killed by penalties.
Player of the game: Miami S Jordan Gafford made 11 tackles and forced a fumble, and came up with the game-saving stop.
Stat Leaders: Miami Univ. - Passing: Daniel Raudabaugh, 8-12, 186 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Austin Sykes, 18-74, 1 TD. Receiving: Eugene Harris, 4-44
Kent State - Passing: Julian Edelman, 19-33, 260 yds, 2 INTs
Rushing: Julian Edelman, 22-93. Receiving: Derek McBryde, 7-124
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Kent State is roughly two big plays away from being unbeaten in MAC play, but it couldn't come through this week against Miami when it had to in the clutch. The running game was fine, and Julian Edelman threw well, but the Golden Flashes have to run really, really well to win. MU was able to keep Edelman and Eugene Jarvis to 175 yards, with is a lot, but they didn't come up with many big runs. Now it's on to Ohio State, where the goal is to stay alive to get back into the MAC race the following week against Bowling Green.

Sept. 29
Kent State 33 ... Ohio 25
Eugene Jarvis tore off 230 yards with touchdown runs from 35 and 26 yards out, and Nate Reed nailed four field goals in the upset win over Ohio. The Bobcats pushed hard in the fourth quarter with Theo Scott touchdown passes of 14 and 13 yards to Andrew Mooney, but their final drive stalled. The Golden Flash defense held Ohio to 88 rushing yards. The two teams combined for 28 penalties, with Ohio committing 17 for 170 yards.
Player of the game: Kent State RB Eugene Jarvis ran 30 times for 230 yards and two touchdowns, adding two catches for 14 yards.
Stat Leaders: Kent State - Passing: Julian Edelman, 12-25, 169 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Eugene Jarvis, 30-230, 2 TDs.  Receiving: Shawn Bayes, 3-48, 1 TD
Ohio - Passing: Theo Scott, 16-24, 161 yds, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing: Kalvin McRae, 16-74, 1 TD. Receiving: Taylor Price, 6-75
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... After the loss to Akron, Kent State needed a big win to show it's good enough to be in the mix for the MAC title. Eugene Jarvis might not be all that big, but he certainly played that way, with a good mix of big runs and pounders. Julian Edelman was serviceable, but this win showed what the team might become if it's quarterback doesn't have to do everything.

Sept. 22
Akron 27 ... Kent State 20
Down 17-7, Akron outscored Kent State 20-3 over the final 21 minutes on two Igor Iveljic field goals, a one-yard Alex Allen run coming off a Reggie Corner interception, and a 26-yard Jabari Arthur touchdown grab. Kent State turned the ball over four times, but got up early with two Eugene Jarvis short touchdown runs and a 22-yard Nate Reed field goal before bogging down.  The Golden Flashes outgained Akron 375 yards to 245.
Player of the game: Akron LB Brion Stokes made ten tackles with a sack.
Stat Leaders: Akron - Passing: Carlton Jackson, 7-20, 99 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Bryan Williams, 12-50. Receiving: Jabari Arthur, 4-63, 1 TD
Kent State - Passing: Julian Edelman, 8-21, 155 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Eugene Jarvis, 28-159, 2 TD. Receiving: Derek McBryde, 4-81
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The Golden Flashes will be kicking themselves after the loss to Akron. Eugene Jarvis and Julian Edelman continue to be a tremendous rushing twosome, but Edelman's passing went into the tank, completing 8 of 21 passes with two interceptions. The offense failed to build on a nice first half, and four turnovers proved to be the overall undoing. The defense did a good job against the Zip running game, and it needs to be even better against Ohio. If the mistakes on offense stop, and Edelman can be a bit more effective throwing the ball, then the ship will turn around.

