For the first time in the past few years, the Kent State offense won bragging rights to the coveted blue jerseys thanks to a 53-34 come-from-behind victory over the defense in Saturday morning's jersey scrimmage at Dix Stadium (see link).

KSU football

Like a bodybuilder competition, the Big 5 power conference commissioners this week flexed their muscles from coast to coast.

Bottom line: The rich want to take care of their own. They want stipends for their student athletes, money that schools outside of the Big 5 can't possibly generate.

Some commissioners have been more audacious then others but all have said, in one form or another, they would like to remain under the NCAA tent. Of course, their area of the tent would have those nice blow up mattresses, a couple of Vornado fans and maybe even live-streaming TV.



The Group of Five, sorry boys but you're going to have to rough it.

So here's a thought for the Group of Five ? the MAC and the independents, the Sun Belt and Conference USA, the Mountain West and the American Athletic Conference: Toss out from your tent those high 'dolers' and create your own 16-team college football playoff.

March Madness is the greatest three-week ride in American sports. December Delirium might be pretty thrilling as well.

Imagine this: (see link).


Smaller conferences need their own playoff

Hopefully, the Flashes will be ready for the Huskies by October 5. Otherwise, it could be a very long homecoming game.

Preseason Top 25

Check out this "Dri is back in 2013" video from KSU football (see link).

DRI ARCHER HE'S BACK

I don't know about you but I really don't care for Buffalo's new uniform.





Buffalo uniforms show off 'New York' rebranding

From talking to him, it's pretty clear that Terry Bowden has taken to the city of Akron just fine. But for the city of Akron to take to Terry Bowden, the Zips' second year under his leadership will need to improve from 2012's 1-11 debut (see link).

Terry Bowden

Take a look at the salaries of MAC assistant coaches (see link).

A look inside the contracts of all 13 MAC FB teams

University President Lester Lefton and Athletic Director Joel Nielsen introduced the new baseball head coach Jeff Duncan at a press conference on June 26, 2013 (see link).

Kent State Introduces Head Baseball Coach

I realize this is a week old but thought I would post the link for MAC Media Day.

2013 MAC Football Media Day

There are now five (out of 12) Big Ten Head Coaches who got their Division I Head Coaching start in the Mid-American Conference. Hear what Illinois' Tim Beckman, Ohio State's Urban Meyer, Michigan's Brady Hoke, Minnesota's Jerry Kill & Purdue's Darrell Hazell have to say about MAC Football in this video.

Big Ten Head Coaches Talking #MACtion

Here is Football Gameplan's 2013 Mid American Conference Season Preview (see link).

Mid-American Conference Season Preview

Vote Romney/Ryan in 2012!!!! Hope for REAL change!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here is another MAC East preview (see link).

MAC EAST PREVIEW

Unlike the other non-automatic qualifying conferences around the country, the MAC remained stable in the offseason and neither added nor lost teams from 2012. This bodes well for the MAC as it’s coming off arguably the single greatest season in conference history that saw seven teams go to bowl games, including the conference’s first BCS buster (Northern Illinois).
5. Kent State Golden Flashes8/29 - Liberty9/14 - at South Alabama
Kent State came out of absolutely nowhere in 2012 to come within an overtime MAC Championship win versus Northern Illinois of crashing the Orange Bowl. Perhaps the letdown of that loss explains the club's lackluster performance versus Arkansas State in the GoDaddy.com Bowl five weeks later. If the Golden Flashes hope to repeat the magic of last season, it'll have to do so versus a much more difficult non-conference slate than a year ago. After opening at home versus FCS school Liberty, Kent State has a bye week to prepare itself for playing in one of the most hostile environments in all of college football ? - Tiger Stadium. If the Golden Flashes can escape Baton Rouge in one piece, it then must travel to Happy Valley to take on a Penn State team that wildly exceeded expectations in 2012 following the Jerry Sandusky scandal. This one-two punch of LSU-Penn State is one of the tougher seven-day, non-conference spans of any MAC school (see link).



