COACH AND PROGRAM
Last year, Dean Pees said that a winning season for Kent State "would be like winning the Super Bowl around here." He wasn’t kidding.
On Dec. 5, 2001, 12 days after the Golden Flashes defeated Miami of Ohio to complete their first winning season since 1987, Pees, athletic director Laing Kennedy, members of the Blue and Gold Club and football team attended a City Council meeting where mayor John Fender read a proclamation congratulating them on their "outstanding season."
A nice gesture, to be sure, but also a vivid reminder of just how long this program had been down. The Golden Flashes’ five-game improvement from 1-10 in 2000 tied for fifth best in the country. Still, if a 6-5 season gets a proclamation from the mayor, what would a MAC title be worth?
"Maybe, they’ll make me mayor," cracked Pees, the former Notre Dame and Michigan State assistant, who won twice as many games in his third season than he did in his first three years in Portage County.
Now that the Golden Flashes have finally broken through, the challenge is to continue moving forward, because it doesn’t take much to lose ground in this league. Plus, the landscape has changed a bit.
"The expectations are certainly different than they have ever been in my time here," Pees said. "Instead of hoping that we’re going to win a couple of games, we’re hoping to improve and compete for a championship."
That may be a tall order for a team playing in the same division as Marshall, but there is no reason the Golden Flashes can’t compete with Miami, Central Florida and Akron for second-tier superiority.
QUARTERBACKS
It did not take sophomore quarterback Joshua Cribbs long to establish himself as the Golden Flashes’ quarterback of the present and future. He was one of three quarterbacks to play in the season-opening defeat at Iowa. He came off the bench to spark a rally over Bucknell in Week 2 and ran for an 84-yard touchdown -- the longest rushing touchdown by an opponent in the history of West Virginia’s Mountaineer Field -- while making his first start in Week 3.
Cribbs (6-1, 190) went on to finish second in the MAC Freshman-of-the-Year balloting after ranking fifth in the league in rushing (92.6 ypg), eighth in passing (137.8 ypg) and fourth in total offense.
"He was just a true, 18-year-old freshman, so he’s got a lot of learning to do," Pees said.
Cribbs, who was the nation’s fourth-leading rusher among quarterbacks with 1,019 yards, scored five touchdowns on the ground and completed 131-of-238 passes for 1,516 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions. His objective this year is to become a more effective passer and make defenses play the Flashes honestly.
With Cribbs in the lineup, Kent State nearly doubled its per-game point production (from 11.6 to 22.5) and the three other quarterbacks in the running for the starting job last summer have realized that he will be the man for three more seasons. Jeff Valentino, the starter in last year’s opener at Iowa, headed for Division II Slippery Rock after the season, Ben McDaniels, a former star at Canton McKinley High School, left the program and will probably continue his career at a Division III school. Adam Frederick (6-2, 205), a junior, stayed at Kent State, but is now playing linebacker.
This leaves sophomores Darryl Polk (6-0, 205) and Brent Marsteller (6-1, 200), both of whom sat out last season, behind Cribbs and makes depth at this position a big concern. Polk passed for 24 touchdowns during his senior season at Deerfield Beach (Fla.) High School and Marsteller is a transfer from Robert Morris College.
RUNNING BACKS
Junior tailback David Alston (5-10, 197) made up for lost time last season. Alston, a partial qualifier who had to sit out the 2000 season, scored the Golden Flashes’ first points of the year on a 44-yard run on the first play from scrimmage against Bucknell and kept going from there. A speedy tailback with good cutback ability, he finished the season with 633 yards rushing and six touchdowns and was named second-team All-MAC.
Alston also has a pair of sophomores working hard behind him. Antonio King (6-0, 205) and Eddie Beccles (5-8, 175) both played sparingly as freshmen, but should contribute more this season. Beccles carried the ball 10 times for 58 yards in 2001 and King carried three times for seven yards.
Sophomore Charles Newton (6-0, 245) and junior James Ruggiero (6-1, 235) are the top candidates to succeed DeMarlo Rozier at fullback.
WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS
Jurron Kelly and Matt Curry, the top receivers in 2001, have both moved on and the race to find playmakers to take their place is on. If Cribbs’ passing skills are to progress, he needs to have reliable targets.
"To me, that’s the key position for us," Pees said. "We’ve got five or six guys fighting for the starting spots. There’s some outstanding competition going on."
Fifth-year senior Joshua Bostick (6-2, 200), the third-leading receiver on the team last season, has the physical ability and experience to emerge as a go-to player. Bostick caught 21 passes for 214 yards and a touchdown last season while coming off ankle and knee injuries that forced him to miss the 2000 season.
