The Washington Huskies welcome the Kent State Golden Flashes to Husky Stadium Saturday night. RealDawg.com’s Evan Feather takes a deep dive into the matchup between the first matchup between the two schools where Don James was the head coach.
2021 Season Recap:
W-L: 7-7
Head Coach: Sean Lewis (Career Record: 19-24)
Under Head Coach Sean Lewis Kent St has really turned the program around. The team has finished without a losing record for 3 straight years for the first time in almost 50 years. His “FlashFast” style of offense has been the carrying force for the Golden Flashes. The 2021 team was loaded with Senior leadership and used that experience to carry them to a MAC Championship game appearance. They had a tough schedule with non-conference games against Texas A&M, Iowa, and Maryland all resulting in losses. However, KSU went 6-2 against the MAC with their only losses coming against Central Michigan and Western Michigan. Both losses came in shootouts where their defense was unable to slow down their opponent.
In the MidAmerican Conference Championship game they played Northern Illinois for the second time of the season. They won the first matchup during the regular season 52-47 behind big games from QB Dustin Crum and RB Marquez Cooper. However in the Championship Northern Illinois was able to keep the ball away from Kent St. dominating time of possession 40 min – 20 min. This combined with 2 interceptions from QB Dustin Crum really limited the offenses ability to score the ball.
With a 7-6 record the Golden Flashes were eligible for a bowl game and were selected to the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl vs Wyoming. Dustin Crum had a good game in his final start for the Golden Flashes. Behind his 3 first half touchdowns, Kent St had a 24-21 lead at half time.
But Wyoming QB Levi Williams was too much too handle down the stretch rushing for 200 yards and 4 TDs, leading them to a 52-38 win over Kent St.
Overall the 2021 Kent St Golden Flashes were a great representation of what Sean Lewis has built. Finishing a season with 3,400 yards passing and 3400 yards rushing is a credit to the offense that Sean Lewis has built and shows how hard it can be to stop. But the offense can only do so much with a defense that allowed over 36 points per game.
Week 1 @ Texas A&M – Loss – 41-10 – 110 Passing Yards – 226 Rushing Yards, 1 Rushing TD
Week 2 Virginia Military Institute – Win – 60-10 – 204 Passing Yards, 1 Passing TD – 494 Rushing Yards, 7 Rushing TDs
Week 3 @ Iowa – Loss – 7-30 – 185 Passing Yards, 1 Passing TD – 79 Rushing Yards
Week 4 @ Maryland – Loss- 16-37 – 308 Passing Yards, 1 Passing TD – 150 Rushing Yards
Week 5 Bowling Green – Win – 27-20 – 134 Passing Yards – 262 Rushing Yards, 3 Rushing TDs
Week 6 Buffalo – Win – 48-38 – 407 Passing Yards, 3 Passing TDs – 226 Rushing Yards, 3 Rushing TDs
Week 7 @ Western Michigan – Loss – 31-64 – 238 Passing Yards, 2 Passing TDs – 124 Rushing Yards, 2 Rushing TDs
Week 8 @ Ohio – Win – 34-27 – 257 Passing Yards, 1 Passing TD – 200 Rushing Yards, 3 Rushing TDs
Week 9 Northern Illinois – Win – 52-47 – 322 Passing Yards, 2 Passing TDs – 360 Rushing Yards, 5 Rushing TDs
Week 10 @ Central Michigan – Loss – 30-54 – 322 Passing Yards, 2 Passing TDs – 134 Rushing Yards, 2 Rushing TDs
Week 11 @ Akron – Win – 38-0 – 66 Passing Yards – 410 Rushing Yards, 4 Rushing TDs
Week 12 Miami(OH) – Win – 48-47 – 339 Passing Yards, 2 Passing TDs – 303 Rushing Yards, 4 Rushing TDs
Week 13 Northern Illinois – Loss – 23-41 – 196 Passing Yards, 2 Passing TDs – 195 Rushing Yards, 1 Rushing TD
Week 14 Wyoming – Loss – 38-52 – 337 Passing Yards, 4 Passing TDs – 319 Rushing Yards, 1 Rushing TD 2021
2021 Statistical Capsule
Offense: 33.0 Points per game, 246 Passing Yards per game, 248.6 Rushing Yards per game, 21 Passing TDs, 36 Rushing TDs 2021
Defense: 36.3 Points per game, 266 Passing Yards allowed, 205.9 Rushing Yards allowed, 22 Passing TDs allowed, 41 Rushing TDs allowed
Key Losses:
QB-Dustin Crum – Graduated – Started all 14 games in 2021 – Passing 244-381 3206
yards 20 TD 6 Int. Rushing 161 carries – 703 yards 12 td
4 of 5 starters on Offensive Line
2022 Kent State Golden Flashes:
Head Coach: Sean Lewis (Career Record: 19-24)
Coaching Changes:
Andrew Sowder- Offensive Coordinator
Jeremiah Johnson- Defensive Coordinator
Zac Barton – Associate Head Coach, Tight Ends Coach
Matthew Middleton – Wide Receivers Coach
Bill OBoyle – Offensive Line Coach
Matt Johnson – Running Backs Coach
Colin Ferrll – Defensive Line Coach
CJ Cox – Secondary Coach
Keelon Brookins – Cornerbacks Coach
Lee Stalker – Linebackers Coach
Key Returning Starters:
WR- Dante Cephas- JR – 2021 Stats: 82 Catches 1240 Receiving Yards 9 Receiving TDs
RB- Marquez Cooper – JR – 2021 Stats: 241 carries 1205 rushing yards 11 rushing TDs, 10 catches 95 receiving yards
Safety- Dean Clark – SR – 2021 Stats: 116 Tackles 2 TFL 3 Pass Deflections
DT – CJ West – JR – 2021 Stats: 43 Tackles 8 TFL 4 Sacks
Impact New Comers:
DE AJ Campbell FR – 6’ 4” 245 LB – (Transfer from UCLA)
2022 Preview:
The Golden Flash offense is an extremely up tempo style of offense. They will try to run as many as 100 offensive plays in a game. The offense is an Run Pass Option-heavy scheme designed on forcing the defense into mistakes. This year the offense will be led at QB by Collin Schlee. The first year starter has gotten some experience the last few seasons. In his limited time he has played pretty well, 23-36 300 yards, 3 Passing TDs and 212 rushing yards, 4 Rushing TDs. He will have some big shoes to fill, Dustin Crum threw for over 3200 yards 20 TDs, and ran for over 700 yards 12 TDs last season for Kent St.