This post was edited on 7/7 1:32 PM by nashvillegoldenflash

Toughest 2013 MAC Non-Conference Football Schedule

50. Dri Archer [RB(Sr) - Kent State] [/B]We'll close this list with excitement. Archer touched the ball 198 times on offense, accumulating 1990 yards and 20 touchdowns. He also returned three kicks for scores. Kent State should regress in 2013 but Archer should thrive under the Wednesday Night lights.

BTW, Jordan Lynch is 47th (see link).

Top 50 College Football Players in 2013

Hope you enjoy. I might recommend just opening the video and keep it open in another tab while listening. Just look in the video description if you don't have enough time to watch.

Thanks!

Click here

The Kent State Golden Flashes are ranked No. 64 in the Orlando Sentinel's preseason college football rankings (see link).

College Gridiron 365

If some of you recall, I once used Western Kentucky as an example of a team that has improved its program by recruiting Tampa Bay area players. Below is a list of current WKU players from the TB area.


1 Dowling, Jonathan Bradenton, Fla. (Florida)
2 Brand, Boe Bradenton, Fla. (Southeast HS)
4 Jackson, Andrew Lakeland, Fla. (Kathleen HS)
10 McNeal, Willie Bradenton, Fla. (Braden River HS)
13 Boyd, Xavius St. Petersburg, Fla. (Lakewood HS)
17 Randall, Daqual Palmetto, Fla. (Palmetto HS)
18 Hazley, Caleb Tampa, Fla. (Plant HS)
19 Higbee, Tyler Clearwater, Fla. (East Lake HS)
22 Robinson, Tyree Dundee, Fla. (Haines City HS)
31 Williams, Terran Bradenton, Fla. (Southeast HS)
32 Jones, Kadeem Dundee, Fla. (Haines City HS)
33 Allen, Leon Bradenton, Fla. (Manatee HS)
38 Singh, Ricardo Auburndale, Fla. (Auburndale HS)
40 Boyd, Bar'ee St. Petersburg, Fla. (Lakewood HS)
50 Vaughn, Blair Clearwater, Fla. (Central Catholic HS)
63 Polanco, Luis Tampa, Fla. (Middleton HS)
64 Sweetland, Tyler Largo, Fla. (St. Petersburg HS)
77 Lamp, Forrest Venice, Fla. (Venice HS)
79 Wilson, Delryn Tampa, Fla. (Jefferson HS)
85 Aikens, Austin Tampa, Fla. (Plant HS)
98 Terrell, Devante Lakeland, Fla. (Lake Gibson HS)
?? Axon, Ben Bradenton, Fla. (Manatee HS)
?? Evans, Jon Sarasota, Fla. (Riverview HS)

Left the team
Ty Scott (Palmetto HS), Dyron Speight (Southeast HS), Tevin Bryant (Braden River HS)


Looking at the roster numbers (and with a few exceptions), it looks like most of the Florida players are skill guys so it is fair to say WKU likes to recruit Florida because of the speed that the kids offer.


This is only Willie Taggart's 3rd season as WKU's head coach but he has been able to show dramatic improvement. The Hilltoppers went from 9th in the Sunbelt to 2nd last year and if not for politics would have earned WKU's 1st bowl bid.

They gave Kentucky a good game last year in the first game of the season and might have defeated the Wildcats had they played them at the end of the year. The Hilltoppers played LSU a very solid first half (14-7) but the lack of depth compared to the Tigers was too much to overcome.


Every coach loves speed but WKU is looking for football players who work hard and can get it done. Like most mid-major programs, WKU recruits 2-star and 3-star blue collar types but the Hilltoppers have had a couple of 4-star kids on campus which was unheard of before Taggart got there. The way that I see it, if WKU can recruit the Tampa Bay area well, then KSU should be able to get its share of Florida players.


On a side note, when the Flashes go to Lexington for their second game of the season, I hope they go down there with the belief that they can win. Just because Kentucky plays in the SEC, doesn't mean they are that much better. Take a look at the video below to see how unimpressed the Hilltoppers are of Kentucky's talent.

