Postgame chatter following Kent State's loss at No. 7 Oklahoma - Jeremiah Johnson

By Allen Moff

Record-Courier

Here’s the postgame chatter following the Kent State football team’s 33-3 loss at No. 7 Oklahoma last Saturday night in Norman.

Kent State’s struggle to stop the run over the past several years has been well documented. The Golden Flashes felt good about their chances to improve in this area in 2022 based on depth, experience, and a change in scheme initiated by new defensive coordinator Jeremiah Johnson.

So far, the results have been more impressive than even the most optimistic fans could have realistically expected. 

A touchdown worth of takeaways from Kent State's loss at No. 7 Oklahoma

Through two games this season, which happened to be against two national behemoths in Washington and No. 7 Oklahoma, the Golden Flashes are allowing just 133 yards rushing per game and 3.8 yards per carry. From 2019-21, Kent State coughed up 215 yards per contest and 5.2 yards per attempt. 

The Flashes stunned the nation in the first half last Saturday night in Norman. The Sooners didn't dent the scoreboard until the final seconds of the second quarter, and their vaunted rushing attack managed a mere 7 yards on 13 carries. 

“I thought holistically our defense did a really nice job stopping the run,” said KSU head coach Sean Lewis. “The guys up front were very gap sound. The second-level players flashed ? (grad student linebackers) Marvin Pierre, Khalib Johns and Juan Wallace, and [grad student safety] Nico Bolden [12 tackles] coming down from the third level did a great job stopping the run.” 

What‘s been the difference in Kent State’s run defense this season compared to the past several years?  

“I think there’s just an overall commitment to the techniques, to the scheme, and to having the self-discipline that our guys are playing with up front,” said Lewis. “They're very confident in the system that Coach Johnson has brought in. They've seen real evidence through the spring practices, all the way through training camp, and now for the first couple weeks that when we do the right things the right way there’s going to be good results. We've seen the good and the bad of that through these first two weeks, but there’s been a heck of a lot more good. I thought there were some really violent tackles [at Oklahoma], our guys getting some really dynamic playmakers to the ground, that we need to take confidence from and build off of.” 

For the second consecutive week, the Flashes were competitive on both lines against physically superior opposition. Kent State’s offensive line allowed some pressure, but gave up just three sacks against an Oklahoma front that’s among the most talented in the nation. The Flashes were able to pound the ball on the ground with reasonable effectiveness, especially early on, and finished with a highly respectable 164 yards rushing on 52 carries. 

"We knew that we were going to have to match force with force. You can’t win those conflicts with finesse,” said Lewis. “I thought our kids did a great job for the most part. I was really pleased with the way [sophomore left tackle] Marcellus Marshall and [grad student center] Sam Allan played up front. And [junior running back Marquez Cooper] did a great job ? ran hard, gained tough yards. He didn’t have the overall total production that he’s accustomed to, but I thought he did a great job running between the tackles.” 

Cooper finished with 55 yards on 22 carries.

Despite facing the most formidable opponent of the week, Kent State had two players earn weekly Mid-American Conference honors. Johns was named MAC East Division Defensive Player of the Week, while sophomore punter Josh Smith took home the special teams honor. 

Johns recorded a pair of first-quarter sacks and finished with six tackles. Smith averaged 43.3 yards per boot with a long of 49, and had two punts downed inside the 20-yard line. 

The Flashes have escaped tough battles with two physically imposing foes to start the season with relatively few injuries.  

Starting senior cornerback Capone Blue was ruled out of last Saturday’s game during warmups, and is considered “day-to-day" according to Lewis. Grad student reserve wide receiver Isaac Vance was injured in the opener at Washington, and did not play on Saturday. 

The Flashes suffered no major injuries at Oklahoma according to Lewis. 

“We're good. Nothing too crazy, just general bumps and bruises,” said Lewis. “It’s a testament to the work that the kids have put in year-round. We tell our guys stronger people are generally more useful and hard to kill, so let’s go get strong.” 

True freshman running back Gavin Garcia has impressed both on special teams and as a backup during the first two games of the season. The Pennsylvania native has rushed for 59 yards on 14 carries, and also recovered a fumble on a kickoff in the season opener. 

“He's a kid that generally loves ball," said Lewis. "He was a high school wrestler and just has a competitive demeanor about him. He’s done some really good things late in games, and he’s showed up on some [special] teams. We're going to pour a little bit more water in his bucket, because he’s shown that the water we gave him he can carry adequately.” 

Lewis also singled out sophomore wide receiver Naran Buntin as a player who has earned more responsibilities early in the season.

“He’s done a nice job, so we’re going to carve out a little bit more time for him as a special teams guy,” said Lewis. 

Next: Kent State (0-2) will play Long Island (0-2) in its 2022 home opener on Saturday. Kickoff is set for noon at Dix Stadium.