Home | Back

Keith named new starter at QB for Flashes

Share_print Print Story    |    Comments    |   
By David Carducci
October 6, 2009

 

By David Carducci

Record-Courier staff writer

Spencer Keith is Kent State’s new starting quarterback.

KSU head coach Doug Martin announced the switch from sophomore Giorgio Morgan to the true freshman Monday during his weekly press conference at Dix Stadium.

“It’s really nothing against Giorgio,” said Martin. “He’s really played pretty well. He is just not making the plays consistently that Spencer is.”

As he had done in his first three college games, Keith moved the Golden Flashes’ offense up and down the field after replacing Morgan in the second half of Saturday’s 31-15 loss at Baylor. While he failed to engineer a touchdown drive, he finished the night with 206 yards on 21-for-39 passing. In four appearances this season, including one start, Keith has completed 60 percent of his throws (53-for-88) for 587 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions. His pass-efficiency rating of 124.4 currently ranks eighth in the Mid-American Conference, just ahead of Bowling Green senior star Tyler Sheehan’s 123.3.

Morgan, meanwhile, owns a 69.8 efficiency rating after completing 55.4 percent of his passes for 279 yards and four interceptions in his four starts this season. He is still looking for his first touchdown pass of the year.

Those disappointing numbers may not be completely Morgan’s fault. After winning the starting job with an impressive preseason camp, Morgan was injured in the second quarter of the Flashes’ season-opening win over Coastal Carolina. He stayed in that game, compiling most of this season’s numbers, while hobbling on a badly sprained ankle.

Since then, Morgan has struggled to regain his rhythm while being shuffled in and out of the lineup and missing one entire game to the injury.

“I think Giorgio is probably pressing a little bit,” said Martin. “He is trying to do a little too much and putting a little too much pressure on himself, so this is probably coming at a good time.”

To his credit, Morgan recognized Keith had the hotter hand during halftime at Baylor and encouraged Martin to go with the freshman in the second half. Morgan had gone 3-for-6 for 18 yards with one ill-advised pass that was easily intercepted.

“(Morgan) said, ‘Spencer is playing better right now, let him play,’ ” said Martin. “(Morgan) is a real mature kid, and he is a great team player. I don’t think I’ve ever had a player be that mature about that type of decision, because I was going to go and let Giorgio start the second half. It was very unselfish on his part.”

While Keith was impressive as he spread the ball around to several different receiver, his inexperience still showed. His lone interception came on fourth-and-goal and was fired to the wrong side of the field to a receiver who was short of the goal. He also missed a few other open receivers and fumbled the ball on a play-action pass in the red zone that, according to Martin, would have been a certain touchdown.

Those are the kind of mistakes a team can expect when it turns to a freshman quarterback. More often than not, though, Keith has made decisions beyond his years.

“Spencer has a really good vision of the field,” said Martin. “He is really unlike any freshman quarterbacks I’ve had. Usually they get locked in on one receiver they like, so they always look for that guy. Or on a particular play, they just like one particular route. He’s not like that. He understands the game. He will move his eyes around. He makes some good throws.”

One of the throws Martin used as an example was a perfect strike to wide receiver Leneric Muldrow on a post pattern in Saturday’s third quarter.

Muldrow couldn’t hang on to the ball, but “that was a great read where Spencer actually looked the safety off and threw away from him,” said Martin. “He came back later and threw to the other side. It was the same play, and he completed it to Phil Garner.”

That kind of decision making and execution is making it easy for Keith’s offensive teammates to adjust to the quarterback switch. Those same players voted Morgan as the captain of the offense at the start of the season. Now they are being asked to follow a true freshman into battle Saturday when the Flashes (2-3, 1-0 MAC) host Bowling Green (1-4, 0-1) for Homecoming at Dix Stadium.

“(Keith) has come a long way really fast,” said senior receiver Jameson Konz. “When he first showed up at camp, you could just tell when he was in the huddle. There was a presence there. He has had to grow up really fast, and I definitely think people respect him. He makes the throws, he makes good reads. If the coaches choose to play him at quarterback, we are going to be behind him 100 percent.”

•••

David Carducci can be contacted at dcarducci@recordpub.com

 




Comments
By Posting to this site, you agree to our Terms of Service Be polite. Inappropriate posts may be removed. Recordpub.com doesn't necessarily condone the comments here, nor does it review every post.

Login above or Register to comment.
 0 Total Comments Home | Back