2012 Kent State Golden Flashes football team

The 2012 Kent State Golden Flashes football team represented Kent State University in the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by second-year head coach Darrell Hazell and played their home games at Dix Stadium as a member of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference.

2012 Kent State Golden Flashes football
MAC East Division champion
MAC Championship Game, L 37–44 ^2OT vs. Northern Illinois
GoDaddy.com Bowl, L 13–17 vs. Arkansas State
Conference	Mid-American Conference
Division	East Division
2012 record	11–3 (8–0 MAC)
Head coach	Darrell Hazell (2nd season)
Offensive coordinator	Brian Rock
Defensive coordinator	Jon Heacock
Home stadium	Dix Stadium (Capacity: 25,319)

2012 Mid-American Conference football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
East Division
Kent State x		8	–	0					11	–	3
Bowling Green		6	–	2					8	–	5
Ohio		4	–	4					9	–	4
Buffalo		3	–	5					4	–	8
Miami		3	–	5					4	–	8
UMass		1	–	7					1	–	11
Akron		0	–	8					1	–	11
West Division
No. 22 Northern Illinois x$		8	–	0					12	–	2
Toledo		6	–	2					9	–	4
Ball State		6	–	2					9	–	4
Central Michigan		4	–	4					7	–	6
Western Michigan		2	–	6					4	–	8
Eastern Michigan		1	–	7					2	–	10
Championship: Northern Illinois 44, Kent State 37
$ – Conference champion and BCS representative as top non-AQ school to meet automatic qualification criteria x – Division champion/co-champions UMass not eligible for conference title or bowl game as part of FBS transition Rankings from AP Poll

The Flashes had their most successful season since their MAC championship season of 1972, winning the MAC East outright with an 8–0 record, and made it to the MAC Championship game where they lost, 44–37, to Northern Illinois in double-overtime. The team peaked at #18 in the BCS polls, finishing the regular season at #25. Kent State earned their first bowl bid since 1972, and played in the GoDaddy.com Bowl against Arkansas State. The Golden Flashes were defeated by the Red Wolves, 17–13.

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 30	7:00 PM	No. 7 (FCS) Towson*		Dix Stadium Kent, OH	ESPN3	W 41–21	15,121
September 8	7:30 PM	at Kentucky*		Commonwealth Stadium Lexington, KY	CSS/ESPN3	L 14–47	48,346
September 19	7:00 PM	at Buffalo		University at Buffalo Stadium Amherst, NY	ESPNU	W 23–7	14,373
September 29	12:00 PM	Ball State		Dix Stadium Kent, OH	CSS/ESPN+	W 45–43	21,657
October 6	1:00 PM	at Eastern Michigan		Rynearson Stadium Ypsilanti, MI		W 41–14	6,011
October 13	12:00 PM	at Army*		Michie Stadium West Point, NY	CBSSN	W 31–17	30,022
October 20	3:30 PM	Western Michigan		Dix Stadium Kent, OH		W 41–24	16,128
October 27	3:30 PM	at No. 18 Rutgers*		High Point Solutions Stadium Piscataway, NJ	SNY	W 35–23	49,345
November 3	2:00 PM	Akron		Dix Stadium Kent, OH (Battle for the Wagon Wheel)	STO	W 35–24	18,265
November 10	1:00 PM	at Miami (OH)		Yager Stadium Oxford, OH		W 48–32	13,301
November 17	12:00 PM	at Bowling Green	No. 25	Doyt Perry Stadium Bowling Green, OH (Battle for the Anniversary Award)	ESPN+	W 31–24	16,002
November 23	11:00 AM	Ohio	No. 23	Dix Stadium Kent, OH	ESPNU	W 28–6	18,230
November 30	7:00 PM	vs. No. 19 Northern Illinois	No. 18	Ford Field Detroit, MI (MAC Championship Game)	ESPN2	L 37–44 ^2OT	18,132
January 6	9:00 PM	vs. Arkansas State*	No. 25	Ladd–Peebles Stadium Mobile, AL (GoDaddy.com Bowl)	ESPN	L 13–17	37,913
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

• Source: Schedule

Rankings

See also: 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.
NR = Not ranked. RV = Received votes. т = Tied with team above or below. ( ) = First place votes.

