With just two weeks until kickoff against Kent State, I thought it would be a good idea to check in with the Golden Flashes to see how they are progressing this Summer. The Golden Flashes began practice on Friday, August 2nd, and August 6th was the team’s first day in full pads. A full team scrimmage is scheduled for Saturday.

New coach

There’s always plenty for a Division I college football team to learn during the offseason, but even more so under a new head coach. That’s the situation Kent State finds themselves in this year under new head coach Paul Haynes. Add to the fact this is Haynes first ever head coaching job, and the Golden Flashes could be slow coming out of the gates this season. Haynes has been coaching football since 1993, but has only one year as a coordinator, last year at Arkansas. Prior to that, he spent most of his time as a defensive secondary coach.

Kent State head coach Paul Haynes

Question marks

The biggest question marks for Kent State entering the season are quarterback, offensive line, and linebacker. As of August 8th, quarterbacks David Fisher and Colin Reardon were splitting time with the first-team offense. Coach Haynes said that neither has taken a lead in the competition, and that he won’t have a great feel until after the team scrimmage on August 17th. Fisher is a 5th year senior, and has spent time at the University of Nevada and Palomar Community College. Fisher appeared in 9 games last season while completing 14 of 23 passes for 230 yards and 1 touchdown. Reardon is a redshirt-freshman.

On August 6th, coach Haynes addressed the offensive line and linebacker positions: “So far I think the offensive line is doing well. We are preaching toughness. They are getting there. We are working to develop depth there. With the linebacker position, we have three older guys back and that group is looking better. We have to develop depth, though, to determine which five or six guys will travel.”

One of Kent State’s returning starters on the offensive line, 5th-year senior guard Pat McShane, injured his knee last week and was carted off the field. No timetable has been given for his return, but the Flashes are already thin up front. After the injury, Haynes stated “the depth there is not good.”

Fundamentals, fundamentals, fundamentals

Apparently August 6th was a bad day at practice as coach Haynes had this to say afterwards: “right now we are not a very fundamentally sound football team. Fundamentals are the things that will win or lose a championship for us. We have a long way to go before our guys understand what it takes to win championships and not just get through practice.”

Kent State WR Tyshon Goode

Kent State is definitely a run-first team, and may be a run-first, second and third team if the passing game doesn’t straighten up. On August 9th’s practice, the offense had 12 dropped passes.

Goode healthy again

There have been numerous mentions during camp of senior wide receiver Tyshon Goode being back on the field after missing all of the 2012 season due to injury. He has 136 receptions, 1,814 yards, and 12 touchdowns in his career.

Unstoppable force

Dri Archer, Kent State’s unstoppable force, has a Heisman campaign complete with a twitter account and a comic strip. Coach Haynes on where Archer will play this season – “He’s returning punts for sure. In addition to being at running back and wide receiver just like last year, we want to think outside of the box also. Not necessarily with trick plays, but we’ll make some base plays where maybe he’s at different spots.”

Kick scrimmage

Kent State had a “kick scrimmage” on Saturday, August 10th. The Golden Flashes return one of the MAC’s best punters in sophomore Anthony Melchiori, but must replace kicker Freddy Cortez. Melchiori has added kickoffs and, at least, a portion of the field goal kicking duties to his ever expanding list of responsibilities. Kent State does have a redshirt-freshman kicker, Brad Miller, who the coaches are hoping will take some of Melchiori’s field-goal kicking duties.

Next week we will be in full Kent State preview mode, so be sure to check back frequently.