The Kent State Golden Flashes represent the Kent State University in the NCAA Division I-Bowl Subdivision college football tournament, currently affiliated with the East Division of the Mid-American Conference. Kent State's football program got underway in 1920, when the team was still Independent, finishing its first season with a 1-2-0 win-loss-tie record. Kent State's football program did not enjoy early success and in fact, registered a string of 16 consecutive losing seasons since its inception. Not even the team's admission into the Ohio Athletic Conference in 1930, and its elevation to NCAA College Division (Small College) level, helped the team improve and play consistently. Coach Donald Starn though was able to guide the Golden Flashes to several winning seasons during his tenure as the head football coach, reaching a peak during the 1940 season when the team had an 8-1 record. In 1951, Kent State was admitted into the Mid-American Athletic Conference as an expansion but the Golden Flashes didn't do too well in its MAC debut with only a 4-3-2 record to show. But the team showed steady improvement in the ensuing years, culminating in the 1954 season when the Golden Flashes reached the 8 win mark for the first time since 1940. The team would go on and play to its first ever postseason Bowl Game, facing Delaware in the Refrigerator Bowl which the team eventually lost. In 1962, KSU was elevated into NCAA University Division (Major College) status.
In 1972, after finishing the season with a 6-5-1 record, the Golden Flashes were awarded with its first ever conference title, the Mid-American Athletic Conference Championship, under Coach Don James. The team was then invited to the Tangerine Bowl, but faced another setback at the hands of Tampa, 18-21. Despite the loss, KSU had already made a statement regarding the team's capability to play with the best, and so by 1973, Kent State was "promoted" into NCAA Division I level. From 1978-81 the team played as a Division I-A squad and turned out successive losing seasons. In 1982, KSU's football program took a dive as the team was relegated as a Division I-AA school and even suffered a horrendous 0-11 record, the team's first winless season since 1932. Fortunately the team reclaimed its Division I-A status in 1983 and despite not turning out many winning seasons, the Golden Flashes has produced several marquee players who are now in the pros or are involved with other college football teams, including future NFL great Jack Lambert and Alabama coach Nick Saban.
Kent State goes head-to-head with rival team Akron of which winner receives the Wagon Wheel Trophy. The two teams have faced since 1946 and has been battling each other annually since 1972. The Golden Flashes currently trail the series 20-27-1.
Kent State Golden Flashes 2008 Roster
| No. | Name | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Yr. | Hometown (Prev. School)
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| 1 | Julian Edelman | QB | 6-0 | 198 | Sr. | Redwood City, Calif. (College of San Mateo) (Woodside)
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| 1 | Will Johnson | DB | 6-0 | 200 | So. | Greenbelt, Md. (Hargrave Academy) (Gwinn Park)
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| 3 | Derek McBryde | WR | 5-11 | 186 | Jr. | Cleveland, Ohio (Glenville)
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| 3 | Adam Richey | DB | 5-10 | 186 | Jr. | Nicholasville, Ky. (East Jessamine) (Kentucky)
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| 4 | Shawn Bayes | WR | 5-10 | 181 | Sr. | Memphis, Tenn. (Craigmont)
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| 5 | Jon Brown | QB | 5-10 | 195 | Jr. | Westlake, Ohio (Westlake)
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| 5 | Stevon Moss | LB | 5-11 | 230 | Sr. | Hampton, Va. (Phoebus)
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| 6 | Eugene Jarvis | RB | 5-5 | 170 | Jr. | Pittsburgh, Pa. (Central Catholic)
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| 7 | Rocco Colavecchia | RB | 6-2 | 220 | RFr. | Wampum, Pa. (Shenango Area)
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| 7 | Rico Murray | DB | 6-0 | 196 | Sr. | Cincinnati, Ohio (Archbishop Moeller)
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| 8 | Corey Cox | DB | 5-8 | 159 | So. | Denver, Co (Tulsa) (J.K. Mullen)
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| 9 | Phil Garner | WR | 5-11 | 182 | Jr. | Coral Springs, Fla. (St. Thomas Aquinas)
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| 10 | Coleman Lynn | WR | 5-7 | 165 | Jr. | College Park, Ga. (Tri-Cities)
