Recordpub.com - KSU stays in title, bowl hunt with victory over Western Michigan

By David Carducci

Record-Courier staff writer

Kent State proved a point while extending its winning streak to three games and keeping its championship and bowl hopes alive in a striking 26-14 win over Western Michigan on Saturday at Dix Stadium.

Traditionally, players wearing the blue-and-gold of the Golden Flashes have shied away from the spotlight whenever a big game was on the line. If they found themselves at a crossroads where their season could either stay on the path towards a title or slide back into mediocrity, the Flashes always seemed to sabotage their hopes with fumbles, dropped passes, special-teams breakdowns or missed assignments.

It’s been a 30-plus-year game of Chutes and Ladders where almost every spin ended in a free-fall.

That was then.

After arguably the most well-played game Kent State has played in Dix Stadium in several decades, running back Jacquise Terry spoke for his teammates when he declared, “this is a different Kent State team.”

The Flashes proved it all day long.

When Kent State absolutely had to answer a Western Michigan score in the fourth quarter, senior Phil Garner made a beautiful leaping catch on third-and-15 to keep the game’s most important drive alive. While playing for last year’s disappointing Flashes, Garner dropped a punt in the fourth quarter against Akron, helping to signal that season’s downward spiral.

On this “different” team, Garner turned in the biggest play in a game filled with eye-poppers. His 19-yard grab set the stage for a weaving 17-yard touchdown run by Terry to extend KSU’s lead back to two scores with 5:35 to play.

Some changes in Kent State’s strategy led to fewer four-receiver sets than usual, meaning Garner came into the game knowing he wouldn’t see much action on Saturday, “but he was ready when we called his name, and he went in there and made the play,” said KSU head coach Doug Martin. “That’s what I am loving about this football team.”

When this different team had to convert another third-and-15 a few minutes later for a chance to run out the clock, Spencer Keith rifled a ball in the direction of Tyshon Goode. Despite double-coverage, Goode made a leaping grab for a 27-yard pickup. The daring play allowed the Flashes to take a satisfying final knee a few plays later at the Western Michigan 9-yard line.

Just three short weeks ago, Keith and Goode couldn’t connect on a much easier short throw as KSU failed to convert a third down in the closing minutes against Bowling Green. The Flashes are still trying to forget the collapse that followed.

“We really don’t want to look back at the Bowling Green game, but we do learn from that,” said Goode. “Looking up at the clock, it seemed like it was the same situation.”

It was the same situation, but it was attacked by a different team that is no longer afraid to perform at “winning time.”

In just three weeks since one of the most frustrating losses in KSU history, these new Flashes have become a confident bunch in part because they have embraced a new collective attitude.

“It’s like coach Martin says. We don’t know if we are great individually, but together as a team we are unstoppable,” said defensive lineman Monte Simmons, who recorded three of his team’s four sacks as the Flashes accomplished their goal of harassing Broncos star quarterback Tim Hiller.

The tandem of Keith and Goode proved just how good one player can make another on Saturday.

As a true freshman, Keith out-dueled the senior Hiller, throwing for 373 yards while completing 24 of his 34 passes. But Keith couldn’t have posted such gaudy numbers if not for the inspired efforts of Goode, his fellow true freshman who turned in one of the most inspired performances in Dix Stadium history with 11 catches for 198 yards and two scores.

Goode wowed the crowd with the most aesthetically pleasing play of the day when he made a leaping one-handed grab of a 40-yard throw early in the game. A little while later, he out-battled Western cornerback David Lewis for an alley-oop 19-yard touchdown that put KSU in control at 20-7 early in the third quarter.

“I was just having fun,” said Goode. “This is what I love to do, go up there and make plays and do whatever I can do to win a football game.”

But then, when the dynamic duo hooked up on a 34-yard touchdown late in the first half — a score that put the Flashes ahead 13-7 — Goode couldn’t have sauntered over to make the easy grab without the brilliant misdirection of Keith. The young quarterback played a game of three-card monty as he confused the entire Western Michigan defense and all of the cameramen shooting video for the Dix Stadium scoreboard with a beautiful play-fake.

The two kept playing off of each with Goode even delivering a picture-perfect block to clear the way for Keith’s key scrambling third-down conversion in the third quarter.

And the exciting part of the give-and-take relationship between Keith and Goode — KSU fans have a chance to watch it continue to develop for three more years.

While KSU (5-4, 4-1) stayed on the right track for a chance at an East Division championship and a bowl bid with its third straight win, Western Michigan watched its postseason hopes take a significant blow.

At 4-5 (3-3 MAC), the Broncos probably need to win out for a chance at bowl bid, and they are sure to be a significant underdog in a non-conference game at Michigan State next week.

Hiller threw for 255 yards while completing 31 of his 49 throws and a pair of touchdowns, including a 2-yard strike to Ansel Ponder to give his team a brief 7-3 lead in the second quarter. He was at his best early as Western employed a quick passing game designed for Hiller to get the ball away in 2.2 seconds or less. But as the Broncos were forced to go deeper down the field and take more time to allow plays to develop, the pressure on Hiller started to build, culminating in KSU’s four sacks.

“Those sacks were disappointing,” said Western coach Bill Cubit. “They did a lot of things well ... They did a lot of things they had not done well during the season. To throw for 373 yards, I give a lot of credit to Kent, but that’s inexcusable. They (converted) 10-of-14 third downs, and that’s inexcusable because they had not been good there.

“But they are a confident group.”

The Flashes hope to keep building their confidence building through next week’s rivalry game at the University of Akron. The Zips are the last team standing in the way of a Kent State-Temple battle for first place Nov. 21 in Philadelphia.