Graduate student quarterback Dustin Crum won the Vern Smith Leadership Award given to the Mid-American Conference’s Player of the Year. 

Crum is the first KSU player to win the award since 1987, when running back Eric Wilkerson took home the honor. 

The dual-threat quarterback was also named to the All-Conference first team for the second consecutive year. Crum is third in the MAC with 2,794 passing yards and has 15 touchdowns while only throwing four interceptions. He has completed 65 percent of his passes this season.

Crum was the MAC’s best running quarterback, rushing for 565 yards and tying the team-high with 11 rushing touchdowns. 

Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Dante Cephas received First Team All-MAC honors after becoming the first Flash to have over 1,000 receiving yards since 1997.

Cephas has a team-leading 1,022 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. He is third in the MAC in yards and fourth in touchdowns. 

Fifth-year cornerback Elvis Hines was the other Kent State player to receive First Team All-MAC honors. He is tied for third in the conference in possesses defended with 13. He is fifth on the team in total tackles with 57, including two for a loss. 

Senior left tackle Bill Kuduk was named to the All-Conference second team and senior right guard Nathan Monnin was named to the third team for their roles in helping KSU become the third best running team in the FBS at 247 yards per game. Crum was sacked just 14 times in MAC play. 

Sophomore running back Marquez Cooper received Second Team All-MAC honors. He is the first Flashes’ running back since 2012 to rush for over 1,000 yards, finishing third in the MAC with 1,075 yards and 11 touchdowns. He averaged over 100 yards per game in conference play, and he averaged 5.1 yards per run this season. 

Freshman kicker Andrew Glass was named to the All-Conference third team. He made 19 field goals, tied for first in the MAC, and he went 43-of-43 on extra points. He became the sixth Flash to top 100 points in a single season. 

Glass also became an expert in limiting kick off returns, allowing just 15 yards per kick, which ranks seventh in the FBS. 

The Flashes will take on Northern Illinois in the MAC Championship Game on Saturday at Ford Field in Detroit. Kickoff is at noon, and the game will be broadcasted on ESPN.

Jimmy Oswald is a sports editor. Contact him at [email protected].