Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/703041
2015 RECORD 3-9, 2-6 Mid-Ameri- can Conference SERIES RECORD Penn State has won all four of its games against the Golden Flashes. MOST RECENT MEETING Akeel Lynch rushed for 123 yards on only 14 carries, and the Nittany Lions held vis- iting Kent State to 190 total yards in a 34-0 shutout on Sept. 21, 2013. OFFENSE The Golden Flashes are coming off a season in which they aver- aged 13.1 points and 270.1 yards per game. They ranked 126th out of 127 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in total offense, so there would appear to be nowhere to go but up this year. But how far up? Four starters return on the offen- sive line, but quarterbacks Colin Rear- don and George Bollas were erratic last year, combining for nine touchdown passes and 10 interceptions. And the running game, which is the focus of co- ordinator Don Treadwell's scheme, suf- fered from a lack of breakaway poten- tial. The only running back to average more than 4 yards per carry last season was P.J. Simmons, a 5-foot-9, 175- pounder who checked with an impres- sive 5.8-yard average. The bad news? Simmons, who will be a sophomore this fall, had only 13 carries. DEFENSE The Golden Flashes are risk-takers, relying on a fierce pass rush and a strong secondary to keep oppo- nents on their heels. It's been an effec- tive approach, and not just against MAC opponents; Kent State also held Min- nesota to 10 points on the road last sea- son, albeit in a losing effort. Nearly everyone is back this year, including 10 of their top 12 defensive linemen, six of their top eight linebackers and all four starters in the secondary. So on this side of the ball, the Golden Flashes should be pretty solid. SPECIAL TEAMS Shane Hynes re- turns after hitting 7 of 11 field goal at- tempts as a freshman. However, Kent State did suffer a key loss with the grad- uation of punter and kickoff specialist Anthony Melchiori. OUTLOOK They've been outscored 101-16 in their four prior visits to Beaver Stadium, so this may not be an ideal way for the Golden Flashes to open their campaign. And did we mention that they wrap up their nonconference sea- son at Alabama? Looking solely at the record book, Kent State hasn't shown much improvement in three seasons un- der Paul Haynes, a former Kent State defensive back and a defensive coordi- nator at Ohio State under Jim Tressel. They won four games in Haynes' first season, two in 2014 and three last year. In keeping with his background, Haynes appears to have assembled the kind of defense that could cause some problems for a Nittany Lion offense that may or may not be ready to take a long-awaited leap forward this season. But as to whether Kent State will have enough stopping power to make up for an un- proven offense that may still need time to jell, that's a separate question. 2015 RECORD 8-5, 6-2 Atlantic Coast Conference SERIES RECORD Penn State leads the all-time series, 50-42-4. MOST RECENT MEETING Pitt shut out the Nittany Lions, 12-0, at Three Rivers Stadium on Sept. 16, 2000. OFFENSE Nate Peterman is the un- questioned starter at quarterback, de- spite ending his junior season with a disappointing three-interception per- formance in a 44-28 loss to Navy in the Military Bowl. The 6-2, 225-pound Pe- terman completed 61.5 percent of his passes for 2,287 yards after taking over the starting spot last September. He'll be looking for a new target following Tyler Boyd's exit. Dontez Ford and Jester Weah (who had 102 yards in the spring game) will have to step up as Pitt looks to replace its all-time leader in recep- tions and receiving yards. When the Panthers keep it on the ground, Peter- man will be handing off to a stable of running backs that features Qadree Olli- son, Darrin Hall and Rachid Ibrahim. It may also include former ACC Player of the Year James Conner, who announced in May that after a six-month battle with Hodgkin lymphoma, he was can- cer-free. Conner, who underwent 12 chemotherapy treatments, took part in spring practice and has said he intends to be ready to play in the season opener vs. Villanova. DEFENSE The Panthers have a number of proven playmakers on this side of the ball. Strong safety Jordan Whitehead was the ACC Rookie of the Year after setting a Pitt freshman record with 109 tackles. Elsewhere, senior end Ejuan Price is back after making 19.5 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks last season, and senior middle linebacker Matt Galambos will be start- ing for the third consecutive season. Galambos set career-highs in tackles (88), tackles for loss (10) and sacks (five) last season. Converted wideout Elijah Zeise could also be a factor. Playing out- side linebacker in the spring game, Zeise had a game-high eight tackles. SPECIAL TEAMS One of the top kick- ers in school history, senior Chris Ble- witt is two points away from eclipsing Carson Long as the Panthers' all-time leading kick scorer. He hit 15 of 23 field goal attempts last year. Junior Ryan Winslow returns as punter. OUTLOOK Pat Narduzzi's first season as head coach was Pitt's winningest in five years, with victories over Virginia Tech and Duke and a near-miss against eventual Rose Bowl participant Iowa. The Panthers return 18 starters from that team, so they've got a chance to W E E K 1 KENT STATE 3 : 3 0 p. m . , S e p t . 3 @ B e av e r St a d i u m W E E K 2 PITTSBURGH N o o n , S e p t . 1 0 @ H e i n z F i e ld 2 0 1 6 P E N N S T A T E F O O T B A L L