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| 11 | Anthony Capasso | WR | 5-10 | 183 | RFr. | Columbia Station, OH (St. Edward)
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| 12 | Sam Kirkland | DB | 6-1 | 188 | RFr. | Chesapeake, Va. (Deep Creek)
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| 12 | Anthony Magazu | QB | 6-3 | 196 | Jr. | Matthews, N.C. (Providence)
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| 13 | Leneric Muldrow | WR | 5-8 | 172 | So. | Greenville, S.C. (Rose)
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| 14 | Giorgio Morgan | QB | 6-4 | 200 | So. | East Pointe, GA (Tri-Cities)
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| 16 | Mark Woodson | WR | 5-11 | 181 | Sr. | Shaker Heights, Ohio (Shaker Heights)
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| 18 | Markus Burton | LB | 6-3 | 200 | RFr. | Columbus, Ohio (Beechcroft)
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| 18 | Andrew Hill | DB | 6-0 | 205 | RFr. | Tallmadge, Ohio (Tallmadge)
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| 19 | Derek Burrell | LB | 6-2 | 240 | 5Sr. | Richmond, Va. (Hargrave Academy) (James River)
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| 20 | Kenneth Watley, Jr. | DB | 5-9 | 160 | RFr. | Cleveland, Ohio (Glenville)
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| 21 | Danny Sadler | DB | 5-10 | 181 | Jr. | Maple Heights, Ohio (Maple Heights)
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| 23 | Dalton Memel | DL | 6-2 | 285 | Sr. | Washington, W.Va. (Parkersburg South)
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| 24 | Jonathan Simpson | TE | 6-5 | 225 | So. | Chatham, Va. (Nansemond River/Hargrave Academy)
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| 25 | Andre Flowers | RB | 5-11 | 200 | So. | Ridgely, Tennessee (Dyer County)
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| 25 | Brian Hummer | DB | 5-10 | 181 | RFr. | Napoleon, Ohio (Napoleon)
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| 26 | Jameson Konz | LB | 6-3 | 222 | Sr. | Uniontown, Ohio (Lake)
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| 27 | Greg Keys | RB | 6-1 | 215 | Jr. | Sandusky, Ohio (Bellevue)
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| 28 | Lester Troutman | DL | 6-2 | 216 | Jr. | Dayton, Ohio (Chaminade-Julienne)
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| 29 | J.J. Pankewicz | DB | 5-7 | 198 | RFr. | Austintown, Ohio (Austintown)
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| 30 | Joe Tymosczuk | LB | 6-1 | 233 | So. | Solon, Ohio (Solon)
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| 31 | Brian Lainhart | DB | 6-1 | 197 | So. | Cincinnati, Ohio (Colerain)
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| 32 | Alan Vanderink | WR | 5-10 | 185 | So. | Hiram, OH (Crestwood)
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| 33 | Cobrani Mixon | LB | 6-1 | 230 | So. | Cincinnati, Ohio (Colerain)
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| 34 | Howard Bowens | LB | 6-0 | 215 | So. | LaVerne, Calif. (Claremont)
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| 35 | Will Kandray | K/P | 5-10 | 170 | So. | Youngstown, Ohio (Cardinal Mooney)
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| 35 | Dorian Wood | LB | 6-1 | 224 | So. | Austell, Ga. (South Cobb)
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| 36 | Jamar Cromwell | RB | 5-8 | 189 | RFr. | Pittsburgh, Pa. (Schenley)
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| 37 | Kirk Belgrave | DB | 6-1 | 197 | Jr. | Norfolk, Va. (Granby)
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| 38 | Dan Hartman | DB | 6-2 | 200 | So. | Leavittsburg, Ohio (LaBrae)
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| 39 | Vondre Griffin | DB | 5-10 | 175 | So. | Swissvale, Pa. (Woodland Hills)
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| 39 | Joe Lynch | DB | 5-11 | 168 | Fr. | Coral Springs, Fla. (Coral Springs)
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| 42 | Kevin Mulvany | K | 5-10 | 218 | RFr. | Grove City, OH (Grove City)
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| 44 | Byron Tyson | LB | 5-11 | 207 | RFr. | Greenville, N.C. (J.H. Rose)
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| 45 | Ja'Darrin Bell | DB | 6-1 | 193 | So. | Ellenwood, Ga. (Decatur)
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| 46 | Patrick Kelley | LB | 5-11 | 215 | So. | Youngstown, Ohio (Cardinal Mooney)
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| 47 | Jake Kilroy | P | 5-11 | 210 | Jr. | Millersburg, Ohio (West Holmes)
