Coach Paul Haynes talks to the media about the first day of training camp (see link).

Football Camp Begins

QB Colin Reardon and Offensive Coordinator Brian Rock talk about the progression of Training Camp (see link).

Football Training Camp: Offense

Dri shows Steeler fans his speed against the Giants (see link).

Steelers at Giants: Dri Archer 46-yd reception

Pete Fiutak and Doug Chapman deliver all the goods on the MAC including this season's surprise players, big games, predictions, and everything you need to know to be an expert (see link).

Campus Insiders Official MAC Football Preview

2014 Fall Clinics

Over the past 10 years Maximum Exposure Basketball has helped thousands reach their dream of playing college basketball. Our clinics are divided into 2 Divisions, one for 5th-8th graders and one for 9th grade ? Post Grad players. Will you join our impressive list of event alumni? Don't miss your chance to participate in one of the top exposure events in the country!

FALL CLINICS INCLUDE

- Every Clinic is run by a former Division I Coach!

- Each player gets valuable recruiting information, participates in an advanced skill session, plays 3 games in front of college coaches and recruiting services, and is evaluated by our staff with those evaluations along with your contact information being sent out to EVERY coach in the country!

- See how you match up against some of the top players in your region and across the country!

- Have a chance to play your way into our Summer Invitational Events. Last year over 200 Division I coaches were present at these events including coaches from almost every Division I conference in the country as well as numerous Division II, III, and NAIA coaches

- These events will fill up extremely fast and the only way to secure a spot is by getting your deposit in! Last year we turned away over 150 players because they waited too late to register!

REGISTER ONLINE HERE![/B]



MAIL IN REGISTRATION FORM




WHY OUR EVENTS INSTEAD OF OTHERS?
WHAT PARENTS & PLAYERS ARE SAYING ABOUT OUR EVENTS
WHAT COLLEGE COACHES ARE SAYING ABOUT OUR EVENTS


2014 Fall Clinic Dates & Locations
Click on Event for directions, times, hotel information, etc. (Coming soon!)

Sat. Aug. 30 - Charlotte, NC Sun. Aug. 31 - Baltimore, MD

Sat. Sept. 6 - Atlanta, GA Sun. Sept. 7 - Nashville, TN

Sat. Sept. 13 - Miami, FL Sun. Sept. 14 - Orlando, FL

Sat. Sept. 20 - Houston, TX Sun. Sept. 21 - New Orleans, LA
Sat. Sept. 20 - Detroit, MI Sun. Sept. 21 - Columbus, OH

Sat. Sept. 27 - New York, NY Sun. Sept. 28 - Washington, DC
Sat. Sept. 27 - Chicago, IL Sun. Sept. 28 - Indianapolis, IN

Sat. Oct. 4 - Kansas City, MO Sun. Oct. 5 - St. Louis, MO
Sat. Oct. 4 - Dallas, TX Sun. Oct. 5 - Austin, TX

Sat. Oct. 11 - Boston, MA Sun. Oct. 12 - Philadelphia, PA
Sat. Oct. 11 - Columbia, SC Sun. Oct. 12 - Atlanta, GA

Sat. Oct. 18 - Southern California Sun. Oct. 19 - Bay Area, CA
Sat. Oct. 18 - Greensboro, NC Sun. Oct. 19 - Birmingham, AL
Sat. Oct. 18 - Denver, CO Sun. Oct. 19 - Denver Skills Cam

Sat. Oct. 25 - Portland, OR Sun. Oct. 26 - Seattle, WA
Sat. Oct. 25 - Phoenix, AZ Sun. Oct. 26 - Las Vegas, NV




Questions? Email us at info@maximumexposurebasketball.com or call or text our office at (704) 664-9845
CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION ON OUR REFERRAL PROGRAM!


[/B][/B]
Click Here for a list of former participants in our Events and the schools they have signed with![/B]
[/B]
[/B]
Click here for a list of College's that have attended our Events!

Over 200 coaches attended our 2013 Events!!

The Mid-American Conference is great. It may not produce football national championship teams, but it consistently produces some of the most fun football you will watch all season.
There is more to the conference than just fun games, though, and in light of Central Michigan left tackle Eric Fisher being selected first overall in the 2013 NFL Draft, let's take a look at the best moments in MAC history (see link).