Sept. 15
Kent State 38 ... Delaware State 7
Kent State outgained Delaware State 468 yards to 191 and didn't allow a point until Vashon Winton ran it in from one yard out with :35 to play. Even then, the Golden Flashes answered as Shawn Bayes returned the ensuing kickoff 95 yards for a score. Bayes started the scoring with a 42-yard catch for a 7-0 halftime lead, and then Eugene Jarvis took over with touchdown runs from four and 42 yards out. Rashad Tukes added a 56-yard touchdown catch.
Player of the game: Kent State RB Eugene Jarvis ran 22 times for 136 yards and a touchdown and caught three passes for 51 yards and a score.
Stat Leaders: Delaware State - Passing: Vashon Winton, 11-21, 74 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Adam Shrewsbury, 4-39. Receiving: Shaheer McBride, 3-20
Kent State - Passing: Julian Edelman, 18-33, 267 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Eugene Jarvis, 22-136, 1 TD. Receiving: Shawn Bayes, 4-100, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Kent State did exactly what you're supposed to do to a team like Delaware State, but it took a little while. Three turnovers helped keep it from being a blowout, but all the parts were working well with good offensive balance and a little bit of explosion when needed. The defense was a rock as DSU couldn't go on any long, sustained drives as it failed to convert any of 14 third down chances. It wasn't the sharpest performance, but it was a nice blowout going into the start of the MAC season at Akron.

Sept. 8
Kentucky 56 ... Kent State 20
Kentucky took command of a 14-14 game with a 16-yard John Connor touchdown run and an 18-yard Tony Dixon dash in the third quarter, and then blew it wide open on a 51-yard Keenan Burton touchdown catch. Kent State got a big day from Eugene Jarvis, who ran for a 10-yard score and caught a 22-yard scoring pass, but it wasn't nearly enough. Andre Woodson threw two touchdown passes and ran for a one-yard score. Six different Kentucky players ran for touchdowns, highlighted by a 67-yard Derrick Locke dash with four minutes to play.
Player of the game: Kentucky QB Andre Woodson went 15-of-22 for 218 yards and two touchdowns to go along with a rushing touchdown.
Stat Leaders: Kent State - Passing: Julian Edelman, 12-28, 129 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Julian Edelman, 24-135. Receiving: Eugene Jarvis, 3-63, 1 TD
Kentucky - Passing: Andre Woodson, 15-22, 218 yds, 2 TDs
Rushing: Rafael Little, 13-102. Receiving: Keenan Burton, 7-109, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Kentucky's offense is going to light up everyone like a Christmas tree, so there's no need to be too concerned about the blowout score, especially since the defense didn't do an awful job yardage-wise. Four turnovers were a major problem that killed key drives; that can't happen for the Golden Flashes against the better teams. Julian Edelman and Eugene Jarvis proved once again that they'll be a nasty twosome to deal with all season long. If there can be a little more from the passing game, KSU will be unstoppable against the average defenses.

Aug. 30
Kent State 23 ... Iowa State 14
Kent State pulled off its first win over a BCS team in 20 years helped by two-yard touchdown runs in the third quarter from Eugene Jarvis and Julian Edelman to pull ahead and stay there for good. The Golden Flashes scored first on a 42-yard touchdown catch from Leneric Muldrow, but they failed to take a big lead into the locker room with turnovers proving costing them three likely scoring drives. Iowa State got 133 yards and a touchdown from J.J. Bass, but only managed a 16-yard Todd Blythe scoring catch in the second half.
Player of the game: Kent State QB Julian Edelman completed 17 of 26 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions and ran 18 times for 75 yards and a score.
Stat Leaders: Kent State - Passing: Julian Edelman, 17-26, 161 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Eugene Jarvis, 25-113, 1 TD. Receiving: Tom Sitko, 4-39
Iowa State - Passing: Bret Meyer, 13-23, 148 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: J.J. Bass, 22-133, 1 TD. Receiving: Todd Blythe, 5-65, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... It's impossible to measure just how important it was to be a BCS team, even though it was Iowa State, and do it on the road. No, the team wasn't sharp and yeah, there were was too many turnovers in key spots, but the defense came through when it had to highlighted by a brilliant day from Jack Williams, who was all over the field. The Cyclone run defense played well, but the combination of Eugene Jarvis and Edelman still produced a grinding, effective game. They'll have to control the clock to have a shot against Kentucky next week.