Recordpub.com - Golden Flashes win home opener

By David Carducci

Record-Courier staff writer

Eugene Jarvis and a stingy Kent State defense saved the day in what was setting up to be an unnerving season opener Thursday night at Dix Stadium.

Two spectacular punt returns by Jarvis set up the game’s only touchdowns and the Cobrani Mixon and Brian Lainhart-led defense posted KSU’s first shutout in 163 games as the Golden Flashes kicked off 2009 with an 18-0 win over Coastal Carolina.

KSU’s defense was brilliant all night long in shutting out a team for the first time since 1994 and just the second time since 1976. But until Jarvis broke off a 33-yard punt return in the third quarter, the Flashes were in very real danger against a Football Championship Subdivision (or Division I-AA) team that only started playing football 2003.

“God love (Jarvis), he changed the game tonight,” said Kent State head coach Doug Martin.

Despite marching up and down the field in the first 30 minutes, the Flashes led just 2-0 at the half. They could have very easily trailed going into the break had a bizarre exchange just before the halftime gun not ended with Coastal Carolina missing wide-left on a desperation field-goal attempt.

After watching his team squander opportunity after opportunity, Jarvis fielded a low punt with 8:20 to go in the third quarter, paused for a second to read the blockers in front of him, then took off 33 yards down the left sideline. Only a diving tackle by Chanticleers punter Ben Erdman at his 5-yard line kept Jarvis from reaching the end zone.

Two plays later, Andre Flowers followed a well-timed block by true freshman receiver Tyshon Goode on a 5-yard touchdown run that extended the Flashes’ lead to 9-0.

With Kent State’s defense making life miserable for quarterback Zach MacDowell and the Chanticleers offense, the two-possession lead seemed like more than enough.

“That’s going to be a pretty good defense,” Coastal Carolina head coach David Bennett admired. “Their offense? Woo, I don’t know.”

Just for good measure, Jarvis set KSU up with another short field with another spectacular punt return of 35 yards early in the fourth quarter. If the senior had only noticed an opening down the right sideline, he may have gone 66 yards for a touchdown.

Instead, he had to wait three plays before reaching the end zone on his own 4-yard run, putting the Flashes ahead 16-0.

Jarvis finished with 147 rushing yards on 27 carries to post the 17th 100-yard game of his career. He also had 77 yards on five punt returns. Kent State had only 90 punt-return yards all of last season.

“They scored 14 points on our defense, but those were on 5-yard and (31)-yard drives,” said Bennett. “They never really did put together a long drive. They had a few going, but missed the field goal and all.”

The “and all” included an ill-advised pass into double coverage that Coastal’s Marcus Lott intercepted at his own 1-yard line. That play did set up KSU’s first score, however, when Mixon shot a gap in the Chanticleers’ offensive line, forcing Coastal running back Tommy Fraser right into the waiting arms of Kevin Hogan for a 2-yard loss and a safety.

Coastal had few answers for Jarvis, who finished with 141 yards on 27 carries.

The missed field goal — a 22-yarder and the first career attempt for KSU freshman Freddy Cortez — was actually blocked right up the middle by Coastal Carolina’s Josh Norman with just 14 seconds to play in the first half. Dominique Davenport scooped up the ball and rambled 64 yards to the Kent State 26 before finally getting hauled down with just two seconds on the clock.

“But our kicker wasn’t ready to kick,” said Bennett. “He’s over there celebrating with everyone else.”

Had Justin Durham’s kick not missed wide-left, KSU would have gone into the break with some serious doubts. Instead, Martin said his players felt little pressure.

The coach wouldn’t let them. He kept calling what he called “attacking” plays in the second half, some of which had the media assembled in the press box and the 16,481 fans in the stands scratching their heads.

“All I’m talking to our players about is attacking,” said Martin. “I’ve sat around at Kent State for years and watched players who are afraid to make a play. As a coach, if you are afraid to make a call, then that’s the way they are going to play.”

That is why Martin had Morgan throwing the ball in the second half, despite an ankle injury that had him hobbling onto the field with every series. Morgan finished the game with 201 yards on 21-for-35 passing.

The “attack” mode also had KSU tempting fate by running out the clock on the final series behind five consecutive Jarvis rushes.

•••

David Carducci can be contacted at dcarducci@recordpub.com