Recordpub.com - Self-inflicting errors doom KSU

By David Carducci

Record-Courier staff writer

The details changed, but the story stayed the same for Kent State.

One week after paying attention to detail in a win to open their Mid-American Conference season, the Golden Flashes returned to their self-destructive ways in a 31-15 loss at Baylor on Saturday.

That kind of inconsistency that has become the staple of Kent State football.

Led by true freshman quarterback Spencer Keith and another 100-yard performance by running back Jacquise Terry, the Flashes moved the ball up and down the field against the Bears. On defense, KSU’s team speed kept giving the ball back to the Flashes’ offense by forcing a string of three-and-outs.

Instead of taking advantage of all the opportunities they created, the Flashes kept beating themselves just as they have so many times in the past.

An illegal block in the back by wide receiver Anthony Bowman robbed KSU of a first-and-goal in the first quarter. On the same drive, an illegal block in the back by another wide receiver, Derek McBryde, took a game-tying touchdown off of the board.

In the first half alone, the Flashes were called for eight penalties costing them 81 yards. Those are big numbers for an entire game. KSU finished with nine penalties for 96 yards, and two of those were roughing-the-punter calls that gave the ball right back to the Bears after two more three-and-outs.

Penalties were only part of the problem.

KSU had a field goal and an extra point blocked. Freshman kicker Freddy Cortez missed another field-goal attempt in the second half wide left.

Trailing 28-13 in the fourth quarter, KSU head coach Doug Martin asked the field-goal unit to fake a field goal on fourth-and-2. Anthony Magazu came up one yard short on the play that Baylor defended as if it had to seen the fake coming.

Score just once on their four trips into the red zone and KSU would have had a chance to win.

But the history of Kent State football is filled with woulds and shoulds.

The reality is the Flashes could only manage two scores. They put the game’s first points on the scoreboard on a pretty double-pass of 35 yards from wide receiver Leneric Muldrow to Jameson Konz.

Baylor took a 21-7 lead into the half thanks to a 1-yard touchdown run by Jerod Monk in the first quarter and scoring runs of six yards by true freshman quarterback Nick Florence and 45 yards by running back Jarred Salubi in the second quarter

After the half, Baylor’s offense did absolutely nothing. Cut out their first drive of the second half and final drive of the game and the Bears managed just 16 yards.

Terry cut the lead to 28-13 on a 61-yard touchdown run. The extra point was blocked.

Defense kept the Flashes in the game with a safety, tackling Baylor’s Terrance Ganaway in the end zone early in the fourth quarter. Despite several promising drives, KSU never managed to cut further into the Bears two-possession lead.

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David Carducci can be contacted at dcarducci@recordpub.com