10 of the greatest moments in MAC football history

This is an interesting video on a recent congressional hearing on whether college athletes should get compensated for their participation and contributions to the revenue derived by the universities that they play for (see link).

College Athletes and Academics

After watching Andrew Hendrix "thread the needle," I'm convinced the game at Miami will not be easy for the Flashes (see link).

This post was edited on 7/27 3:59 PM by nashvillegoldenflash

Andrew Hendrix - National Thread The Needle Day

Italiano, like Currie, has contributed since he first stepped on campus. Italiano calls Canfield, Ohio home, not far from Kent State. The 5-foot-10, 207 lbs. junior led the Golden Flashes defense in solo tackles last season with 41. Italiano also recorded 76 total tackles, which was good for third place. But Italiano is a team-first player who works hard on and off the field. In fact, Italiano was named to the Academic All-America Second Team in 2013, something that proves great academics and athletics is an attainable goal.

http://www.sportswatch.com/currie-and-italiano-key-leaders-for-broncos-and-golden-flashes/

Cleveland, Ohio -- The Mid-American Conference (MAC) will host its 2014 Football Media Day on Wednesday, July 23, from Noon to 4:00 pm, from Ford Field in Detroit. The MAC Football Media Day kicks off the season, which officially begins on Thursday, Aug. 28, and will conclude with the 2014 Marathon MAC Football Championship Game on Friday, Dec. 5 from Ford Field.

Joining MAC Commissioner, Dr. Jon Steinbrecher will be all 13 head coaches from our member institutions and two student-athletes from each university. Commissioner Steinbrecher will begin Football Media Day and address the media at Noon. All head coaches and student-athletes will be available to the media throughout the morning.

2014 MAC FOOTBALL MEDIA DAY: Wednesday, July 23, Ford Field - Detroit, Mich.
Noon -- State of the Conference, Commissioner, Dr. Jon Steinbrecher (Press Level -- 7th Floor)
1:00 pm - 4:00 pm - MAC Football Media Preview (Press Level - 7th Floor)
* Print Interviews (Press Box); Electronic Interviews (Rooftop Suite)

2014 MAC Football Media Day Head Coaches and Student-Athlete Participants

MAC East Division[/B]
Akron Head Coach Terry Bowden; LB Justin March; OL Travis Switzer
Bowling Green Head Coach Dino Babers; QB Matt Johnson; LB D.J. Lynch
Buffalo Head Coach Jeff Quinn; QB Joe Licata; DL Kristjan Sokoli
Kent State Head Coach Paul Haynes; RB Trayion Durham; DL Nate Terhune
Miami Head Coach Chuck Martin; QB Andrew Hendrix; LB Kent Kern
Ohio Head Coach Frank Solich; S Josh Kristoff; C Lucas Powell
UMass Head Coach Mark Whipple; LB Stanley Andre; WR Tajae Sharpe

MAC West Division
Ball State Head Coach Pete Lembo; RB Jahwan Edwards; LB Ben Ingle
Central Michigan Head Coach Dan Enos; WR Titus Davis; DL Leterrius Walton
Eastern Michigan Head Coach Chris Creighton; DB Pudge Cotton; OL Lincoln Hansen
Northern Illinois Head Coach Rod Carey; DB Paris Logan; RB Cameron Stingily
Toledo Head Coach Matt Campbell; LB Junior Sylvestre; OL Greg Mancz
Western Michigan Head Coach P.J. Fleck; WR Corey Davis; DB Donald Celiscar

WATCH MAC FOOTBALL MEDIA DAY LIVE ON ESPN3: WATCH LIVE
[/B]


This post was edited on 7/22 7:00 AM by nashvillegoldenflash

2014 MAC Football Media Day

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Kent State and Ohio State will kick off at noon on Sept. 13 at Ohio Stadium.
The game will be televised on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2, the Big Ten announced on Wednesday.

Kent State at Ohio State kickoff is noon Sept. 13

People always debated who's the greatest player of all time? See Michael Jordan's response (see link).

Michael Jordan shuts the haters down!

