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Do IT this week: Layering
Falcons prey on missed tackles, bad snap to take home victory
By Stephanie Storm
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published on Sunday, Oct 11, 2009
KENT: If only one tackle were made. One pass thrown better. One snap executed correctly.
If only one of those things had happened in the final five minutes of Saturday's homecoming game at Dix Stadium, Kent State wouldn't still be ruminating over a 36-35 loss to visiting Bowling Green.
But with just under five minutes to play, the Golden Flashes blew a 12-point lead when a series of missed plays allowed the Falcons to score twice in the final minutes of the game and escape with a one-point victory that snapped a four-game losing streak.
''We've been involved in a lot of games like that this year and we've come up on the short end on a number [of them],'' Bowling Green coach Dave Clawson said. ''But our offense executed unbelievable in the fourth quarter.''
With 4:42 left in the game, a bad snap by KSU long snapper Ryan Hidalgo led to a short punt and a short field for BGSU. Then four missed tackles on senior running back Freddie Barnes contributed to a 45-yard touchdown catch.
Barnes finished the game with 22 catches for 278 yards and three touchdowns — and owns the third-highest, single-game reception total in NCAA history.
''Our offensive coordinator [Warren Ruggiero] did a nice job of moving Freddie around and making sure he stayed involved in the game,'' Clawson said.
With the pressure on KSU and Bowling Green having pulled within five points, Flashes freshman quarterback Spencer Keith seemed rattled as he threw two deficient passes in the team's final possession, and the Flashes were forced to punt.
''I just rushed them and made bad passes,'' a downtrodden Keith admitted.
With 1:22 left in the game, Falcons quarterback Tyler Sheehan engineered the winning drive, capped by his 9-yard dash into the end zone with nine seconds remaining. Kent State junior safety Dan Hartman had Sheehan within reach, but missed the tackle that likely would have left Sheehan down short around the 2.
Instead, the strong-armed senior scored en route to setting school records for attempts (63), completions (44) and total yards (505) — despite being sacked five times. His 505 yards marked the most passing yards against Kent State in school history.
''We were scratching and clawing to get off the field,'' KSU sophomore defensive back Josh Pleasant said. ''We made a few mistakes here and there, but that's going to happen.''
On their first possession of the game, the Golden Flashes caught the Falcons off guard on a reverse play in which sophomore receiver Sam Kirkland sprinted up the sideline for an 86-yard touchdown run — the Flashes longest play from scrimmage this season.
Kent State added to its lead when the special teams scored on a Bowling Green blocked 33-yard field-goal attempt. Senior defensive lineman Kevin Hogan got his hand on the ball off senior Matt Norsic's kick, prompting players from both teams to hit the ground and scramble for the loose ball.
Kent State junior linebacker Will Johnson originally came up with it and advanced the ball three yards, then pitched it to junior defensive lineman Quinton Rainey, who rumbled 82 yards into the end zone to give the Flashes a 14-0 lead.
Bowling Green answered on the next possession by driving 70 yards on 12 plays, capped by Sheehan's 11-yard pass to sophomore receiver Adrian Hodges. The score kick-started BGSU's offense as the Falcons scored 17 unanswered points to take a 17-14 lead at halftime.
With receptions of 53 and 55 yards, Barnes had already racked up a career-high 171 yards in the first half alone. An 8-yard touchdown pass to him with 7:10 left in the second quarter evened the score at 14-14 before Norsic's 21-yard field goal with just under two minutes until halftime gave the Falcons the first lead of the afternoon.
Kent State came out of the locker room with renewed vigor, scoring two third-quarter touchdowns.
Keith's 3-yard pass to freshman running back Dri Archer handed the Flashes the lead once again at 21-17. Kent State's defense helped set up the Flashes' final score when Pleasant intercepted a Sheehan pass to set up Jacquise Terry's 12-yard touchdown run.
Stephanie Storm can be reached
at sstorm@thebeaconjournal.com.
KENT: If only one tackle were made. One pass thrown better. One snap executed correctly.
Get the full article here.
Comments
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Canton, OH
Posted 07:58 AM, 10/11/2009
Ouch. . .
Posted 11:47 AM, 10/11/2009
Double ouch!
Akron, OH
Posted 01:15 AM, 10/12/2009
At least you didn't spend millions on a new stadium and then s u c k like a top-of-the line Orec!
