# 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.
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 StadiumKent, OH | ESPN3 | W 41–21 | 15,121 |
| September 8 | 7:30 pm | at Kentucky* | | Commonwealth StadiumLexington, KY | CSS/ESPN3 | L 14–47 | 48,346 |
| September 19 | 7:00 pm | at Buffalo | | University at Buffalo StadiumAmherst, NY | ESPNU | W 23–7 | 14,373 |
| September 29 | 12:00 pm | Ball State | | Dix StadiumKent, OH | CSS/ESPN+ | W 45–43 | 21,657 |
| October 6 | 1:00 pm | at Eastern Michigan | | Rynearson StadiumYpsilanti, MI | | W 41–14 | 6,011 |
| October 13 | 12:00 pm | at Army* | | Michie StadiumWest Point, NY | CBSSN | W 31–17 | 30,022 |
| October 20 | 3:30 pm | Western Michigan | | Dix StadiumKent, OH | | W 41–24 | 16,128 |
| October 27 | 3:30 pm | at No. 18 Rutgers* | | High Point Solutions StadiumPiscataway, NJ | SNY | W 35–23 | 49,345 |
| November 3 | 2:00 pm | Akron | | Dix StadiumKent, OH (Battle for the Wagon Wheel) | STO | W 35–24 | 18,265 |
| November 10 | 1:00 pm | at Miami (OH) | | Yager StadiumOxford, OH | | W 48–32 | 13,301 |
| November 17 | 12:00 pm | at Bowling Green | No. 25 | Doyt Perry StadiumBowling Green, OH (Battle for the Anniversary Award) | ESPN+ | W 31–24 | 16,002 |
| November 23 | 11:00 am | Ohio | No. 23 | Dix StadiumKent, OH | ESPNU | W 28–6 | 18,230 |
| November 30 | 7:00 pm | vs. No. 19 Northern Illinois | No. 18 | Ford FieldDetroit, MI (MAC Championship Game) | ESPN2 | L 37–44 $^{2OT}$ | 18,132 |
| January 6 | 9:00 pm | vs. Arkansas State* | No. 25 | Ladd–Peebles StadiumMobile, AL (GoDaddy.com Bowl) | ESPN | L 13–17 | 37,913 |
| *Non-conference gameRankings from AP Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern time ||||||||
* Source: Schedule

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final |
| AP | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | RV | RV | 25 | 23 | 18 | 25 | — |
| Coaches | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | RV | RV | RV | 25 | 19 | RV | RV |
| Harris | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | — | — | — | RV | RV | RV | 25 | 18 | 23 | Not released |
| BCS | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | — | — | — | — | — | 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 |
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.

### @ Kentucky

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

### @ Buffalo

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

### Ball State

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

### @ Eastern Michigan

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

### @ Army

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

### Western Michigan

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

### @ #15 Rutgers

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

### Akron

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

### @ Miami (OH)

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

### @ Bowling Green

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

### Ohio

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

### #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 |

### Arkansas State (GoDaddy.com Bowl)

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