Hiding somewhere in the college football coaching ranks are the next versions of Nick Saban and Urban Meyer.
It's inevitable. As the big dogs--who have won more than one national championship--wind down their careers, a couple of younger guys will work their way through the ranks to become super coaches. It happens covertly, behind the scenes, until one day we wonder, "Where did that guy come from?"
A prime candidate for such a run is Chuck Martin, the new head coach at Miami--the one in Ohio, not the one in Florida.
Take a look at Martin's credentials and then file his name away for future reference. He's one of the guys who might be the[/I] guy in 10 years' time (see link for full article).

This post was edited on 6/18 1:28 PM by nashvillegoldenflash

The next hot commodity in college football

I like Colin Reardon as the quarterback for next year but strongly believe that Nathan Strock will challenge Reardon for the starting position. The photo below is Strock warming up before the game against Ohio University. From the photo, you can see Strock still needs to add more weight to his 6-2 frame. At the beginning of the season, Strock was listed on the roster at 6-2 and 185 pounds compared to Reardon who was listed at 6-1 and 202 pounds.



Below are Reardon's highlights for his redshirt freshman season



2013 Redshirt Freshman Season
Completed 20 of 32 passes for a career high 260 yards and a touchdown in the loss to Buffalo, it was his 11th passing touchdown of the season

Completed 19 of 24 passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for a career high 71 yards during the loss at Ball State

Completed 16 of 35 passes for 206 yards and a touchdown in the loss to Northern Illinois

Completed 17 of 30 passes for 176 yards and two touchdowns during the victory at Western Michigan

Completed 20-29 passes for 180 yards and ran for his first career touchdown in the loss at LSU, also went his third straight game without throwing an interception

Threw two touchdowns with no intercptions as well as leading the team in rushing with 58 yards in the loss to Bowling Green


Earned The Don Nottingham Award at the spring game, which is given to the offensive player who made the biggest improvement during spring practice

Completed 21 of 28 passes for 194 yards and threw for 2 touchdowns in his first collegiate game in a 17-10 victory over Liberty
This post was edited on 4/11 9:45 PM by nashvillegoldenflash

Colin Reardon

2014 Summer Showcases
Maximum Exposure Basketball is in its ninth year of offering showcases for High School, Prep School, and Junior College basketball players that are looking to move on and play at the next level. Players that attend our showcases will be placed on to teams and play 3 games in front of college coaches. Each player will also be evaluated by the Maximum Exposure Basketball staff. Evaluations will then be sent to every college in the ENTIRE country!



*** College Coaches and recruiting services will be invited to and present at each event. ***

*** Each Showcase is NCAA Certified and Division I Coaches can attend. ***

Boys Register online HERE!
Girls Register online HERE![/B]





2014 Men's Summer Showcase Dates & Locations
July 9 - Philadelphia, PA - TBA (4:30 PM - 10:00 PM)
July 12 - Washington, DC - TBA (11:00 AM - 5:00 PM)
July 13 - Greensboro, NC - Proehlific Park (11:00 AM - 5:00 PM)
July 16 - Augusta, GA - TBA (4:30 PM - 10:00 PM)
July 19 - Dallas, TX - TBA (11:00 AM - 5:00 PM)
July 23 - Kansas City, MO - TBA (4:30 PM -10:00 PM)
July 25 - Louisville, KY - TBA (11:00 AM - 5:00 PM)
July 27 - Lake Wales, FL - Warner University (11:00 AM - 5:00 PM)

Click the links above for starting times, directions, hotel information, etc. (coming soon!)


2014 Women's Summer Showcase Dates & Locations

July 6 - Orlando, FL - Rollins College (11:00 AM - 5:00 PM)
July 23 - Kansas City, MO - TBA (11:30 AM - 5:00 PM)
July 26 - Dallas, TX - TBA (11:00 AM - 5:00 PM)

Click the links above for starting times, directions, hotel information, etc. (coming soon!)

Boys Register online HERE!
Girls Register online HERE!

Boys Register via Mail HERE!
Girls Register via Mail HERE![/B]

Players can register online or through the mail. Showcase cost is $85.00 per player. A $45.00 deposit is required to reserve your spot. The price increases to $110.00 per player within 10 days of the event (if spaces are still available).

COLLEGES THAT HAVE ATTENDED OUR SHOWCASES

SHOWCASE ALUMNI

Questions? Email us at info@maximumexposurebasketball.com or call our office at (704) 664-9845

Click link to see 2014 NCAA postseason pairings.





