A Lesson in Heartbreak: My Four Years of Kent State Football

My last homecoming as a Golden Flash was nothing out of the ordinary – Kent lost by one point with five seconds remaining in the game. Let’s face it, this one was just ugly.

Kent looked so promising to start off the game. At the end of the first quarter, we were up 14-0. We also only had a season-low three penalties in the game.

However, that’s about all the positives we can take from this one. Yeah, we had the lead after the first, but that was on a total of six offensive plays. Our offense only saw the field for a total of 8:47 in the first half! No wonder our defense burned out in the end.

Wait. Defense? What’s defense? With the numbers Bowling Green’s Tyler Sheehan and Freddie Barnes put up, KSU’s defense seemed invisible. Barnes was named the College Football Performance Awards Wide Receiver of the Week with school-records of 22 receptions and 278 yards. He also had three touchdowns and beat his career high in yards at the half.

With a receiver like that, BG quarterback Sheehan had school records of his own, going 22-for-63 with 505 yards. That is the most passing yards a Kent State team has ever had against them.

But, like I said, this is nothing new in my four-year experience of Kent State football. Let me just reminisce on all our other let-downs…

2008 Season (my 3rd year): First in the season, we were delivered a 27-30 double overtime loss against the nemesis Akron Zips. KSU kicker Nate Reed nailed a 32-yard FG to notch the game at 24 as time expired. Both teams made a FG in the 1st overtime, and after Akron’s kicker made one more at 25 yards, Reed missed a 23-yarder to lose the game (wide right…why must Buffalo fans always be tortured with that phrase!). It’s no wonder Reed is sidelined this season…

Anyways…then there was homecoming against Miami where we had no chance. We dropped to 1-6 overall, 0-3 in the MAC after the 26-19 loss.

2007 Season (mi ano numero dos): The Wagon Wheel was lost yet again to the Zips, this time by a touchdown. Kent got the ball and drove down the field to the 36-yard line with 1:36 left in the game before Julian Edelman threw a prayer that was intercepted in the endzone. Game over.

Homecoming was another one-touchdown loss, again to Miami. The flashes got the ball with less than a minute to go. With 4th and goal, Edelman broke loose but was tackled just short on the one-yard line.

And let’s not forget the last game of the season, senior night at home against Buffalo. 14 seniors suffered a 30-23 loss in overtime. The Bulls tied the game up with less than five minutes left in regulation and Reed missed a FG with 1:54 to go that would have probably been the game-winner. In overtime, Buffalo scored a touchdown and then their defense held the KSU offense to four downs.

2006 Season (my rookie season): As a bright-eyed Freshman headed to her school’s first home football game, I was decked out in my Kent State blue and gold looking forward for some spectacular, Division-I college football. Well, Minnesota delivered – a 44-0 loss to the Flashes.

But, my inaugural season was the bright spot in four years (which really isn’t saying much). Kent lost their next game 17-14 in OT, but then went on to win five straight, including a 37-15 win over Akron and a 40-14 homecoming win versus Toledo (which was our first homecoming victory since 2001).

Nonetheless, one season isn’t too satisfactory when the rest have been so disheartening. And I am just preaching to the choir of all Kent State alum. Overall, KSU is 21-41 in homecoming games, including just 2-8 in the last ten years, and we sit 29-20-2 against the “A-K Rowdies,” who we have yet to face this season.

We still have six more games left this season, which leaves plenty of room for a MAC East win. But, let’s be honest, the one thing I’m looking forward to: Kent State Men’s basketball season opener, November 13th.