Andrew Jackson WKU not impressed by SEC Players

"When we get the ball on the three-yard line, we are going to pound it in." - Paul Haynes

Maybe this should be the Flashes' mantra this season. Put it on billboards around Kent and hold the players to it. Sure, the offensive line has many new starters but challenge them to provide the blocking for Durham to score when the ball is near the goal line.

"Well let me tell you what they're really saying. They're really saying Brian Lainhart's not good enough to play without Eugene Jarvis. Andre Flowers isn't good enough to go and play running back. Dri Archer's not good enough to go and play running back. The rest of you Kent State football players, you ain't good enough, and coaches too. You coaches aren't good enough to get it done without Eugene Jarvis, he's all you had. That's what's really being said there if you want to talk about that."[/B][/QUOTE]
"I love history. The Vikings, you know how they used to conquer people? They used to sail those ships in there, get off the ships then burn them. There's nowhere to run," Martin said. "So I'm going to tell you this. We don't have our starting quarterback; we don't have our starting running back; I don't care. I'll guarantee every Kent State fan right now this is going to be a winning football team and this football team is going to be in a bowl game. And Lainhart, I just burned the ships. See you Saturday."

Some of you will remember when Doug Martin told his team, "I just burned the ships." Well, in another reference to burning ships, Coach James Franklin told his team. "We're on the beach and the boats are burning." I just wished Coach Haynes would come up with an effective slogan for this year's team. Whether its soldiers in battle or men on the field, I believe such a statement provides a spirit of commitment. The moment the Vikings landed on the enemy's shore, the order was given to "burn the boats." Imagine the tremendous psychological impact on the soldiers as they watched their boats being set to the torch. There was no turning back. Once their boats were burned, they realized that the only way they were going home was through victory.




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This post was edited on 6/21 10:26 AM by nashvillegoldenflash

Alabama won another championship. A quarterback won the Heisman. Florida State won the ACC. Boise State won 11 games. Oregon blurred past the opposition in a BCS bowl. It was a year full of familiar moments, from the expected to the should-have-been expected. Then there was Kent State.
Prior to last season, Kent State was the lone FBS program with roots in the 20th century with a career winning percentage below .400 ? it stood at .388, to be precise. Prior to last season, Kent State had not won more than six games since 1987. Prior to last season, Kent State was mired in a run of 32 non-winning seasons in 34 years.
Then came last season. The Golden Flashes didn't just go 11-3, landing double-digit wins for the first time in school history. The Flashes came within a whisper of the Bowl Championship Series, believe it or not, and would have been the underdog story to end all underdog stories ? the offspring of 2006 Boise State and the team from Hoosiers. Much happened last fall; only one thing, Kent State, was truly, utterly unexpected. Also unexpected? If the Flashes do it again in 2013 (see link).

College football countdown | No. 85: Kent State

Jackson, Ohio LB Reagan Williams picked up his first offer today, from Kent State. Shouldn't be his last. Very good looking class of 2015 prospect.

Reagan Williams profile

If Athlon's prediction is correct and the Flashes finish 4-4 in the MAC and 6-6 for the season, how do you think Coach Haynes' first year will be perceived? Personally, I will be disappointed with a third place finish in the MAC East. Certainly a 6-6 record is better than a losing one but will that be enough to satisfy most Flash fans? What record would be necessary to maintain a forward momentum? Last year's team has become a source of great pride, enjoying its best season in school history. But it seems to me much still needs to be accomplished to ensure that our current momentum is carried into the future. I just don't believe 6-6 will accomplish much for the program regardless of how difficult the schedule is perceived. It seems to me if the Flashes can finish 7-4, that should be enough to maintain a forward momentum. What say you?

Athlon predicts Northern Illinois winning the MAC Championship over Bowling Green (see link).

MAC Football 2013 Predictions

Northern Illinois has the most returning lettermen and Ball State has the fewest lettermen returning in the MAC
(see link).

% of Lettermen Returning and Lost