Kent State looking ahead after bowl loss
Kent State's run at a second bowl victory in three years ran out of steam in the second half Tuesday in Idaho.
Wyoming erased a narrow halftime deficit by scoring three straight touchdowns to open the second half, then pulled away late to earn a 52-38 win over the Golden Flashes in the 2021 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl played on the blue turf at Boise State's Albertsons Stadium.
The Flashes finished the season at 7-7.
“Not the outcome that we were looking for,” said fourth-year KSU head coach Sean Lewis. “Obviously a really tough locker room when it ends that way, the finality of it all. You send out a great group of seniors that gave everything to Kent State. Areas that have hampered us and hurt us all year long we need to clean up. We need to grow as we get better, moving forward into next year."
Here are the lessons from the Potato Bowl that the Golden Flashes can apply to next season.
It will be a challenge to replace Crum
Kent State star grad student quarterback Dustin Crum led Kent State to its first-ever bowl victory in 2019 by producing 436 total yards and three touchdowns
in a 51-41 triumph over Utah State. He was brilliant in a bowl once again Tuesday, producing 386 total yards and five total touchdowns against a Cowboys defense ranked among the top 35 in the nation in several statistical categories.
“The same thing we've seen from him consistently throughout, right? He's a warrior,” said Lewis. “He's been the cornerstone of this program.”
Crum ends his Kent State career with 55 touchdown passes, second most in program history. He became the first KSU quarterback to top 3,000 yards
passing in a season, finishing with 3,187 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2021.
Kent State will return some exciting players on offense
Running back Marquez Cooper and receiver Dante Cephas closed stellar sophomore seasons by posting 100-yard games.
Cooper, the first KSU running back since 2012 to eclipse 1,000 yards in a single season, finished the 2021 campaign with 1,205 yards rushing (5 yards per carry) and scored 11 touchdowns. He spearheaded a Flashes running attack that averaged a school record of 249 yards per game.
Cephas, the first Kent State player to reach 1,000 yards receiving since 1997, wound up with 82 catches for 1,240 yards and nine scores.
Flashes need to shore up the run defense in 2022
Wyoming quarterback Levi Williams rushed for 200 yards and 4 touchdowns on 16 carries. He threw the ball just enough to keep the Flashes honest, then led the assault on the ground.
In Kent State's last four losses, opponents averaged 308 yards rushing per contest.
It's time to banish third-quarter woes
In the first six games against FBS foes this season, the Flashes were outscored 107-22 in the third quarter. They had fared much better in the third period over the last six outings, but the posthalftime woes returned on Tuesday.
Wyoming outscored Kent State 14-0 in the third quarter, when the Flashes only managed 75 total yards and the team was penalized five times for 50 yards.
“We are going to do the work required to improve those shortcomings that we've had this year." said Lewis. "I'm eager to do that work.”