by Kent State came into Week 1 of the 2025 season with the nation’s longest losing streak at 21 games. With a FCS team like Merrimack in the house, this was the perfect opportunity for Kent to end that streak, and they did exactly that coming out on top with a 21-17 thrilling win.
With a new head coach in Mark Carney and new quarterback in C.J. Montes, it was a beginning of a new era in Kent, Ohio. Montes is a redshirt senior who transferred over from Furman University earlier this spring. While coach Carney takes over as interim head coach after the departure of Kenni Burns.
Head Coach Mark Carney on ending the losing streak, “it was good to see the bell rung after so many days.”
It was a little surprising at first figuring out Kent State’s gameplan. They pulled Montes after the first two drives, put in redshirt freshman Dru DeShields for the next two, and proceeded to put Montes back in afterwards.
Alternating quarterbacks did not matter though as Montes capped off the comeback drive with a passing touchdown to redshirt freshman Cade Wolford as the Golden Flashes took a 7-0 lead with 3:24 left in the half.
“Both guys did really good things. I thought both were efficient. Were either mistake-free? Of course not. There’s still much to build on” coach Carney said about alternating between the two quarterbacks.
Merrimack did get a field goal right heading into halftime making it a 7-3 Kent State lead. It could have been a higher scoring game if it was not for the Golden Flashes missed opportunities the first two drives to start the game.
One thing was certain though, the Kent State defense came to play. They held Merrimack to just 123 total yards of offense in the first half, and forcing the Warriors to go 0-for-6 on third-down conversions.
The Warriors looked much better offensively on their opening series in the second half, even picking up their first third down of the game with a 25-yard run. But unfortunately for Merrimack, they would proceed to miss a 36-yard field goal bringing that drive to an end.
Kent State would capitalize on the missed field goal nearly right away. Dru DeShields re-entered at quarterback and dropped a near perfect pass into the hands of a wide open Wolford taking it 79 yards to the endzone for his second touchdown of the day. The Golden Flashes had a commanding 14-3 lead with 9:56 left in the third quarter.
“They both are elite talents, it was great.” Wolford said about catching two touchdown passes from two different quarterbacks.
Merrimack would continue to move the ball well in the third quarter with a 14-play, 55-yard drive lasting over 7 minutes, their longest of the game so far. Even then, the Warriors were only to get a field goal out of it cutting the deficit to 6-14. The Warriors came up with 96 yards in the third quarter alone after having only 123 total in the first half.
The game would come at a bit of a stand still as both offenses just went stagnant.
That was until a 5-play, 75-yard drive by Merrimack which was capped off by a touchdown pass from Ayden Pereira to Seth Sweitzer. The Warriors would even tie up the game at 14 following a two-point conversion with 8:38 left in the fourth quarter.
A pivotal moment in the game would come with just 8 minutes left when Kent State’s quarterback Deshields fumbles the 3rd down snap, allowing Merrimack to take over on the Flashes’ 34-yard line. Despite the Warriors not being able to get a touchdown out of the opportunity, they were able to settle with a field goal. Merrimack would have their first lead of the game at 17-14 with just 5:40 left to play.
But the play of the game would come the very next play with junior Da’Realyst Clark returning the kick all the way back for an explosive touchdown! With Kent State leading 21-17 with more than five minutes left to play, anything was still possible.
Merrimack started off their final drive with steady movement down the field, chunking away at the clock. A key sack by redshirt senior Jelani Davis and redshirt junior Thomas Aden right before the two minute warning would make it 2nd and 15 at the Kent State’s 41-yard line.
Following back-to-back incompletions, the Warriors had no choice but to go for it needing a touchdown to keep the game alive but the Golden Flashes would get the fourth down stop that they needed.
Kent State was able to run out the clock with Merrimack having just one timeout left, and the Golden Flashes were able to end their 21-game losing streak with a 21-17 win!
