Recordpub.com - Martin confirms Morgan as likely starter

By David Carducci

Record-Courier staff writer

If Kent State’s season started today, redshirt sophomore Giorgio Morgan would be the Golden Flashes’ starting quarterback.

Head coach Doug Martin confirmed Morgan as the likely starter for KSU’s Sept. 3 opener with Coastal Carolina after the Flashes completed their first scrimmage of the 2009 preseason on Saturday.

Morgan’s play during the first week of camp may have been good enough on its own to win the open competition to take over the starting quarterback job. His position in the battle was fortified by the recent elbow injury suffered by fifth-year senior Anthony Magazu.

“We are hoping to get Magazu back this week and get him working, but Giorgio is our starting quarterback right now,” said Martin. “Magazu and Spencer Keith will keep battling it out to be the No. 2 guy right now.”

Keith, a true freshman from Little Rock, Ark., has worked his way into the mix with an impressive start to his first college training camp. He completed 12-of-25 passes for 140 yards and two touchdowns while working against KSU’s second-team defense during Saturday’s scrimmage. Prior to Saturday, Martin claimed Keith has picked up his offense faster than any freshman quarterback he has ever coached.

“I would be very comfortable right now with him playing in a game,” said Martin.

That is not necessarily the best-case scenario for Kent State or Keith, however.

“In a perfect world, I would love to be able to redshirt Spencer Keith this year,” said Martin. “That is the best thing in the world for a freshman quarterback, to have that redshirt year. It makes them all better. (Magazu) has played a lot of ball for us and played really well. But if (Keith) continues to make progress and plays as well as he did in the scrimmage and with pressure coming at him, then we’ll see.”

Kent State’s second-team defense did not go after Keith the way its first teamers attacked Morgan. Defensive coordinator Pete Rekstis did his best to confuse Morgan by sending and disguising dozens of blitzes.

For the most part, Morgan handled the pressure while completing 12-of-25 passes for 87 yards. Those numbers would have been better if not for several dropped passes by his receivers.

Drops have been the bane of the Flashes’ existence during the last few seasons. On Saturday, KSU receivers dropped nine passes. Fifth-year senior Jameson Konz mishandled the first three balls thrown his way. Two more passes slipped through the hands of fellow fifth-year senior Mark Woodson.

For now, the mistakes have cost Konz and Woodson their spots on the depth chart.

“I don’t care if you are a first-day freshman or a fifth-year senior,” said Martin. “Whoever catches the ball and makes plays, that is who is going to play. We are going to play the best players. Just because you’ve been around does not guarantee you a spot. So, those guys who dropped balls are going to find themselves on the second or third team starting on (Monday).”

Martin said Konz will be moved from the first team to the second team at H-back. A minor injury to back-up Leneric Muldrow on Saturday means junior Anthony Bowman takes over as the first-string H-back. Woodson drops to third string at wide receiver.

“Jameson Konz has all of the talent in the world, and I know he can play, but he has to show up every day,” said Martin. “The mantra of this camp has been consistency.”

While the veterans struggled, the youngsters in the receiving corps continued to make plays. Freshman Tyshon Goode caught eight passes for 90 yards, including a 17-yard touchdown connection with Keith. Impressive sophomore Kendrick Pressley joined senior starter Derek McBryde with three catches each.

Other bright spots from the scrimmage included the play of true freshman Freddy Cortez, who closed in on the starting place-kicker job by going a perfect 5-for-5 on field goal attempts.

Redshirt freshman Leon Green returned the scrimmage’s opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown.

True freshman Luke Batton of Nordonia completed an impressive day by taking advantage of one of Woodson’s drops, intercepting the ball as it caromed away from the receiver, then rambling 12 yards for a touchdown. Fellow linebacker Dorian Wood and lineman Aaron Hull and Lee Stalker also stood out on the defensive side of the ball.

The Flashes will hold their second scrimmage of the preseason on Wednesday.

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David Carducci can be contacted at dcarducci@recordpub.com