MAC East spotlight: Kent State
Team: Kent State Golden Flashes
Head coach: Darrell Hazell (second season)
Home field: Dix Stadium (20,500), Kent
2011 record: 5-7 overall, 4-4 in the MAC East Division (third place)
MAC media poll: Picked fourth in East Division
Last bowl appearance: Dec. 29, 1972, lost to Tampa 21-18 in the Tangerine Bowl.
Flashes against Miami: Saturday, Nov. 10, at Yager Stadium in Oxford, starting at 1 p.m. The RedHawks won 9-3 last year and lead the series 46-13.
Darrell Hazell is brimming with optimism as he begins his second season at the Kent State University football helm.
There’s much to like if you’re a Golden Flash fan. Kent put up its third straight 5-7 record last year, but won four of its last five games and returns 18 starters in 2012.
“I like where we are right now,” Hazell said Tuesday during Mid-American Conference Media Day at Ford Field. “We had a lot of momentum coming out of last season. The big thing we talked about this offseason was becoming a smart football team, and we had 50 guys with over a 3.0 GPA. All of that correlates to doing the right thing on the football field, and I let them know that.”
The Flashes may have had some late success last year, yet winning hasn’t been a given in this program. Indeed, since going 7-4 under Glen Mason in 1987, Kent has had exactly one winning season, posting a 6-5 mark under Dean Pees in 2001.
Hazell, who spent seven years as an Ohio State assistant before joining the Flashes, is determined to change the culture.
“We have enough talent to be successful in this league,” Hazell said. “How you measure success, I don’t know. But we have players in every single position and some depth to give us a chance to compete.”
Kent has nine starters back on each side of the ball. The Flashes lacked offensive punch last season, but Hazell is looking for a breakout year from the thunder-and-lightning running duo of Trayion Durham and Dri Archer.
Durham, a 6-foot, 250-pound sophomore from Colerain High School, is the bruiser and rushed for a team-best 630 yards in 2011. Redshirt junior Dri Archer missed last season for academic reasons, but is one of the fastest players in the MAC.
“Trayion has matured so much in a year. It’s fun to watch his development,” Hazell said. “Dri, he’s a difference maker. Very explosive.”
Three-year starter Spencer Keith returns at quarterback, but Hazell said the senior is being pushed by redshirt junior David Fisher, a junior college transfer from California, and freshman Colin Reardon. Keith ranks third in KSU history with 6,041 passing yards.
Defensively, Kent was very solid a year ago and should be even better this fall. Junior tackle Roosevelt Nix and senior end Jake Dooley of Mason combined for 27.5 tackles for loss last season.
The Flashes will open the season Aug. 30 at home against Towson. Kent’s MAC opener is a Wednesday night road game against Buffalo on Sept. 19.
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