Delaware State Delaware State at Kent State Saturday, September 13, 2008 Time TBA Dix Stadium, Kent, Ohio (Field Turf) Radio/TV: WNIR 100.1 FM [tm]Kent State[/tm] THE SERIES Last season, Kent State faced the Hornets for the first time school history. The Flashes had their biggest win of the season, dismantling Delaware State, 38-7. Like last season, obviously, this is the third game of season for the Golden Flashes. A LOOK AT THE DELAWARE STATE HORNETS Last season coach Al Lavan went 10-2 in his fourth season and won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and were selected as the American Sports Wire 2007 Division I Black College National Champs. Delaware State received all 22 first place votes and 156 points in the final ASW poll, over double the 75 points second place Jackson State received. Seven Hornets were named to the American Heritage Bowl, an all-star game. Talented linebacker Russell Reeves, the MEAC Player of the Year, led the Hornets last season, but now the team faces a rebuilding year, like many Division 1-AA schools. Reeves posted 93 tackles and five sacks. Leading the way in 2008 is first team all-MEAC selection, Adrian Brown, a senior offensive lineman and senior defensive tackle Ronn Spinner. Spinner was fourth on the team in tackles last season with 64 and was second on the team with 8 ½ tackles for loss. WHEN DELAWARE STATE HAS THE BALL Vashon Winton returns at quarterback, where he's started 24 games the past two seasons. Last fall he completed 59.1-percent of his passes for 1,618 yards and 12 touchdowns. Winton will be pushed by Bowling Green transfer Anthony Glaud and Micah Brown. Running back Kareem Jones, who rushed for a team-high 705 yards and two scores in 2007, returns to carry the ball for the Hornets. The Hornets lose their top four pass catchers from last season. Laronne Moore returns as the team leader in receptions with just 13 for 152 yards, but keep an eye on Darius Jackson, a newcomer that hauled in six passes for 61 yards and a score in the Hornets' spring game. Defensively, the Flashes will have already played man coverage (if they haven't played man coverage at this point, they probably enter the game 0-2). Coaches may want to play more man just to see more of it. Since Delaware State has a turn-over in its roster nearly every season, and since this is the Hornet's second game, the defense will likely stick with its game plan and only make changes after one half of play. WHEN KENT STATE HAS THE BALL Kent State coach Doug Martin put an emphasis on passing in last year's game against DSU, and maybe it was so then junior quarterback Julian Edelman could improve his passing, or because Edelman had torn his PCL the week before. In any case, this game will likely be an experiment game. The Flashes probably won't reveal a new formation or trick play, but they will certainly mix the roster around. Sophomore Giorgio Morgan could see extended playing time against Delaware State. Andre Flowers likely will get the bulk of the carries-- if the Flashes even run that much. The Kent State wide receivers had one of their better games against Delaware State last season, and this could be a good time to let the ball fly. If the Iowa State game is one game fans shouldn't expect to see Giorgio Morgan, then this week is the opposite. Morgan will probably not start the game, but may see more playing time then Edelman. Considering the Flashes will be coming off two likely physical games, resting Edelman before the bulk of the Mid-American Conference wouldn't be a bad strategy. Plus, Morgan is without a doubt the future of the program. After losing his redshirt last season, and then injuring his knee in his second start, Morgan has brought excitement to the football team. The sophomore from Georgia has a terrific arm, but still needs playing time to improve his pocket awareness, translation: he gets sacked too much. After a spring that saw red jerseys fly off the quarterbacks, and a summer that will likely have many blitzes in store for Morgan, the Delaware State game is the final exam. Linebacker Josh Pope, who posted 75 tackles last season, returns as DSU's top returning tackler. Second only to Reeves in tackles, Pope will no doubt have his eyes glued to the hips of Kent State running back Eugene Jarvis. Up front, Spinner will try to pressure Edelman and/or Morgan into making mistakes in the passing game to protect a secondary that does not return a single player that recorded an interception last season. KEY MATCH-UP The past year has taught the casual college football fan that Division I-AA schools should not be taken lightly. If Michigan can lose at home to Appalachian State, Kent State certainly can. However, this game will be a breather in what will have already been a tough season. The Flashes go from two schools in the nation's biggest conferences, to a small school from the nation's first state. Even though the Flashes won by 31 points last season, the team was only leading the Hornets 7-0 at halftime in 2007. At the post-game conference, Lavan looked like Ed Norton in the new Hulk movie, and rightfully so, because his team gave up 31 points in the second half. WHAT TO WATCH Because the Flashes open with two BCS schools, we still won't see the real Kent State Golden Flashes until MAC play begins, but this game we at least see if the Flashes are a team that plays down to their opponents, or puts a team, which they SHOULD beat, away early--something that the Flashes didn't quite do last season. Also, look for special teams to have an impact. Nate Reed could shoot for a school record field goal in any game, but this may be perfect if the Flashes play conservative. EXTRA POINTS The New Dix: The game will be the first home game of the season and will feature the new renovations at Dix Stadium. A new score board? No stands in the Summit Ave. endzone? A grass knoll instead? Where are we, Ohio University? The stadium will also have a new entrance. With Akron spending millions of dollars on a new stadium, Kent State renovates Dix, built in 1969, to save money, while at the same time improving the facility-- not a bad move at all, at least coming from a young sports writer who has spent a lot--say it again--a lot of money at the Michael Swartz Center (home of the toughest Kent State defenders, the Bursar's office).

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