Louisville Regional

Back in April Eric Johnson, a member of the Iowa staff for the past 15+ years, made the decision to walk away from college football, what many would consider a dream job, to help run a new franchise of a fast food restaurant.
The move had a lot of people, coaches, and fans of Iowa football scratching their head in disbelief, wondering what prompted the move.
In an article released today by ESPN, Johnson opened up about his decision to leave college football behind. He explains that the move boiled down to one thing in particular; Recruiting. If any profession hears this message loud and clear, it will be the college coaching community.
"It all ties together," Johnson said. "You can never get away from it. If you are at dinner and the phone rings, you have to get it. Vacation is the same way. When you are on vacation, you are worried you are missing an opportunity with a prospect. This all takes away from the family. Weekends are nonexistent because of visits.
"It is just nonstop 365 days of year, and I needed to get off of that train and get a healthy balance in my life." he explained.
"Our profession has gone so much off the deep end with everything that's going on with recruiting, and it's not even funny anymore. There are a lot of other coaches all over the country that feel the same exact way and don't like the direction things are going. There's so much BS out there. We want you to be a part of 'our can of swag' or whatever. It got to the point where I just couldn't be a part of it anymore."
Johnson goes on to explain that he ultimately came to a fork in the road in his life, and had to ask himself, "What kind of dad do I want to be?" and "What kind of coach had I become?". Chasing high school kids around had really taken it's toll, and it's an issue in the coaching profession that many feel is getting out of control, and not enough people are talking about how it can or will change.
If we want the coaching community to be comprised of the best and brightest people around, Johnson's message has to be heard by more and more. These are real concerns by someone with 15+ years of major college experience who left a place where he had job security (as much as you can have in the college coaching profession) to embark on a completely new journey in life with his wife and kids in tow.
These are the issues facing our profession, and questions have to be asked about how the recruiting landscape can change, and what we're willing to do to see that it does change. We talk to coaches around the country on a daily basis and Johnson isn't alone voicing these concerns; in fact we probably hear this sort of complaint more than any other in the profession.
Quite simply, it's time that those with the power to effect change step up and do so before too many of the best people in the business choose to leave the profession. Imagine how much better coaches (and people) we would all be if we reclaimed 20% of the time we devoted to recruiting and invested that time in our existing team, our family and our community. Let's find a way to make this happen.

It's time to start spending less time recruiting

The Orlando Sentinel's college insider Matt Murschel has ranked all 128 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in the country entering the 2014 season. The Sentinel staff will take a closer look at a new team daily, counting backward from No. 128 to our projected No. 1 team.
Today at No 85: Kent State Golden Flashes
Coach: Paul Haynes (4-8, entering second season; 4-8 overall)
2013 record: 4-8 (3-5 in Mid-American Conference, fifth in East Division)

