Jack Williams is convinced it is Kent State's year to finally do the unthinkable and steal a game on the road against a big-time BCS opponent.
Other contenders in the Mid-American Conference's East Division have done it during the senior cornerback's college career, so why can't his Golden Flashes?
When Williams was a freshman in 2003, he watched highlights of Ohio University pulling off one of those improbable wins at Kentucky, "and then last year we saw Akron win one (at North Carolina State)," said Williams. "That made everyone on the team think it can definitely happen."
Kent State may find its best chance in 20 years to upset a team from one of college-football's "major" conferences when the Golden Flashes open the 2007 season tonight in Big-12 country against Iowa State.
The last time Kent State won a game like this on the road was way back in 1987 when they stunned the University of Kansas. But coming off a hope-inspiring 6-6 season in 2006 that installed them as one of the favorites to win the MAC East, the Flashes head to Ames, Ia., as a slim 3-point underdog against the Cyclones.
Clearly, Vegas odds-makers would not be shocked by a benchmark Kent State win that would prove the Golden Flashes have finally arrived and potentially jump start a run at a league title.
"Every year we go out and play one of these big teams, and you definitely want to get a victory against one of these BCS schools before (graduating)," said Williams. "We want to get a big game like this under our belt. Our goal is to have a winning record out of conference, and three of those four games are against BCS schools (Iowa State, Kentucky and Ohio State). So that shows how much confidence we have in ourselves this season."
So, what would it take to make a win at Iowa State a reality?
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KEYS FOR KENT STATE
Usually, beating one of the big boys from the BCS means stopping the run.
"It all starts there," said Kent State head coach Doug Martin. "When we start gameplanning on defense, it always starts with stopping the run. If you can make a team one-dimensional, you have got a much better chance of winning any football game."
Iowa State is not the typical Big 12 team, however, in that they don't have a classic smash-mouth rushing attack. Their running-back-by-committee is led by a junior named Jason Scales, who totalled just 176 yards in an injury-plagued 2006 season. He will share carries with a former junior-college all-American in J.J. Bass and a raw freshman in Alexander Ross.
First-year head coach Gene Chizik insists his Cyclones are dedicated to running the football, but in reality the Flashes are more likely to see plenty of four-wide-receiver sets.
"When we break them down on film, it looks like their most talented position group is wide receiver," said Martin. "I expect them to try and get a lot of wide receivers on the field and spread the ball around."
Iowa State's two most dangerous weapons are quarterback Bret Meyer, a senior who is No. 1 among returning college football quarterbacks with 7,979 career yards of total offense, and his No. 1 receiver, senior Todd Blythe.
"Meyer is a very mobile quarterback who can hurt you in a lot of ways," said Martin. "Blythe is also a tough match up because of his size."
At 6-foot-5, Blythe is a tough assignment for any cornerback. Despite an 8-inch height deficit, Williams is looking forward to the challenge. He knows the tape of Thursday night's game is the first one pro scouts will study to see if Williams is a candidate for the NFL Draft in 2008.
"Playing against guys like this will help me in the future," said Williams. "I'd like to play football after this, so any competition that is above the rest will help me."
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KEYS FOR IOWA STATE
On the other sideline, Iowa State seems intent on slowing down athletic Kent State quarterback Julian Edelman, who returns from off-season shoulder surgery to find himself listed as one of 35 quarterbacks on the watch list for the Davey O' Brien National Quarterback Award.
"Their offense has some very explosive guys," said Chizik. "The quarterback is very athletic. The tailback is small but very shifty. A waterbug-type guy."
That shifty little tailback, Eugene Jarvis, made the trip to Iowa State but is not expected to play because of a foot injury. With Jarvis likely to sit out, the Flashes running-back duties should fall to a combination of senior Jon Drager and recently-converted sophomore wide receiver Darren Rogers. And while the Flashes would like Edelman to focus more on throwing than running in 2007, Jarvis' absence could make the 5-foot-10 quarterback the focus of the running attack at Iowa State.
"There are things you can do in your game plan right now to make sure that when the pocket gets broken and he's ad libbling, which he does a lot and does well, you have someone in the area to bring him down," said Chizik.
Iowa State doesn't boast the same talent on defense that Chizik mentored when he was defensive coordinator at Texas, but senior Alvin Bowen brings speed from his outside linebacker position to chase Edelman sideline-to-sideline.
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UPSET POTENTIAL?
If Edelman runs free against an Iowa State defense that has given up plenty of points in the past -- just look at last year's slim 45-43 win over Toledo in the season opener -- Chizik knows Kent State has the ability to pull off the upset.
"The MAC is a great football conference, now," said Chizik. "They will raise up and they will beat a Big 12 school, it happened last year. Somebody from the MAC will raise up and beat somebody from the SEC, they'll raise up and beat somebody from the ACC. It happens every year. So this is really good football."
