2011 Kent State Golden Flashes Football Preview

Newly minted head coach Darrell Hazell surely has his work cut out for him. Leading a program which has just two non-losing seasons since 1977 will make Hazell earn his keep. There’s no question that in Kent, Ohio, the burden of a substantially unfulfilled third of a century (a long time in any field of endeavor) will place more than a little pressure on an incoming sideline sultan.

The Golden Flashes last visited a bowl game in 1972, led by then-coach Don James, who used the program as a springboard to the University of Washington, where he became one of the ten best coaches in the history of the Pac-10 Conference (alongside heavyweights such as John McKay, Terry Donahue, Pete Carroll, John Robinson, and Mike Bellotti). Since the James era, Kent has never been able to catch lightning in a bottle for more than one season here or there. This sad progression of events, in which there really has been no progression in and around the program, easily pulls down morale and prevents a subculture of winning from emerging inside the locker room.

With this added weight on the shoulders of Hazell, he and his staff – which must change attitudes and expectations before anything else - have decided to forgo a spring depth chart in any way, shape, or form. Instead, each player will try out for the position without any preconceived notion of supremacy. This will definitely be needed on offense, where the Golden Flashes scored just 21 points per game in 2010. Kent State lacked the small but telling measure of firepower needed to get clutch touchdowns in the second halves of games that involved a fragile and tenuous competitive balance. Timely infusions of offense could have made last year’s 5-7 campaign more fruitful, but alas, the Flashes weren’t able to summon their best with the regularity each situation demanded.

The defense, on the other hand, was quite underrated, giving up just 22 points per game. Just five starters return, including linebacker Luke Batton. Those core members, though, will need to provide the kind of leadership Hazell needs in order for the new coaching staff to make a positive imprint on this roster.

The offense will be a benefit to the first year head coach. Nine starters return from last year’s squad. Receiver Tyshon Goode will be asked to step up and help junior signal caller Spencer Keith, who struggled with decision making last season.

The schedule doesn’t do the Golden Flashes any favors. Non-conference road games at Alabama and Kansas State will test Kent State early. The Golden Flashes first two conference games are away contests against Ohio and Northern Illinois. If Kent State is able to survive that early onslaught, it should get a needed break midway through the year.

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