Look back: As quickly as Kent State rose to the top of the Mid-American Conference in 2012, the Golden Flashes came crashing back to earth in 2013. Paul Haynes took over a program that featured 11 returning starters, but a rash of injuries to several key players including superstar wideout Dri Archer helped Kent State drop eight games ? six of those losses by double digits. The team did win its final two games of the season, giving the program some positive momentum heading into 2014.
Offensive starters returning: 5
Offensive starters lost: 6
Defensive starters returning: 5
Defensive starters lost: 6
Key losses: RB/WR Dri Archer, C Phil Huff, RG Pat McShane, WR Tyshone Goode, TE Tim Erjavec, DE Mark Fackler, DT Roosevelt Nix, CB Darius Polk, SS Luke Wollet
Top returnees: QB Colin Reardon, RB Trayion Durham, WR Chris Humphrey, DT Nate Terhune, NT Chris Fairchild, LB Matt Dellinger, LB Darius Redmond
Strengths: Redshirt freshman Colin Reardon stepped into the starting quarterback role in 2013, and the way he handled his trial-by-fire season provides Kent State with plenty of optimism heading into 2014. Reardon completed close to 59 percent of his passes for 1,957 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also rushed for 336 yards and two touchdowns. Kent State finished last season with the fourth-best rushing offense in the MAC thanks, in part, to Trayion Durham and Dri Archer. The duo combined for close to 1,300 total rushing yards and 12 total touchdowns and were a formidable one-two punch in the backfield. Durham is a 1,000-plus-yard back and could reach that mark again if healthy. He missed the spring after undergoing foot surgery.
Middle linebacker Matt Dellinger was second on the team in total tackles (77) and anchors the middle of the defense along with Darius Redmond (40 tackles).
Weaknesses: Chris Humphrey, who led the team last season in receptions (51) and receiving yards (613), returns to lead the receivers in 2014. The group brings back a good chunk ? more than 70 percent ? of its production from 2013, but it is inexperienced and must deal with the losses of playmakers like Archer and Tyshon Goode.
It will be difficult for Kent State to duplicate the success of the offensive line from last season. The group only allowed 14 sacks, good enough for third in the MAC. With only two returning starters from that group, quickly building a strong line will be crucial.
The program lost its top defensive players in tackle Roosevelt Nix and safety Luke Wollet, who led the team in total tackles (78) and was a key component to the Golden Flashes' secondary. Safety Jordan Italiano will step into that role with a secondary that features only one upperclassman.
Kent State was ranked next-to-last in the league in field goals, with Brad Miller only connecting on 10-of-18 kicks.
Outlook: Haynes' inaugural season at Kent State didn't go exactly how some would have thought it might. His sophomore effort won't be any easier. The schedule features an early stretch of challenging road games at Ohio State, Virginia and Northern Illinois. There's potential for improvement, but that will depend on whether this team can remain healthy.
2014 Schedule
Aug. 30 Ohio
Sept. 6 South Alabama
Sept. 13 at Ohio State
Sept. 27 at Virginia
Oct. 4 at Northern Illinois
Oct. 11 UMass
Oct. 18 Army
Oct. 25 at Miami (Ohio)
Nov. 4 Toledo
Nov. 12 at Bowling Green
Nov. 19 at Buffalo
Nov. 25 Akron

Previously revealed on the countdown:
No. 86 South Alabama
No. 87 FAU
No. 88 Indiana
No. 89 Tennessee
No. 90 TCU
No. 91 SMU
No. 92 Colorado
No. 93 Memphis
No. 94 Air Force
No. 95 UConn
No. 96 Arkansas
No. 97 Illinois
No. 98 NC State
No. 99 West Virginia
No. 100 Wake Forest
No. 101 Utah
No. 102 Louisiana Tech
No. 103 Wyoming
No. 104 UTEP
No. 105 New Mexico
No. 106 Iowa State
No. 107 Kentucky
No. 108 Idaho
No. 109 Tulsa
No. 110 Western Michigan
No. 111 New Mexico State
No. 112 Southern Miss
No. 113 Temple
No. 114 Army
No. 115 Purdue
No. 116 USF
No. 117 UAB
No. 118 Eastern Michigan
No. 119 Virginia
No. 120 Miami (Ohio)
No. 121 Cal
No. 122 Kansas
No. 123 UMass
No. 124 Georgia Southern
No. 125 Hawaii
No. 126 Appalachian State
No. 127 FIU
No. 128 Georgia State


Golden Flashes aim to move up MAC standings

To Register Online for Boys' Camps Click HERE!

To Register Online for Girls' Camps Click HERE!

For Information on July NCAA Certified Showcases Click Here

2014 Elite Summer Camps

*** Each location will feature both a Boys and Girls Camp (separate events) ***

*** Click on Links below for locations, directions, etc. *** (gyms not posted will be VERY SOON)

June 7-8 - Dallas, TX
June 7-8 - New Orleans, LA

June 14-15 - Charlotte, NC
June 14-15 - Los Angeles, CA
June 14-15 - Houston, TX
June 14-15 - Philadelphia, PA
June 14-15 - Kansas City, MO

June 21-22 - New York, NY
June 21-22 - Columbia, SC
June 21-22 - Seattle, WA
June 21-22 - Miami, FL

June 28-29 - New Jersey
June 28-29 - St. Louis, MO
June 28-29 - Raleigh, NC
June 28-29 - Detroit, MI

July 5-6 - Nashville, TN
July 5-6 - Lake Wales, FL
July 5-6 - Bay Area, CA
July 5-6 - Boston, MA
July 5-6 - Washington, DC

