Finally, with some offensive help, Kent State's consistently good defense should be good enough to help the Flashes compete in the Mid-American Conference.
KENT, Ohio - Hidden inside Kent State's football futility in the recent past has been a defense that, most seasons, has been good enough to help post a .500 record or better - if there was an offense to back it up.
First-year coach Sean Lewis is trying to fix that and has KSU (1-2) aligned with most teams in the Mid-American Conference, running a high-scoring offense that aims entertains the fan base.
But it is Kent's defense that might prove to be one of the better units in the MAC, even after a 63-10 loss at Penn State. Combined with an improved offense, this could make Kent a threat in league play.
At the heart of that defense is linebacker Matt Bahr, a 6-1, 210-pound redshirt-senior from Kenton, Ohio, who knows better than most what the program has been through in recent seasons.
The death of offensive lineman Jason Bitsko (natural causes) in 2014, Bahr's rookie season, was compounded by the loss of former high school teammate Tyler Heintz (heat stroke) prior to the start of last season. It was Bahr who co-ordinated the team's memorial appearance in Kenton for Heintz's funeral.
Then, the second game of the 2017 season, Bahr was sidelined the rest of the year with a knee injury.
Considering he was a graduate (after three years), Bahr easily could have become one of a growing number of players around the country to transfer. Now in grad school, he could have even decided to end his football career.
That Bahr remained on the team was effectively a bullhorn endorsement of his own fortitude and dedication to the program.
"Last year was definitely a chance for me to mature, and take a leadership role on the team,'' he said. "This year even more so. Last year prepared me, really well, to be the kind of leader I need to be."
Defensively that shows, as the defense has not skipped a beat.
Kent opened this season holding Illinois without a touchdown in the first half, before the still maturing KSU offense reverted to past form (two turnovers) and the Illini came back for a 31-24 victory.
Kent then faced a Howard offense that opened with 645 yards and 32 points vs. MAC favorite Ohio University.
KSU's defense held Howard scoreless the first 40 minutes as the offense delivered 26 straight points. Kent won, 54-14, and the defense held Howard to 270 yards total offense. Bahr finished with 11 tackles, a forced fumble and a pass broken up.
Kent's offense, before Penn State, was averaging 39.0 points a game going into the next two weeks at PSU, and this Saturday at Ole Miss. With an improved offense, the burden of carrying winning or losing has been lifted from the shoulders of Kent's defense.
Over the last 10 years under three head coaches, KSU's offense averaged fewer than 21 points a game seven times. In the MAC, 30 points a game is average for winning teams. Defensively, however, over the same 10-year span Kent held teams to an average of 28 points a game or less eight times; 25 points a game or less four times.
- POINTS PER GAME
- Year Offense Defense
- 2008 25.7 31.7
- 2009 19.2 22.4
- 2010 21.3 22.9
- 2011 17.1 24.2
- 2012 33.1 24.5
- 2013 20.8 26.9
- 2014 15.0 26.6
- 2015 13.1 26.1
- 2016 20.6 28.7
- 2017 12.7 35.1
KSU could well be 1-3 when league play begins, Sept. 29 at Ball State. But, unlike the preseason expectations, where Kent was voted the worst team in the league, the Flashes are now a team to be dealt with.
"It's great to have an offense that puts points on the board,'' Bahr said. "It's a great feeling. We trust the other side of the ball. That's the only way this team can move forward."