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Preview: Kent State (1-0) at Boston College (1-0)
Posted September 09, 2009
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FACTS & STATS: Site: Alumni Stadium (44,500) -- Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Television: None. Home Record: Kent St. 1-0, BC 1-0. Away Record: Kent St. 0-0, BC 0-0. Neutral Record: Kent St. 0-0, BC 0-0. Conference Record: Kent St. 0-0, BC 0-0. Series Record: Boston College leads, 1-0.

GAME NOTES: The Kent State Golden Flashes head to Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts to take on the Boston College Eagles in a non-conference tilt.

The Golden Flashes are searching for their first winning season since 2001. They got off to a decent start last week, posting an 18-0 shutout over Coastal Carolina. But BC presents a much stiffer challenge, as this will likely be Kent State's biggest road test of the year.

The Eagles also posted a shutout in their opener, only they also managed to put 54 points on the board against Northeastern last Saturday. The Eagles play four of their first five games at home, and they've got to take advantage of favorable matchups such as this one. Beginning with Clemson next Saturday, BC is looking at a pretty daunting slate of games over the next month or so.

This bout marks only the second meeting between these two schools on the gridiron. BC blanked the Flashes last season, 21-0, in Cleveland.

At Kent State, Giorgio Morgan is taking over for former leader Julian Edelman at quarterback. And as to be expected, there were some up and down moments from the redshirt sophomore. He completed 21-of-35 passes for 201 yards. But he also threw a pair of interceptions and was sacked three times, as he sometimes held on to the ball too long. Also, Kent State converted just 1- of-13 third downs. But running back Eugene Jarvis put the offense on his shoulders, rushing 27 times for 141 yards (5.2 ypc) and a touchdown. He also caught three passes for 30 yards. While Morgan gets himself acclimated in the passing game, the success of the offense will rest largely on Jarvis, who stands at just 5-5.

The KSU coaching staff is expecting big things this season from linebacker Cobrani Mixon, and the junior standout didn't disappoint against Coastal Carolina. He registered a game-high 12 tackles and was the central figure in holding the Chanticleers to just 185 yards of total offense. It was the first time in two years that Kent State held an opponent to fewer than 200 yards. It was also the program's first shutout in 15 years. For his efforts, Mixon was named the MAC East Division defensive player of the week.

The Boston College offense didn't take long to get going against Northeastern, as Montel Harris scored on a 48-yard run on the team's first play from scrimmage. Harris finished with 104 rushing yards and three touchdowns (one rec) in a short afternoon of work. Overall it was an impressive debut for new head coach Frank Spaziani, who was promoted from defensive coordinator when Jeff Jagodzinski was fired in January. But things weren't made too easy for him regarding the starting quarterback competition. In limited action, Justin Tuggle went 3-of-5 for 56 yards and a touchdown, while David Shinskie went 7- of-10 for 110 yards and a score.

Last year, BC boasted the nation's fifth-ranked defense in terms of yards allowed. Most of the starters return from that unit, except of course for the two biggest names. Defensive tackle B.J. Raji was a top-ten draft pick in the NFL Draft, while ACC Defensive Player of the Year Mark Herzlich is out for the season after being diagnosed with cancer. Luke Kuechly stepped up his game with seven tackles (1.5 TFL). As a team, the Eagles registered nine tackles for loss. They also scored on a safety and a punt return, and held Northeastern to five first downs and 131 yards of total offense. Of course, the Football Championship Subdivision Huskies don't reflect an accurate litmus test to gauge just how good the BC defense is.

Morgan will undoubtedly go through some growing pains as he learns the ropes of being a collegiate quarterback. Playing on the road against a fierce defense such as the Eagles, he is bound to experience some of those growing pains Saturday afternoon.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Boston College 41, Kent State 13


 
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Boston College

Kent State

Jeff Jagodzinski
  Boston College Head Coach