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By Jonas Fortune
Beacon Journal sports writer
POSTED: 11:30 a.m. EDT, Oct 30, 2009
KENT: It remains a constant question in the Mid-American Conference. How do you stop these pass happy quarterbacks from having a field day on your defense?
So far this season, Kent State has had mixed results against some of the conference's premier passers. Miami freshman Zac Dysert threw for 337 yards on 53 attempts, but KSU won.
Bowling Green senior Tyler Sheehan threw 63 times for a total of 505 yards, and the Falcons beat the Golden Flashes on a last-second touchdown three weeks ago.
So how will Western Michigan senior quarterback Tim Hiller and the Broncos fare at 2 p.m. Saturday at Dix Stadium?
''We are going to face an NFL quarterback,'' Kent State coach Doug Martin said Monday at his weekly news conference. ''We haven't fared very well against quarterbacks who have thrown the ball exclusively, and this guy is a great passer.''
How great? Hiller, an Orrville graduate, is third in the NCAA in passing yards at 2,263. He trails Sheehan and Toledo senior Aaron Opelt in passing yards per game in the Mid-American Conference, averaging 281.8 yards.
Hiller completes 62.4 percent of his passes and carries a 129.5 passer efficiency rating.
In order for the Flashes to be successful Saturday, the defensive line must play a crucial role in pressuring Hiller, Martin said.
Luckily, this has not been a problem this season. The Golden Flashes have had 11 sacks the past two weeks, with 91/2 of them coming from defensive lineman.
Ohio had not given up a sack in five games, until Kent State recorded seven against them.
''Most of our sacks Saturday where not blitzes,'' Martin said. ''They were just our guys playing hard and getting pressure with four. That is what we have to do in this game. We can't put our (defensive backs) on an island out there.''
Senior Kevin Hogan led the charge getting 21/2 sacks last week, good enough to Earn MAC East Defensive Player of the Week honors, and four overall in the two week span, his season total.
Seven defensive lineman have recorded sacks this season giving the Flashes 26 sacks, eight more than all of last season. They are on pace to challenge the school record of 34 set in 2004.
Senior Aaron Hull and junior Monte Simmons have 41/2 apiece sacks. Junior Zach Williams has three and senior Sam Frist has two.
''As a unit, the defensive line has been pretty successful this season and, really, what you are seeing is a lot of different people finding success and taking turns making plays,'' Hogan said. ''This past week was my turn.''
That type of production will be even more crucial this week, Martin said.
''If we can get pressure with four, it is going to make life a lot easier for us,'' Martin said. ''If we can't, then zone pressures are going to have to be a viable answer for us and the (pass) coverage has to be tighter.''
Western Michigan senior running back Brandon West cannot be forgotten about either. West is second in the conference in rushing yards at 763, averaging 95.4 yards per game.
This is the ninth time in the past 58 seasons that the Golden Flashes (4-4, 3-1) have started the conference slate with a 3-1 record. In ever instance thus far, the Flashes have advanced to at least 4-1. Kent State has not beaten Western Michigan (4-4, 3-2) in 12 attempts.
Jonas Fortune can be reached at jfortune@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Varsity Letters high school sports blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/varsity_letters/. Also on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ABJ_Preps.
KENT: It remains a constant question in the Mid-American Conference. How do you stop these pass happy quarterbacks from having a field day on your defense?
So far this season, Kent State has had mixed results against some of the conference's premier passers. Miami freshman Zac Dysert threw for 337 yards on 53 attempts, but KSU won.
Bowling Green senior Tyler Sheehan threw 63 times for a total of 505 yards, and the Falcons beat the Golden Flashes on a last-second touchdown three weeks ago.
So how will Western Michigan senior quarterback Tim Hiller and the Broncos fare at 2 p.m. Saturday at Dix Stadium?
''We are going to face an NFL quarterback,'' Kent State coach Doug Martin said Monday at his weekly news conference. ''We haven't fared very well against quarterbacks who have thrown the ball exclusively, and this guy is a great passer.''
How great? Hiller, an Orrville graduate, is third in the NCAA in passing yards at 2,263. He trails Sheehan and Toledo senior Aaron Opelt in passing yards per game in the Mid-American Conference, averaging 281.8 yards.
Hiller completes 62.4 percent of his passes and carries a 129.5 passer efficiency rating.
In order for the Flashes to be successful Saturday, the defensive line must play a crucial role in pressuring Hiller, Martin said.
Luckily, this has not been a problem this season. The Golden Flashes have had 11 sacks the past two weeks, with 91/2 of them coming from defensive lineman.
Ohio had not given up a sack in five games, until Kent State recorded seven against them.
''Most of our sacks Saturday where not blitzes,'' Martin said. ''They were just our guys playing hard and getting pressure with four. That is what we have to do in this game. We can't put our (defensive backs) on an island out there.''
Senior Kevin Hogan led the charge getting 21/2 sacks last week, good enough to Earn MAC East Defensive Player of the Week honors, and four overall in the two week span, his season total.
Seven defensive lineman have recorded sacks this season giving the Flashes 26 sacks, eight more than all of last season. They are on pace to challenge the school record of 34 set in 2004.
Senior Aaron Hull and junior Monte Simmons have 41/2 apiece sacks. Junior Zach Williams has three and senior Sam Frist has two.
''As a unit, the defensive line has been pretty successful this season and, really, what you are seeing is a lot of different people finding success and taking turns making plays,'' Hogan said. ''This past week was my turn.''
That type of production will be even more crucial this week, Martin said.
''If we can get pressure with four, it is going to make life a lot easier for us,'' Martin said. ''If we can't, then zone pressures are going to have to be a viable answer for us and the (pass) coverage has to be tighter.''
Western Michigan senior running back Brandon West cannot be forgotten about either. West is second in the conference in rushing yards at 763, averaging 95.4 yards per game.
This is the ninth time in the past 58 seasons that the Golden Flashes (4-4, 3-1) have started the conference slate with a 3-1 record. In ever instance thus far, the Flashes have advanced to at least 4-1. Kent State has not beaten Western Michigan (4-4, 3-2) in 12 attempts.
Jonas Fortune can be reached at jfortune@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Varsity Letters high school sports blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/varsity_letters/. Also on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ABJ_Preps.
Comments
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Canton, OH
Posted 04:24 PM, 10/30/2009
THEY SUX. . .
Posted 09:44 PM, 10/30/2009
Go Flashes! The master bard strikes again!
cuyahoga falls, oh
Posted 08:54 AM, 10/31/2009
Hope we can put some pressure on Hiller and knock him in the teeth a few times. Supposed to be really windy today which could help too. Win today and bowl-eligibility is next!