August 2-3 - Fort Lauderdale, FL
August 2-3 - Dallas, TX
August 2-3 - Indianapolis, IN
August 2-3 - Birmingham, AL
August 2-3 - Las Vegas, NV

August 9-10 - Atlanta, GA
August 9-10 - Moreno Valley, CA
August 9-10 - Austin, TX
August 9-10 - Denver, CO
August 9-10 - Chicago, IL

August 16-17 - New York, NY
August 16-17 - Wilmington, NC
August 16-17 - Jacksonville, FL
August 16-17 - Phoenix, AZ

These camps are ONLY for those players, who are serious about playing college basketball. All Camps are for Boys and Girls (separate events) and only rising 8th graders and older. The two-day camp format will be intense and players will be instructed by many of the top individual instructors in the country. Please visit our staff page for other coaches who will be running these events, all of which have coached at the Division I level.Some of the top players from each camp will be invited to our NCAA Invitational Events taking place during July of 2014. These events are Invitation only and feature many of the top college coaches in the country (we had over 200 last July).Instruction will be given by ONLY current and former college basketball coaches. Campers will perform drills and skill work that they would be doing if they were current college players.The Camp will include but not be limited to on court instruction (speed dribbling and full court moves off the dribble; half court and transition shooting; passing with a purpose; using and defending screens; ball screen actions; 3 on 3; controlled scrimmages); detailed discussion on how to put yourself in the best position to get recruited; nutrition and diet; academic evaluation and goals; and the various basketball opportunities at all collegiate levels.At the end of each Camp, every participant is given a detailed evaluation of what they do well and what they need to work on in order to reach their dreams of playing collegiately. We will then send these evaluations out to every college coach in the country. This can be a huge help to your recruiting.There will be games played during the event (the end of the day Saturday and Sunday) and college coaches as well as recruiting services will be invited to attend.Each Camp is Two Days long, hotels and meals are the responsibility of each camper. A player may decide to attend just one day; however we highly recommend attending both if possible.Every camper will receive an official Maximum Exposure Basketball T-Shirt.Camp cost is $165.00 per player (for both days) or $100.00 per player (if you just attend one day). An $85.00 deposit is required to reserve your spot. These camps will fill up extremely fast! Make sure to register now so you don't miss your chance to participate!
Sample Itinerary
Saturday
Noon Check in/Registration
1:00 PM Lecture "Putting yourself in the best position to be recruited"
1:30 PM On court development
2:15 PM Playing in the full court
3:00 PM Break / Q and A
3:15 PM Playing in the half court (2 on 2; 3 on 3)
4:15 PM Lecture "strength, conditioning and diet"
4:45 PM Controlled Scrimmage
6:00 PM Dismissal
Sunday
10:30 AM Registration and Instruction for one- day campers who didn't attend Saturday
11:00 AM Lecture "Opportunities in the various levels of basketball"
11:30 AM On court development
12:30 PM College basketball drills
1:30 PM Break/ Q and A
1:45 PM Lecture "How are you working out?"
2:15 PM On court development
2:45 PM Controlled scrimmages
4:00 PM Dismissal

To Register Online for Boys' Camps Click HERE!

To Register Online for Girls' Camps Click HERE!

To Register via Mail for Boys' Camps Click HERE!

To Register via Mail for Girls' Camps Click HERE!

If you have any questions please contact us: info@maximumexposurebasketball.com or 704-664-9845

We hope to see you this Summer!

Following their impressive 2012 campaign, Kent State took a massive step back in 2013 finishing at just 4-8. First year head coach Paul Haynes could not recover from a tough start. The bad news is that the start of this year may not be much better. The Golden Flashes begin the season with a game against rival Ohio and face Ohio State and Virginia in September. If Kent State can get past Ohio, which they seem to do on a regular basis, they could ride that momentum to bowl eligibility.

