The wrath of the Mohawk worked a second week in a row for the Kent State football team as it defeated Temple Saturday.

The Mohawk, of course, being the hairdo of choice by Kent State quarterback Julian Edelman and his offensive line ever since the win against Akron.

With the 28-17 victory, Kent State got its first non-conference road win since 1987, and its first non-conference win under Doug Martin.

But to be blunt, Temple is no envious victory. The loss brings the Owls to a Division I-A high, 18 straight losses. The game gave the Flashes a taste of what to expect next year when Temple will join the Mid-American Conference. Unless the Owls improve, it could mean an extra conference win a year for their MAC opponents.

Despite coming away with a victory, Kent State didn’t play much better than it did in its loss to Minnesota.

The biggest complaint comes from the slow start on the part of the Flashes. The Owls scored on their first possession after just three plays, all runs by running back Tim Brown. The touchdown came off a 31-yard run from Brown.

A potentially remarkable rushing day by Brown was hampered when an injury took him out of the game.

Kent State eventually nudged out a four-point lead in the second quarter, which it had a chance to extend just before halftime. With excellent field position followed by an Edelman pass that took them to the one-yard line, the Flashes looked to be in good shape to score. But through reckless penalties and poor special teams, Kent State came away with nothing.

Unfortunately, getting into the red zone and not scoring is becoming a familiar theme for the Flashes.

I doubt Martin is particularly proud of the way his team played. Garnering 11 penalties for a loss of 75 yards leaves much to be desired. One could make the claim that Kent State stooped to the level of its opponent. If the Flashes play this way next week against Toledo, you can expect their four-game winning streak to come to an end.

But for all the rips and complaints on its play, Kent State did what it was supposed to do. It wasn’t a work of art, but a win is a win.

Many of Kent State’s starters sat out a good portion of the game. There’s something to be said when a team’s back-ups can win a game.

Kent State running back Eugene Jarvis wasn’t used Saturday and running back Tony Howard was out most of the second half.

This left the rushing void to be filled by Jon Drager, a junior who has had two separate knee surgeries during his college career.

While Drager is listed third on the depth chart, you wouldn’t know it from his play. He showed that the Flashes are deep in the rushing game, as he went on his way to 84 yards from 18 carries and two touchdowns.

Even the best teams forget to bring their A-game on occasion. A great team manages to win even when it plays badly, and that is what the Flashes did Saturday.

Contact assistant sports editor Sean Ammerman at [email protected].