The strength of the offense will be the RB room which returns two speedy running backs who combined for over 2000 rushing yards last season. Junior RB Marquez Cooper will lead the way with a majority of the carries last season he ran from over 1200 yards and 12 Tds while
averaging over 5 yards per carry. Backup RB Xavier Williams will also be back for Kent St after running for over 800 yards on 6.5 yards per carry last season. Bryan Bradford will be the bigger back who rotates in for Cooper and Williams in short yardage situations.
The WR Room returns only 2 WRs with much experience, led by one of the break out stars in the MAC in 2021 Dante Cephas. Cephas finished the 2021 season with 82 catches for 1240 yards and 9 TDs. His 1240 yards was 16th most in the country last season. He has the speed to really put pressure on defenses down the field but he is also a threat to catch the ball underneath and fight for extra yards after the catch. The other returning receiver is JaShaun Poke, 26 catches 315 yards 1 TD in 2021. Cephas emerged in 2021 as a legit threat to defenses
after only 11 catches in 2020 so it is possible for the Golden Flash to have another start hidden on the roster, and they better hope there is one because the WR position definitely could use the help.
The biggest question mark on offense for Kent State would have to be their Offensive Line group. Coming into the year after losing 4 starters from last years team. Not to mention they are a smaller group of lineman averaging under 300 LBs across the line. This should be a
real target of attack for opposing defenses.
Defensively Kent State struggled to stop anyone in 2021. Even with their talented offense averaging over 33 points per game in 2021 the team finished with a negative 46-point differential. For the season the defense allowed 5 yards per carry rushing to go along with 40
rushing TDs. They struggled to slow down teams running or throwing the ball and were one of the worst teams in the country in getting off the field on 3 rd down allowing opposing teams to convert over 47% of the time. The one bright spot on defense was the had 25 takeaways to only 12 turnovers on offense. A +13 turnover differential was good enough for 4 th best in the country last season.
Overall this is a Kent State team with quite a bit of talented players especially at the offensive skill positions. Typical Sean Lewis team they will lean heavily on running the football and playing high tempo offense. They have a good amount of experience returning at the skill
positions on offense and across the defense. If the new players on offense have picked up where the group of graduating seniors left off this could be a Kent St team that will surprise some people.
Starting Lineup:
Offense
QB – Collin Schlee – JR – 6’ 3” 213 LBs
RB –Marquez Cooper – JR – 5’ 7” 190 LBs
WR – Dante Cephas – JR – 6’ 1” 186 LBs
WR – Devontez Walker – SO – 6’ 3” 192 LBs
WR – Raymond James – SR – 5’ 11” 175 LBs
TE- Kris Leach – SR – 6’ 6” 249 LBs
LT– Marcellus Marshall – JR – 6’ 5” 335 LBs
LG– Jack Bailey – JR – 6’ 3” 280 LBs
C – Sam Allan – SR – 6’ 2” 286 LBs
RG– Elijah Ratliff – SR – 6’ 3” 308 LBs
RT– Elijah Lamptey – JR – 6’ 5” 274 LBs
Defense
DE – Zayin West – SR – 6’ 1” 266 LBs
DT – Sekou Diaby – JR – 6’ 2” 272 LBs
NT – CJ West – JR – 6’ 2” 315 LBs
DE – Saivon Taylor-Davis – SR – 6’ 233 LBs
SLB – Juan Wallace – SR – 6’ 2” 215 LBs
MLB – Khalib Johns – SR – 6’ 2” 229 LBs
WLB – Marvin Pierre – SR – 6’ 1” 221 LBs
Rover – Nico Bolden – SR – 6’ 3” 213 LBs
FS – Antwaine Richardon – SR – 6’ 0” 188 LBs
CB – Montre Miller – SR – 6’ 2” 185 LBs
CB – Capone Blue – SR – 6’ 3” 177 LBs
SS – Dean Clark – SR – 6’ 211 LBs