Other contenders in the Mid-American Conference's East Division have done it during the senior cornerback's college career, so why can't his Golden Flashes?
When Williams was a freshman in 2003, he watched highlights of Ohio University pulling off one of those improbable wins at Kentucky, "and then last year we saw Akron win one (at North Carolina State)," said Williams. "That made everyone on the team think it can definitely happen."
Kent State may find its best chance in 20 years to upset a team from one of college-football's "major" conferences when the Golden Flashes open the 2007 season tonight in Big-12 country against Iowa State.
The last time Kent State won a game like this on the road was way back in 1987 when they stunned the University of Kansas. But coming off a hope-inspiring 6-6 season in 2006 that installed them as one of the favorites to win the MAC East, the Flashes head to Ames, Ia., as a slim 3-point underdog against the Cyclones.
Clearly, Vegas odds-makers would not be shocked by a benchmark Kent State win that would prove the Golden Flashes have finally arrived and potentially jump start a run at a league title.
"Every year we go out and play one of these big teams, and you definitely want to get a victory against one of these BCS schools before (graduating)," said Williams. "We want to get a big game like this under our belt. Our goal is to have a winning record out of conference, and three of those four games are against BCS schools (Iowa State, Kentucky and Ohio State). So that shows how much confidence we have in ourselves this season."
So, what would it take to make a win at Iowa State a reality?
*
KEYS FOR KENT STATE
Usually, beating one of the big boys from the BCS means stopping the run.
"It all starts there," said Kent State head coach Doug Martin. "When we start gameplanning on defense, it always starts with stopping the run. If you can make a team one-dimensional, you have got a much better chance of winning any football game."
Iowa State is not the typical Big 12 team, however, in that they don't have a classic smash-mouth rushing attack. Their running-back-by-committee is led by a junior named Jason Scales, who totalled just 176 yards in an injury-plagued 2006 season. He will share carries with a former junior-college all-American in J.J. Bass and a raw freshman in Alexander Ross.
First-year head coach Gene Chizik insists his Cyclones are dedicated to running the football, but in reality the Flashes are more likely to see plenty of four-wide-receiver sets.
"When we break them down on film, it looks like their most talented position group is wide receiver," said Martin. "I expect them to try and get a lot of wide receivers on the field and spread the ball around."
Iowa State's two most dangerous weapons are quarterback Bret Meyer, a senior who is No. 1 among returning college football quarterbacks with 7,979 career yards of total offense, and his No. 1 receiver, senior Todd Blythe.
"Meyer is a very mobile quarterback who can hurt you in a lot of ways," said Martin. "Blythe is also a tough match up because of his size."
At 6-foot-5, Blythe is a tough assignment for any cornerback. Despite an 8-inch height deficit, Williams is looking forward to the challenge. He knows the tape of Thursday night's game is the first one pro scouts will study to see if Williams is a candidate for the NFL Draft in 2008.
"Playing against guys like this will help me in the future," said Williams. "I'd like to play football after this, so any competition that is above the rest will help me."
*
KEYS FOR IOWA STATE
On the other sideline, Iowa State seems intent on slowing down athletic Kent State quarterback Julian Edelman, who returns from off-season shoulder surgery to find himself listed as one of 35 quarterbacks on the watch list for the Davey O' Brien National Quarterback Award.
"Their offense has some very explosive guys," said Chizik. "The quarterback is very athletic. The tailback is small but very shifty. A waterbug-type guy."
That shifty little tailback, Eugene Jarvis, made the trip to Iowa State but is not expected to play because of a foot injury. With Jarvis likely to sit out, the Flashes running-back duties should fall to a combination of senior Jon Drager and recently-converted sophomore wide receiver Darren Rogers. And while the Flashes would like Edelman to focus more on throwing than running in 2007, Jarvis' absence could make the 5-foot-10 quarterback the focus of the running attack at Iowa State.
"There are things you can do in your game plan right now to make sure that when the pocket gets broken and he's ad libbling, which he does a lot and does well, you have someone in the area to bring him down," said Chizik.
Iowa State doesn't boast the same talent on defense that Chizik mentored when he was defensive coordinator at Texas, but senior Alvin Bowen brings speed from his outside linebacker position to chase Edelman sideline-to-sideline.
*
UPSET POTENTIAL?
If Edelman runs free against an Iowa State defense that has given up plenty of points in the past -- just look at last year's slim 45-43 win over Toledo in the season opener -- Chizik knows Kent State has the ability to pull off the upset.
"The MAC is a great football conference, now," said Chizik. "They will raise up and they will beat a Big 12 school, it happened last year. Somebody from the MAC will raise up and beat somebody from the SEC, they'll raise up and beat somebody from the ACC. It happens every year. So this is really good football."