2013 Record: (4-8, 3-5)
2013 Bowl: None
Coach: Paul Haynes (4-8 at Kent State, 4-8 overall)
Offensive Coordinator: Brian Rock
Defensive Coordinator: Brian George

Returning Leaders:
Rushing: Trayion Durham, RB, 766 yards
Passing: Colin Reardon, QB, 1,957 yards
Receiving: Chris Humphrey, WR, 613 yards
Tackles: Matt Dellinger, LB, 77
Sacks: Nate Vance, DE, 3.5
Interceptions: Malcolm Pannell, CB, 3

Other Key Returnees: TE Casey Pierce, WR Earnest Calhoun, K/P Anthony Melchiori, S Jordan Italiano

Key Losses: RB Dri Archer, WR Tyson Goode, S Luke Wollet, CB Darius Polk, DT Roosevelt Nix, DE Mark Fackler

Strengths:
The Flashes have some potential on defense. The secondary will have to lead the way even without leader Luke Wollet. Safety Jordan Italiano tallied 76 tackles and is the likely candidate to step into Wollet's old spot in the 4-2-5 scheme. Nate Holly and Keenan Stalls each started a handful of games last year and the hope is those two can develop into consistent players around Italiano. Senior Malcolm Pannell is the most experienced corner and will be joined by fellow senior Dylan Farrington. Linebacker Matt Dellinger is the team's top returning tackler. He will man the middle of the defense and be joined by DeVante' Strickland and Darius Redmond, who combined for 93 tackles in 2013. The problem on defense is up front where just about everybody is gone, including tackle Roosevelt Nix. Nix easily led the team with 13.0 tackles-for-loss and was a massive force in the trenches. Getting to the quarterback consistently was an issue last season and will be even more difficult this time around. But if Kent State can find a few new playmakers up front, the defense will at least be serviceable.

Weaknesses:
Kent State relies heavily on the ground game and it remains to be seen how effective it can be without Dri Archer. He was so explosive and quick that it opened up the rest of the offense. Even with Archer the offense only scored 20.8 points per game last year and often looked like they could never move the ball. The pressure is on Trayion Durham to emerge as a back that can move the chains and occasionally break a big play in order to open up the passing attack. Durham did rush for 795 yards and six scores, so there is potential. If the ground game does keep things moving, it will make life much easier for second year starting quarterback Colin Reardon. The 6-1 sophomore has potential after throwing for 1,957 yards and a dozen touchdowns as a freshman, but it all depends on how much time he has in the pocket.

The Bottom Line:
If all goes well, Kent State can take a step forward this year, but another 4-8 season seems more likely. The home slate, featuring Ohio, South Alabama, Umass, Army, Toledo and Akron, is littered with winnable games. But those were the type of games the Golden Flashes lost last year. It may not be fair to put so much on the opening game of the season, but beating the Bobcats, again, could be just what this program needs to defend their home turf and compete for a bowl spot.

Projected Bowl: None

2013 Team Stats:
Rushing Offense: 182.4 (48th in nation, 4th in conference)
Passing Offense: 186.5 (100, 10)
Total Offense: 368.9 (88, 7)
Scoring Offense: 20.8 (104, 8)
Rushing Defense: 198.8 (94, 8)
Pass Defense: 211.1 (27, 4)
Total Defense: 409.9 (70, 6)
Scoring Defense: 26.9 (67, 5)
Turnover Margin: -0.3 (86, 9)
Sacks: 1.75 (82, 9)
Sacks Allowed: 1.17 (14, 3)




#102 KENT STATE FOOTBALL 2014 PREVIEW

Sporting News College Football magazine picks Jordan Italiano as the "Player most likely to succeed (off the field). Italiano is a Chemistry/Pre-Med major and has a 3.96 grade point average.



Jordan Italiano

The Flashes defeat the Zips 3-0 to win the MAC (more to follow).

#4 Kent State 12, #8 Western Michigan 2 (more to follow)

Flashes Top Broncos For Championship Berth

USA TODAY Sports' Paul Myerberg counts down to the start of the college football season team by team from No. 128 to No. 1. Kent State is No. 107 (see link).

Kent State

The Pittsburgh Steelers injected some much-needed quickness into the lineup on Day 2.


The team grabbed Kent State running back NFL Scouting Combine, clocking in at 4.26 seconds in the 40-yard dash. The run was good for fastest time at the event.
Archer is diminutive at 5-foot-8 and 173 pounds, but figures to help the Steelers in a number of areas. He was a finalist for the Paul Hornung Award as the nation's most versatile player after returning three kicks for touchdowns and will likely be plugged in that role immediately.
He's also a dangerous threat out of the backfield in the Steelers offense in need of playmakers.

Combine's fastest