GFR Reflection: Carney owns it, Flashes and him a work in progress

Kent State Head Football Coach Mark Carney owned it. He owned all of it. During his Thursday morning press conference back at Kent State, Carney met for his weekly gathering to reflect on the previous game and look ahead to the next one in front of reporters in person and virtually.

Carney was asked all of the tough questions. In fact, he was asked more tough questions Thursday than his predecessor Kenni Burns was asked in his entire two year disastrous tenure. Carney answered every question with grace, dignity, humility and with ownership. He did so thoughtfully, without emotion or terse words, and he didn’t dare belittle or talk down to a person, or a particular question. Carney is a leader, and last night was not his or his team’s finest moment.

Carney got the interim tag removed from his title and he earned it. Now the challenge is to be a successful Head Coach.

No, none of that takes away the sting of a loss to Ball State Wednesday, that the Flashes easily, coulda, shoulda, woulda won. Instead, a 17-13 loss occurred, with a fan base asking “What happened?” Time management issues down the stretch was the exclamation point of mistakes in Muncie. Carney failed to take a time out (or two) down the stretch on the final drive that left the Flashes scrambling for a game winning score on Ball State’s side of the field.

Play calling head scratchers such as the decision to run a trick play on Ball State’s side of the field in the fourth quarter enabled wide receiver Sebastian Brown to throw an interception. Yes, quarterback Dru DeShields was open in the flat, and yes it was a poor decision by Brown. A trick play by KSU and a wide receiver throwing a football helped Kent State beat Bowling Green.

The decision to go it on fourth and one from their own 41 yard line with just under four minutes left resulted in an errant snap on a wildcat run to Jordan Nubin, giving Ball State the ball back on KSU’s side of the field, which setup a game winning score.

Carney says he is an aggressive coach and his team models that. Last night that, along with poor execution backfired on him and his team.

A decision to go for it on fourth and goal from the nine yard line resulted in no points for the Flashes in the third quarter.

And then the penalties, several pre-snap penalties, including ones that took points off the board, and extended scoring drives for Ball State.

A few personal fouls in the second half hurt KSU’s cause too.

Carney is a work in progress just like his team. He is learning and growing into the Head Coach role, and with that some bumps in the road may happen, even if its at the expense of the team. Carney and his staff are and will be the first ones to own their mistakes. Hopefully those bumps in the road don’t happen at the school down that road Tuesday.

Carney and his staff were out at Northeast Ohio high schools this past Friday recruiting. A win last night on national television would have been the greatest recruiting tool there is.

I’m not a Kent State cheerleader, I don’t own blue and gold pom poms (I do actually). If a Kent State team or coach doesn’t do well, I will let you know, with taste.

Wednesday night and into Thursday, internet “keyboard warriors” sounded off on Carney and his performance. I’m willing to bet most of them have never coached a day in their life.

But, along with that, Kent State football has a pulse. People care enough to be upset. That’s a step in a positive direction. How many tough questions could the media ask Burns the last couple of years when you lose every game in the league by 30 and 40 points?

Carney exhibited extreme ownership Thursday in his press conference. He is learning on the job, and Kent State has put their trust and faith to grow with him.