Darrell Dowery Jr. (6-0, 165), a high school teammate of Cribbs’ at Dunbar in Washington, D.C., is another top contender. Dowery made nine catches for 88 yards last season. Senior Ray Kemp (5-9, 170), juniors Maurio Medley (6-6, 205) and Daryl Moore (5-11, 180) and red-shirt freshman DeMarkus Robinson (5-10, 180) are also vying for time. Kemp, a former walk-on, missed last season with a knee injury. Moore appeared in seven games, catching four passes for 21 yards, and Medley caught two passes for 15 yards, including a 2-yard score on his first collegiate reception at Marshall. Robinson, a converted running back, rushed for 366 yards in a game at Orrville (Ohio) High School. Junior Ray Coley (5-11, 195), a converted defensive back, had a strong spring and could also fit in.
The tight end doesn’t play a huge role as a receiver in the Golden Flashes’ offense, but good blocking is a must at this position. Returning starter Neil Buckosh (6-3, 235), a junior, and backup Ray Quinn (6-3, 220) were both dinged up this spring, but senior Brycen Erbe (6-3, 265) came on strong and could be the No. 1 man this fall.
OFFENSIVE LINE
The Golden Flashes return three starters, but only junior center Steve Smith will play the same position he did last season. Even with all of the shuffling, Pees likes how this unit is taking shape.
Smith (6-4, 265), a junior from Canton McKinley and the team’s fastest offensive lineman, returns to the center spot where he calls out the blocking assignments.
Position changes are nothing new to senior Joel Reikowski , a three-year letter winner who is playing his third position in three years. Reikowski (6-5, 270) started at left tackle last season but will play right tackle last fall. Kent State’s starting tight end in 2000, he put on 20 pounds last off-season after catching 11 passes during his sophomore year.
Senior Kevin Jamieson (6-3, 305) moves from right tackle to right guard, replacing the departed Ryan Hallett. Junior Shaun Sarrett (6-6, 280) is the top candidate at left guard. He will be pushed by junior Justin VerHoeve (6-4, 275), a transfer from Southwestern College in Chula Vista, Calif. Sophomore Jason Andrews (6-5, 280), who backed up at several spots last season, is battling classmate Chad Bandiera (6-3, 270) for the left tackle position.
KICKERS
David Pavich led the Golden Flashes in scoring each of the last four seasons and is trying to land a job in professional football. He left with 184 career points, fifth best in KSU history, and is the school’s career leader with 79 extra-point kicks. He is also tied for first with 35 career field goals.
Red-shirt freshman Travis Mayle (6-0, 185) stayed close to his Ravenna, Ohio home and would have to struggle mightily to lose the job. He had a solid spring, making three field goals in one scrimmage, and has a very strong leg. Mayle kicked seven field goals of more than 50 yards in high school, including a career-best 54-yarder.
Senior punter Jared Fritz (6-2, 185) is the backup.
DEFENSIVE LINE
There is no reason this group shouldn’t be strong, especially with senior Roy Attieh returning for his third year as a starter on the inside and Michigan State transfer Pierre Wilson moving from linebacker to defensive end.
Attieh (6-1, 310) is a classic run-stuffer who often frees up linebackers by drawing a double team. He was slowed a bit by a shoulder injury last season, but still made 19 tackles, including 15 solo. He is joined on the inside by junior Alan Williams (6-2, 260), a former walk-on who made 21 tackles in 2001. Juniors Tom Crock (6-3, 275), who has added 20 pounds of muscle in the last year, and Daryl Evans (6-2, 255) provide backup.
Kent State will look to generate more pressure from its ends, especially with outside linebacker James Harrison and his 12 sacks having moved on. This position should be strong with Wilson (6-3, 275), Shawn Armstead (6-4, 225), Nate Wesley (6-3, 280) and John Nurczyk (6-4, 245) all contributing.
Wilson was sixth on the team with 43 tackles last season, but did not register a sack. He has the strength and speed to get up field along with the ability to drop into coverage. He needs to put more pressure on opposing quarterbacks for this defense to reach its potential this season. Look for Nurczyk, a solid backup the last three seasons, to continue in that role.
Armstead, a solid performer in his first three seasons, is receiving a strong challenge from Wesley for the left end job. Armstead, who plays with a great deal of emotion on the field, registered 36 tackles and two sacks in 2001. Wesley, who saw limited action as a freshman last fall, shared the Jack Lambert Cup for most improved player on the defense this spring.
The unit could get a boost if basketball star Antonio Gates (6-5, 240) pulls a reverse Julius Peppers and comes out for football.
LINEBACKERS
The Golden Flashes lost starters Harrison, a first-team All-MAC performer, and inside linebacker Rashan Hall to graduation, but that doesn’t automatically mean this unit will be the weak link on defense. In fact, Pees liked what he saw from his linebackers in spring drills, although the group does not have a great deal of game experience.
"They’re all tough, that’s the big thing," Pees said. "They all run and they are all good sized."
Junior Anthony Henriquez (5-11, 225) led the team in tackles with 101 in his first season of eligibility last year. A standout against the run, Henriquez will move from the inside to an outside spot in Kent State’s 4-3 base defense. Senior Bryan Weiss (5-10, 225) and red-shirt freshman Marcus Robinson (6-1, 240) back up Henriquez.
