Big plays by the Golden Flash defense sealed the Wagon Wheel trophy for Kent State.
Kent Stateâs Chris Anzevino grabs the Wagon Wheel trophy the Golden Flashes earned for defeating the Zips on Saturday in Kent.KENT, Ohio -- Kent State's offense is arguably getting worse by the snap.
But if the defense cleans up its act, there is still a ghost of a chance the Golden Flashes can have a winning season. Despite six personal fouls, and 13 penalties for 125 yards -- Kent's defense stood tall on Saturday.
KSU offset its over-aggressiveness with seven sacks, a pass interception for a touchdown, a forced fumble in the end zone recovered for a touchdown and a pair of late interceptions to lock up a 28-17 victory over Akron on Saturday in front of 24,221 -- the third-largest crowd in Kent's Dix Stadium history.
Kent State (2-3, 1-1 Mid-American Conference) was in jeopardy of losing this one late into the fourth quarter as its offense continued to labor. But a defense quietly led by freshman defensive tackle Roosevelt Nix came up with big plays when Kent needed them.
No play was bigger than Nix's forced fumble while pressuring Akron QB Patrick Nicely in the end zone with 3:08 to play. It was recovered for a touchdown by linebacker Luke Batton for the cushion the Golden Flashes needed against the Zips (0-6, 0-2).
Nix, from Reynoldsburg, Ohio, finished with five tackles, 31/2 sacks for 30 yards and a forced fumble. His season totals now read: 19 tackles (10 for 75 lost yards), 61/2 sacks, five quarterback hurries and four forced fumbles. At 6-0, 255 pounds, he is not the prototype size for a tackle, but he has a giant amount of ability.
"I've had a couple of Big Ten head coaches call me and ask if they missed on recruiting him," Kent defensive coordinator Pete Rekstis said last week. "I tell them no, because if they had got him, we wouldn't have him."
Nix's sack with six seconds to go in the opening half forced Akron to call a timeout and kick a field goal instead of going for a touchdown. He was a dominant force throughout.
"Rivalry games are won by players, not coaches -- that's what I told our guys," Kent State coach Doug Martin said.
Akron had chances, dominating the time of possession -- 32:47 to 27:13 -- and running well, going for 143 yards on Kent's top-ranked ground defense. But the sacks sliced that number back to a net of 63 yards, and the final tally of three interceptions and three fumbles, two for lost yardage, kept the Zips winless on the season. Nix was key to it all.
"He had a heck of a game," Akron coach Rob Ianello said.
On Akron's second possession, the Zips gouged Kent State's rush defense for 56 yards in an 89-yard scoring drive and took full advantage of a 15-yard KSU personal foul to take a 7-0 lead. Then Kent's defense atoned for its earlier failure.
Defensive back Luke Wollet picked off an Akron pass and returned it for a 15-yard touchdown to tie it, 7-7. The Golden Flashes took a 14-7 lead with 8:39 to play in the half with a short Spencer Keith toss into the corner to Tyshon Goode for a score.
On Kent's next possession, the Flashes put together their longest drive of the season. Aided by an Akron penalty, Kent went 90 yards in 12 plays, getting 33 yards in the air and another 43 on the ground. A six-yard inside run by Jacquise Terry for a score gave Kent a 21-7 lead with 2:06 to go.
Akron countered with a crisp two-minute offense that had TD written all over it until Nix sacked Nicely and forced a 41-yard Igor Iveljic field goal.
The game still looked to be in Kent's control, but the Golden Flashes kept hurting themselves. In the third quarter, a 75-yard touchdown drive by the Zips was aided by a pair of third-down personal fouls -- one on third-and-24. A fake field goal with holder/receiver Jeremy LaFrance running in for a 10-yard touchdown cut Kent's lead to 21-17.
Akron had several more chances before Nix forced the late fumble which led to a TD.