	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Final
AP	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	RV	RV	25	23	18	25	NR
Coaches	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	RV	RV	RV	25	19	RV	RV
Harris	Not released						NR	NR	NR	RV	RV	RV	25	18	23	Not released
BCS	Not released							NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	23	17	25	Not released

Game summaries

Towson

	1	2	3	4	Total
Tigers	0	7	0	14	21
Golden Flashes	17	10	7	7	41

See also: 2012 Towson Tigers football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
First meeting

This game is notable for a play that happened in the last minute of the second quarter. Kent State punted from the 50-yard line, and the ball touched, but was not caught by, Towson's returner, Derrick Joseph. It hit the ground and was recovered at the 7-yard line by Kent State linebacker Andre Parker, who then ran 58 yards the wrong way before two Towson players tackled him. However, a muffed punt cannot be advanced (or retreated) so Kent State simply took possession of the ball at the 7-yard line for the remainder of the half, and kicked a field goal before it ended.[1]

@ Kentucky

	1	2	3	4	Total
Golden Flashes	0	7	0	7	14
Wildcats	0	17	16	14	47

See also: 2012 Kentucky Wildcats football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
0–6	2007	UK, 56–20

@ Buffalo

	1	2	3	4	Total
Golden Flashes	0	10	3	10	23
Bulls	0	7	0	0	7

See also: 2012 Buffalo Bulls football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
9–9	2009	BUF, 9–6

Ball State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	0	13	13	17	43
Golden Flashes	0	21	14	10	45

See also: 2012 Ball State Cardinals football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
6–19	2010	KENT, 33–14

@ Eastern Michigan

	1	2	3	4	Total
Golden Flashes	3	14	21	3	41
Eagles	0	7	0	7	14

See also: 2012 Eastern Michigan Eagles football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
16–13	2011	KENT, 28–22

@ Army

	1	2	3	4	Total
Golden Flashes	0	14	10	7	31
Black Knights	0	0	3	14	17

See also: 2012 Army Black Knights football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
0–2	2010	ARMY, 45–28

Western Michigan

	1	2	3	4	Total
Broncos	7	3	14	0	24
Golden Flashes	7	10	7	17	41

See also: 2012 Western Michigan Broncos football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
18–33–1	2010	WMU, 38–3

@ #15 Rutgers

	1	2	3	4	Total
Golden Flashes	7	14	7	7	35
#15 Scarlet Knights	3	7	7	6	23

See also: 2012 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
0–2	2007	RUTG, 29–21

Akron

	1	2	3	4	Total
Zips	14	10	0	0	24
Golden Flashes	0	14	14	7	35

See also: 2012 Akron Zips football team and Wagon Wheel (trophy)

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
22–30–2	2011	KENT, 35–3

@ Miami (OH)

	1	2	3	4	Total
Golden Flashes	21	14	3	10	48
RedHawks	0	10	8	14	32

See also: 2012 Miami RedHawks football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
13–46	2009	MIAOH, 9–3

@ Bowling Green

	1	2	3	4	Total
#25 Golden Flashes	0	10	7	14	31
Falcons	0	10	7	7	24

See also: 2012 Bowling Green Falcons football team and Battle for the Anniversary Award

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
18–55–6	2011	KENT, 27–15

Ohio

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bobcats	3	3	0	0	6
#23 Golden Flashes	21	0	0	7	28

See also: 2012 Ohio Bobcats football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
24–38–2	2011	OHIO, 17–10

#19 Northern Illinois (MAC Championship Game)

	1	2	3	4	OT	2OT	Total
#19 Huskies	3	14	10	7	3	7	44
#18 Golden Flashes	10	0	3	21	3	0	37

See also: 2012 Northern Illinois Huskies football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
16–3	2011	NIU, 40–10

Arkansas State (GoDaddy.com Bowl)

	1	2	3	4	Total
Golden Flashes	0	10	3	0	13
Red Wolves	0	14	3	0	17

See also: 2013 GoDaddy.com Bowl and 2012 Arkansas State Red Wolves football team

Overall record	Last meeting	Result
First meeting

References

1. http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8320884/kent-state-golden-flashes-andre-parker-wrong-way-run-grabs-attention