For the first time in over 700 days, the Kent State football team emerged victorious from its contest, taking down Merrimack College 21-17. This marks the first win in the Mark Carney era for the Flashes.
KSU starts the season fresh at 1-0 (0-0), while Merrimack will begin the 2025 campaign at 0-1 (0-0).
Merrimack led 17-14 with 5:40 left on the clock in the fourth quarter before junior wide receiver Da’Realyst Clark took the following kickoff to the end zone to give the Flashes the lead in stunning fashion. As Clark parted the Warriors’ kicking unit, the collective agony and despair that had once consumed Dix Stadium during the winless streak had turned to a shared euphoria among Flashes’ players, coaches and fans as they joined in an uproar.
Redshirt senior quarterback CJ Montes provided more than serviceable play in his first time under center for the Flashes, going 6/9 for 118 yards and one touchdown. Montes spent the game splitting snaps with redshirt freshman Dru DeShields, who threw 6/9 for 91 yards and one touchdown.
The Flashes’ leading receiver was redshirt freshman Cade Wolford. He hauled in two catches for 109 yards and two touchdowns. Wolford’s first touchdown reception, a 30-yard catch, gave the Flashes the lead late in the second quarter before breaking off 79 79-yard touchdown reception to put KSU up 14-3 in the third quarter.
The running game was the bulk of the Flashes’ offense, with redshirt junior Gavin Garcia leading the team with 49 yards on 15 carries.
On defense, the Flashes were daunting, especially on third down, holding Merrimack to 3/14 conversions. The team held the opposition to just 340 total yards of offense on the day.
On special teams, Kent State senior kicker Will Hryszko missed his only field goal attempt but converted all PAT opportunities.
Following the win, the Flashes will travel to Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas, on Sept. 6 to take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
Gage Wellman is a reporter. Contact him at [email protected] or @GageWellmanKSTV on X.
Evan Schofield is a KSTV reporter. Contact him at [email protected].
