Kent State University's magical football season very nearly wrote a new chapter on Friday night.
Playing for the school's first Mid-American Conference championship in 40 years, it took double-overtime for the Northern Illinois Huskies to dismiss the Golden Flashes before eventually winning 44-37.
The loss, however, does not negate a bowl opportunity for KSU. The Flashes (11-2, 8-1 MAC), whose last bowl appearance came in 1972, will officially learn their bowl fate in an announcement made on Sunday by the NCAA. ESPN will broadcast a live bowl announcement show on Sunday at 8:30 p.m. According to a Kent State athletic official, no watch party is planned in Kent for the bowl announcement.
As for Friday's title game, Kent State jumped out to an early 10-0 first-quarter lead. However, Northern Illinois (12-0, 9-0 MAC) scored the game's next 17 points for a 17-10 halftime lead.
The Huskies then built a two-touchdown lead before the Flashes stormed back to force a tie at 27-27 and put the game into OT. In the second OT, the Huskies scored a TD and the Flashes' answer was intercepted in the end zone on fourth down.
KSU's 11 wins are a single-season school record.
Comments