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| 48 | Quinton Rainey | DL | 5-11 | 245 | So. | Virginia Beach, Va. (Landstown)
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| 49 | Monte Simmons | DE | 6-3 | 220 | So. | Swissvale, Pa. (Woodland Hills)
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| 49 | Calvin Taylor | DB | 6-1 | 190 | Jr. | Akron, Ohio (St. Vincent-St. Mary)
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| 51 | Anthony Mirando | LB | 6-2 | 239 | Jr. | Jefferson, Ohio (Jefferson Area)
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| 52 | David Filippi | DL | 6-3 | 246 | 5Sr. | Dover, Ohio (Dover)
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| 53 | Damian Matuschek | OL | 6-3 | 280 | Sr. | Penn Hills, Pa. (Pittsburgh) (Penn Hills)
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| 54 | Cadrick Maxwell | LB | 5-10 | 220 | 5Sr. | Tampa, Fla. (Tampa Bay Tech)
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| 56 | Augustus Parrish | OL | 6-5 | 305 | Sr. | Temple Hills, Md. (Potomac)
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| 63 | Alex Thomasson | LS | 6-0 | 191 | RFr. | Maumee, Ohio (Maumee)
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| 66 | Travis McGraw | OL | 6-5 | 305 | 5Sr. | Silver Spring, Md. (Hargrave Academy [Va.]) (Wheaton)
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| 67 | Aaron Hull | DL | 6-0 | 280 | Jr. | Goldvein, Va. (Liberty)
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| 69 | Michael Fay | OL | 6-4 | 265 | RFr. | Allentown, Pa. (Parkland)
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| 70 | Josh Perry | OL | 6-2 | 295 | 5Sr. | Monroeville, Ohio (Monroeville)
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| 71 | Charles Laster | OL | 6-7 | 320 | RFr. | Mableton, Ga. (South Cobb)
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| 72 | Michael Page, Jr. | OL | 6-4 | 285 | RFr. | Trotwood, Ohio (Trotwood Madison)
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| 73 | Aaron Cooper | OL | 6-4 | 285 | So. | Lawrenceville, Ga. (Berkmar)
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| 74 | Sam Frist | DL | 6-4 | 269 | Jr. | Southern Pines, N.C. (Hargrave Academy [Va.]) (Richmond)
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| 75 | Dante Campbell | OL | 6-0 | 280 | Jr. | Warren, Ohio (Warren G. Harding)
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| 77 | Lee Stalker | DL | 6-2 | 221 | RFr. | Butler, Pa. (Butler)
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| 78 | Pat Reedy | OL | 6-4 | 280 | So. | Youngstown, Ohio (Austintown Fitch)
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| 80 | Jarvis Williams | TE | 6-1 | 226 | Jr. | Stafford, Va. (North Stafford)
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| 83 | Kyle Sonagere | TE | 5-11 | 210 | RFr. | Stow, Ohio (Hudson)
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| 84 | Nick Masters | DL | 6-4 | 240 | So. | Las Cruces, N.M. (Oñate)
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| 85 | Aaron Robinson | WR | 5-10 | 175 | So. | Ellenwood, Ga. (Martin Luther King Jr.)
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| 87 | Kyle Reese | TE | 6-0 | 207 | RFr. | Olmsted Falls, Ohio (Olmsted Falls)
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| 88 | Zach Hawrot | WR | 5-11 | 181 | Jr. | Steubenville, Ohio (Steubenville Cent. Cath.) (Walsh)
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| 89 | Chris Favazzo | OL-DL | 6-5 | 250 | RFr. | Blacklick, Ohio (St. Charles Prep)
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| 90 | Darrius Carter | DL | 6-5 | 246 | Sr. | Inglewood, Calif. (El Camino College) (Westchester)
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| 92 | Chris Anzevino | DL | 6-2 | 308 | RFr. | Warren,Ohio (Warren G. Harding)
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| 93 | Ishmaa'ily Kitchen | DL | 6-3 | 316 | RFr. | Youngstown, OH (Cardinal Mooney)
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| 94 | Kevin Hogan | DL | 6-3 | 223 | Jr. | Chardon, Ohio (Chardon)
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| 95 | Prishod Koonce | DL | 6-3 | 295 | 5Sr. | Chester, Pa. (Chester)
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| 96 | Marc Lechlitner | LB | 5-11 | 209 | RFr. | Seven Hills, Ohio (Normandy)
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| 97 | Vinny Matarazzo | LS | 5-8 | 196 | So. | Coraopolis, Pa. (Montour)
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| 98 | Nate Reed | K | 5-8 | 178 | Jr. | Wadsworth, Ohio (Wadsworth)
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