Kent State tried tried to begin Saturday’s college football game against Eastern Michigan with a surprise onside kick. Rather, the Golden Flashes didn’t try to begin with a surprise onside kick. They did begin with a surprise onside kick.
It just could not have gone any worse. It backfired in the most embarrassing way possible.
CBS Sports cut to the grey turf in Ypsilanti right as Kent State kicker Andrew Glass lined up for the opening kickoff and raised his hand to the sky. Both teams lined up as if he was going to boot it away.
That is not what happened. At all.
Glass ran up to the tee, planted his left foot and used the arch of his foot to just barely tap the ball. As the kick bounced ten yards down field, Glass followed closely and positioned himself to fall on the loose ball to give his team possession.
He missed. He ran right past the ball.
Eagles defensive back Kendric Nowling, who stands 6-foot-2, 215 pounds, barreled his way past Glass, recovered the kick and never stopped running. The fifth-year senior took it back 45 yards for six.
CBS’ scorebug had not even fully loaded by the time that Nowling got his paws on the ball and took off toward the end zone. Eastern Michigan was up seven points within the first five seconds of the game!
Oof. The Golden Flashes thought that the onside kick would work, but they were prepared to concede bad field position if it didn’t. They certainly didn’t expect the Eagles to scoop and score.
But that’s exactly what happened.
Going down 7-0 on the first play of the game is not quite how Kent State coach Kenni Burns drew it up! His trickery couldn’t have been a bigger fail.