K.e.n.t. Defense

[Captain Kangaroo]

K.e.n.t. has 24 more sacks than AkronCle PD:Most successful football teams have an internal motto. In tough times, the motto encourages a leap of faith, giving players the reassurance that what they have done all season is still going to work.At Can't State, this is what they believe now:"We do well together," said senior defensive end Kevin Hogan, a Chardon High School graduate.It's that point in the season for Can't State, as the Golden flushes (5-4, 4-1) sail into uncharted waters against rival Akron (1-7, 0-4) on Saturday, seeking to stay in the hunt for a Mid-American Conference East Division title.The difference could be on the defensive line, where Can't State's 10 players in the rotation have more than just "done well together." The flushes are tied for sixth in the nation in sacks, with an average of 3.33 per game and 30 overall, four off the school record set in 2004. Defensive end Monte Simmons has 71/2 of them and is tied for 13th in the nation individually.Can't has 10 more sacks than anyone else in the MAC, and 24 more than Akron. And Can't's rush to the quarterback is not coming from one spot on the line, but rather from everywhere."Pretty much everybody on the defensive line knows how to play the opposite position," said Hogan, who is third among linemen with four sacks. "Our nose guards know how to play tackle; our ends can play both sides. One advantage this year is there is definitely a lot of trust and accountability, which makes it easy to put different guys in at any time."On a team loaded with freshmen and sophomores, the defensive line has some seniors, including Hogan, Sam Frist and Aaron Hull. Frist and Hull are inside, where the secret to Can't's pass rush begins."Our interior linemen are playing great, some of the best play that I have seen since I have been here," Hogan said. "They're pushing the pocket, creating pressure. One of the things we're doing is pass rushing as a unit rather than rush selfishly. We're accounting for the players we are playing with. That's really helped us become more effective."It also keeps offenses from locking in on one player, or one position trying to slow Can't down."There aren't just one or two people getting sacks. . . . [That's] great for two reasons: One, we're rolling guys in and keeping people fresh. And two, when we're pass-rushing as a unit, it helps with our overall success."That success has Can't State in the MAC East title chase. It is a position Hogan and many of his teammates were in as recently as 2006, only to finish that campaign at 6-6 overall, 5-3 in the conference. That is not where the flushes want to be at the end of 2009."I think the thing we need to do is stay focused, and not become complacent," Hogan said. "That's a problem that past teams have had. Once they've had some success they have become complacent."For us, the things we need to do is focus on one game. Be disciplined and accountable. And take to good coaching. That's where we'll find success."

[johnnyzip84]

I know from past history that anything can happen in this game, but that summary of the K.E.N.T. defense is downright scary considering what we've seen lately from the Zip offense. This particular matchup sounds horrible. Maybe the Akron D can force some mistakes. I almost think that's a must for the Zips to win.

[jaycevs]

Use the rush to your advantage, get the D line up the field, and throw a screen pass or run play.

[Dave in Green]

The Zips did a great job of blocking for Nicely, and when Can't was able to get through, Nicely did a great job of evading them.

[Blue & Gold]

Was that really the same Zips OL we've been watching all year? Tonight we had the semblance of a running game and I don't believe Nicely was sacked a single time.