Junior Josh Chilcote (6-2, 235), who saw action in nine games last season, is the projected starter at middle linebacker. Chilcote, who made 36 tackles in 2001, is an instinctive player who has added 25 pounds since arriving on campus. Chilcote is being pushed by classmate Jeff Jensen (6-3, 240), who shared the Jack Lambert Cup with Wesley. Jensen made nine tackles in 11 games last season.
Sophomore Eric Mahl (6-1, 235), who once made 30 tackles in a high school game, had a very strong spring and could be the other starter on the outside. Senior Justin Gatten (6-2, 220) is also competing for the job.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
Depth and experience are the buzzwords in the secondary as Kent State returns 10 time-tested veterans, including all four starters. Seniors Justin Baugham (5-10, 190) and Nashville Dyer (5-10, 175) are back at the corners and Jacon Avery (5-11, 170) returns at strong safety.
"They’ve been playing together since they were freshmen and they’ve gotten better every year," Pees said.
Dyer, a fifth-year player who has 20 career starts to his credit, led the team with four interceptions and finished with 51 tackles. Baugham was one of the most improved players on the team and finished tied for second with three interceptions. Avery, a converted cornerback, enters the season on a team-high streak of 22 consecutive starts. A former walk-on, he was fourth on the team with 82 tackles and is the quiet leader in the backfield.
Shannon Davis (6-0, 190) who started every game except the opener as a freshman, returns at free safety. Davis plays both the run and the pass well and finished third on the squad with 95 tackles. He earned MAC East Division Defensive Player of the Week after returning a fumble 95 yards for a touchdown to seal a 24-14 win over Ohio on Oct. 27.
Sophomore cornerbacks Andre Ashley (5-9, 190) and Gary Magee (5-10, 185) also return and red-shirt freshman Tyrell McElroy (5-11, 180) showed plenty of promise this spring. Senior Scott Booker (6-1, 205) backs up Davis and sophomores Keith Roberts (6-0, 190) and Vashawn Patrick (5-11, 210) play behind Avery. Junior Desmond Turner (6-0, 190), who started 10 games at strong safety as a freshman in 2000, and senior Robert James (6-4, 200) the starting free safety two years ago, also return.
PUNTERS
Fritz has been a fixture for the Golden Flashes for the last two seasons and should be steady again this fall. He averaged 37.9 yards on 52 punts last season and forced 10 fair catches. He also serves at Kent State’s holder and backup place-kicker.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Golden Flashes were adequate last season, but could certainly improve. Sophomores King and Reggie Gordon (5-11, 180) were not spectacular, but were the top two kickoff returners on the team last season.
Alston averaged 26.7 yards on six kickoffs, but will probably be used sparingly, if at all, in that role in order to reduce his risk of injuries. The biggest challenge is finding a suitable replacement for Kelly, who averaged 9.7 yards and handled all 15 of the Golden Flashes’ punt returns.
Juniors Jerami Hodgkinson (5-7, 225) and Lance Rudzinski (6-4, 220) return to fill the roles of short and long snapper, respectively.
RECRUITING CLASS
Pees and his staff had three major goals for their 2002 recruiting class -- find receivers with big-play potential; sign defensive linemen who could provide immediate depth and be solid starters down the road; and land two or three offensive linemen who could possibly crack the two-deep.
Brian Bell (6-3, 200) and Najah Pruden (6-3, 175) may take care of the first priority. Bell helped Washington’s DeMatha High School to a 22-game winning streak and back-to-back conference championships during his final two seasons and Pruden was third-team All-State in New Jersey after catching 28 passes for 708 yards and 15 touchdowns at Burlington City High School as a senior.
Larry Brown (6-1, 285) and Daniel Muir (6-3, 250) are targeted to help the defensive line. Brown had a huge season senior season at Washington’s Dunbar High School, totaling 105 tackles and 19 sacks while recovering 12 fumbles. Muir had 96 tackles and 13 sacks for Parkdale (Md.) High School.
Kent State signed five offensive linemen, including VerHoeve. Tackle Nathaniel Manning (6-4, 290), the top blocker for Virginia Tech quarterback recruit Marcus Vick at Warwick High School in Newport News, Va., may be able to help the soonest.
Quarterback Antwan Smith (6-3, 190) from Meade High School in Laurel, Md., could play his way into a backup role behind Cribbs.
BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS
It has certainly been a long time coming for Kent State football fans. After going 14 years without breaking .500, the Golden Flashes will try to post their first back-to-back winning seasons since 1976-77 this fall.
Pees has done a solid job putting the pieces in place, but Kent State is not over the top yet. Cribbs and Alston give the Golden Flashes two top performers on offense, but the receiving corps and offensive line will need to step forward in order to obtain the desired balance. Having eight returning starters on defense is nice, but, again, plays need to be made. The secondary is very solid, but Wilson needs to be a disruptive force at defensive end and the linebacker play needs to approach last year’s, even with two new starters. Mayle is likely to play an important role in his first season because this team figures to play its share of close games.
Kent State is much better than it has been in recent memory, but nothing will come easy. A 6-6 record seems attainable. Anything more might be worthy of another proclamation from the mayor.
