The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Crum in ‘wide-open’ competition
Midview grad among five QBs in mix at Kent State
In a perfect world, Dustin Crum probably would have redshirted his freshman season at Kent State.
Injuries at the quarterback position for the Golden Flashes in 2017 prevented that from happening. So the Midview grad got a dose of learning on the job last summer.
Kent State needed Crum’s help at QB last season, which was a struggle for the Golden Flashes at 2-10.
That led to Coach Paul Haynes getting replaced in the offseason by Sean Lewis, the nation’s youngest head coach at age 31, and one who is looking for a starting QB in 2018. A Kent State staffer close to the football program said the race for the starting job is “wide open.”
Spring practice started two weeks ago at Kent State, and its spring game is April 14 at Dix Stadium. The Golden Flashes have five QBs on their roster. Including Crum, senior Geoge Bollas is listed, along with junior Mylik Mitchell and sophomores Will Phillis and Pyrce Taylor. There’s also former Auburn signee Woody Barrett.
Crum said his goal was to play right away in college, and not redshirt. He said the experience as a true freshman was big.
“I wanted to compete and get after it as hard as I could,” said Crum after a recent spring practice. “It was whoever is getting the job done will play. I just tried to take the opportunity and win the starting job.
“I never want to see myself as a No. 2 or No. 3, as any competitor should be. They should want to be No. 1 out there. But my goal was to my best to get on the field, but if not get better every day.”
In 2017, he split time with Bollos,
and when he got into games Crum showed the ability to make big plays. In his first start against Buffalo, he threw a 75-yard touchdown pass. His first college TD came on a 58-yard run at Western Michigan.
“It was a good experience playing at a higher level than high school, and George helped me out a ton. He’s a great guy,” said Crum.
“I think the biggest adjustment was after (preseason) camp. It took me a while, a few weeks at least, to get used to the college game — receiver speed, how fast defenders react, things like that.”
Making plays is nothing new for Crum. At Midview, he holds school marks for career passing yards (8.585) and touchdown passes (103). His 39 TD passes as a senior are the best in Lorain County history. Crum’s eight TD passes in a game are tied for second-best in Ohio history.
In 2017, Crum saw action in every Kent State game. He was at his best as a runner, and gained 310 yards on 85 carries. His season-high singlegame totals were 80 (vs. Western Michigan) and 77 yards (twice, vs. Northern Illinois and Akron). Crum completed 16 of 30 passes for 232 yards, a TD pass and two interceptions.
Crum said the key for him in this QB competition is making an adjustment to Lewis’ system, and that began at the start of spring practice.
“It’s all about learning a new offense,” said Crum. “Here, it’s about getting used to new route combinations, communicating and checks. And mentally. The goal is to put up as many points as fast as possible. It’s exciting the energy Coach Lewis has brought.”
Lewis wasn’t shy about his expectations at his introductory news conference in December 2017.
“We’re going to win the (Mid-American Conference) East (Division). And we’re going to win a MAC championship,” he said. “And we’re going to play in a January Bowl game. I can’t wait to get going.”
If the Golden Flashes are to get there under Lewis, a QB must emerge. Crum is hoping he’s the one. But there’s still plenty of work ahead of him.
“It’s fun to get out there and compete with a bunch of guys that can really throw the ball around,” said Crum. “We’re getting after it, and trying to oneup each other. I think I’ve done a solid job, but honestly all of us have had our moments.”