Sacramento State Beats Kent State 31-10 for Its First MAC Win as Five Late Flashes Turnovers Seal It

Kent State flew across the country riding the momentum of a Wagon Wheel win over Akron. It left California with a loss. Sacramento State scored the final 25 points of the game and beat the Golden Flashes 31-10 on Friday night at Hornet Stadium, the first Mid-American Conference win in Sacramento State’s history.

Kent State vs. Sacramento State: final score

Final: Sacramento State 31, Kent State 10. Scoring by quarter, per Kent State’s official game center:

It was the first meeting between the programs. Kent State fell to 3-6 overall and 2-3 in the MAC, the AP reported. Sacramento State, in its first season in the Football Bowl Subdivision after moving from the Big Sky to the MAC, improved to 2-7 and 1-5 and snapped a six-game losing streak.

How it happened

• Fast start for Kent State. Dru DeShields hit Wayne Harris near midfield, and Harris turned it into a 92-yard touchdown for a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter, according to the AP.
• Halftime: Kent State 10, Sacramento State 6. Tommy Newcomb kicked a 29-yard field goal as time expired in the first half.
• Ene takes over. Freshman running back Isaiah Ene broke one tackle near the 30 and juked another defender inside the 20 on a 35-yard touchdown run, then ran in the 2-point conversion for a 17-10 lead with 2:58 left in the third quarter. The AP said it was Sacramento State’s first second-half lead against an FBS opponent this season.
• The pick-six. Donovan Turner returned an interception 36 yards for a touchdown to make it a 14-point game with 9:04 left.
• The collapse. That interception was the first of five straight Kent State possessions ending in a turnover, including one on downs, the AP reported. Miles Bailey recovered two DeShields fumbles, forced by Xavier Williams’ strip-sack and Fata Puloka’s punch-out, before Malikai Nichols’ first career interception with 1:55 left.

Key stats

From Kent State’s game center:

• Kent State: 302 total yards (209 passing, 93 rushing), 15 first downs, 4 of 13 on third down
• Sacramento State: 278 total yards (117 passing, 161 rushing), 16 first downs
• Time of possession: Sacramento State 34:47, Kent State 25:13
• Penalties: Sacramento State 10 for 89 yards, Kent State 6 for 46

Leaders

• Isaiah Ene (Sac State): career-high 107 rushing yards on 19 carries, two touchdowns, per the AP
• Wayne Harris (Kent State): 122 receiving yards, including the 92-yard score
• Dru DeShields (Kent State): listed at 190 passing yards and 43 rushing yards on the game center; he lost two fumbles in the fourth quarter, per the AP
• Jackson Sharman (Sac State): 117 passing yards

Why it stings for Kent State

The Flashes came in at 3-5 and 2-2 in the MAC after beating Akron 35-20 for the Wagon Wheel, Kent State Athletics said in its preview. They were facing a Sacramento State defense that had allowed 32.9 points per game, 127th nationally, and a team that had lost 14 turnovers on the season. Instead, it was Kent State that gave the ball away late.

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