My initial reaction to the news that Sean Lewis will most likely be the next head coach at Kent State was favorable based on his association with Dino Babers. The truth be told, the first time I heard Dino Babers speak during his first season at Bowling Green, I became a believer in him. Babers is not only charismatic but has a great offensive mind. Since Lewis has been with Babers' entire six-year head coaching career, learning his up-tempo offense at Eastern Illinois, Bowling Green, and most recently Syracuse, I have to believe he has acquired a lot of knowledge under his tutelage.
And since everyone knows I have always been loyal to previous coaches, it should not surprise anyone that I will most likely be loyal to Lewis even though the basis of my loyalty is by association. With that said, I still see the Flashes going winless next season. Looking at the 2018 schedule, Ball State and Hampton appear to be the best chances for a win, but Ball State is on the road and Hampton returns Caylin Newton at quarterback.
MAC Away Opponents
Buffalo
Bowling Green
Ball State
Miami
MAC Home Opponents
Eastern Michigan
Toledo
Akron
Ohio
Non-conference Games
Illinois
Champaign, Ill.
Howard
Dix Stadium
Penn State
University Park, Pa.
Ole Miss
Oxford, Miss.
As much as I like Babers, the truth is he won at Eastern Illinois because he had a future NFL quarterback in Jimmy Garoppolo and won at Bowling Green because he had Matt Johnson. As a redshirt sophomore in 2013, Johnson passed for 3,467 yards and 25 touchdowns for the Falcons, who were led by fifth-year head coach Dave Clawson. However, in all fairness to Babers, he won the MAC in his first year as head coach at BG despite losing Johnson when he broke his hip in the first game of the season against Western Kentucky. As a senior in the 2015 season, Johnson completed 383 passes of 569 passes for 4,946 yards with 46 touchdowns and eight interceptions. At Syracuse, Babers finished 4-8 in 2016 and 4-8 in 2017. Suffice it to say, the quarterback is the most important position in an up-tempo offense and his quarterback was not nearly as good as Garoppolo nor Johnson.
If Lewis can somehow get a Julian Edelman or Josh Cribbs type quarterback to run the offense, I believe he can have some success. Although Dustin Crum has potential running an uptempo offense, he still has a long way to go in his development.
More concerning is the young offensive line that will be without senior center Nathan Puthoff and left tackle Stefano Millin, who is transferring to the University of Cincinnati. Puthoff was named to the Rimington Trophy Watch List and was Academic All-MAC. Millin was switched to left tackle last fall after starting at center and right tackle in 2016. He was considered the Flashes’ top offensive lineman and a pro prospect.
If Lewis' style of football is much like the Syracuse Orange, I see the 2018 Flashes burdened with a lot of untimely turnovers and a porous defense. In the last three games, Syracuse gave up 64, 56, and 42 points respectively to Wake Forrest, Louisville, and Boston College. Unfortunately, it's very possible that Lewis could give up similar points to not only Illinois, Penn State and Ole Miss, but also to Bowling Green, Miami, Toledo, Akron, Ohio, Eastern Michigan, and Buffalo. And should that happen, Flash fans will be screaming for another coach. Because that's just life in the world of Kent State and Cleveland Browns football.
http://www.cleveland.com/sports/college/index.ssf/2017/12/syracuse_sean_lewis_anticipate.html
And since everyone knows I have always been loyal to previous coaches, it should not surprise anyone that I will most likely be loyal to Lewis even though the basis of my loyalty is by association. With that said, I still see the Flashes going winless next season. Looking at the 2018 schedule, Ball State and Hampton appear to be the best chances for a win, but Ball State is on the road and Hampton returns Caylin Newton at quarterback.
MAC Away Opponents
Buffalo
Bowling Green
Ball State
Miami
MAC Home Opponents
Eastern Michigan
Toledo
Akron
Ohio
Non-conference Games
Illinois
Champaign, Ill.
Howard
Dix Stadium
Penn State
University Park, Pa.
Ole Miss
Oxford, Miss.
As much as I like Babers, the truth is he won at Eastern Illinois because he had a future NFL quarterback in Jimmy Garoppolo and won at Bowling Green because he had Matt Johnson. As a redshirt sophomore in 2013, Johnson passed for 3,467 yards and 25 touchdowns for the Falcons, who were led by fifth-year head coach Dave Clawson. However, in all fairness to Babers, he won the MAC in his first year as head coach at BG despite losing Johnson when he broke his hip in the first game of the season against Western Kentucky. As a senior in the 2015 season, Johnson completed 383 passes of 569 passes for 4,946 yards with 46 touchdowns and eight interceptions. At Syracuse, Babers finished 4-8 in 2016 and 4-8 in 2017. Suffice it to say, the quarterback is the most important position in an up-tempo offense and his quarterback was not nearly as good as Garoppolo nor Johnson.
If Lewis can somehow get a Julian Edelman or Josh Cribbs type quarterback to run the offense, I believe he can have some success. Although Dustin Crum has potential running an uptempo offense, he still has a long way to go in his development.
More concerning is the young offensive line that will be without senior center Nathan Puthoff and left tackle Stefano Millin, who is transferring to the University of Cincinnati. Puthoff was named to the Rimington Trophy Watch List and was Academic All-MAC. Millin was switched to left tackle last fall after starting at center and right tackle in 2016. He was considered the Flashes’ top offensive lineman and a pro prospect.
If Lewis' style of football is much like the Syracuse Orange, I see the 2018 Flashes burdened with a lot of untimely turnovers and a porous defense. In the last three games, Syracuse gave up 64, 56, and 42 points respectively to Wake Forrest, Louisville, and Boston College. Unfortunately, it's very possible that Lewis could give up similar points to not only Illinois, Penn State and Ole Miss, but also to Bowling Green, Miami, Toledo, Akron, Ohio, Eastern Michigan, and Buffalo. And should that happen, Flash fans will be screaming for another coach. Because that's just life in the world of Kent State and Cleveland Browns football.
http://www.cleveland.com/sports/college/index.ssf/2017/12/syracuse_sean_lewis_anticipate.html
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