STAT WATCH: Kent St. flashing sticky fingers with 8 picks

Kent State had four more assists in their victory over VMI on Saturday and became the first team in 10 years with four interceptions in consecutive games.

The Golden Flashes, who started with four interceptions in a loss to Texas A&M, have already surpassed their 2019 interception count, when they had seven in 13 games. They only played four games in 2020 because of the pandemic.

Miller Watch has had three interceptions against VMI, most by a Kent player since 2008. He and teammate Elvis Hines share the national lead with three picks apiece.

Central Michigan opened 2017 with eight interceptions in two games, six against Rhode Island and two against Kansas.

But the last team with four picks in consecutive games was South Carolina, which did so against Auburn and Kentucky in the first and second weeks of October 2011.

Kent State has finished in the top 50 in interceptions only once since second behind Oregon in 2012. The Flashes had 23 picks that year.

HAPPY WKU WITH ZAPPE

Switching from FCS to FBS was no problem for West Kentucky’s Bailey Zappe.

The Houston Baptist transfer leads the nation with 429.5 yards per game with 10 TDs and two interceptions. His 458 yard average in 2020 dominated all college football.

Zappe has a lot of Houston Baptist company. Zach Kittley moved with him to become his quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator, and receivers Jerreth and Josh Sterns and Ben Ratzlaff also came. Jerreth Sterns averages eight catches leading the team for 139 yards and four touchdowns.

THE 200 CLUB

Kentucky’s Chris Rodriguez Jr. was the fifth FBS player to run 200 or more yards in a game, setting career highs with 27 carries for 206 yards against Missouri. He matched his career best with three touchdown passes and also caught a 5-yard touchdown pass for his first college TD.

Rodriguez, the first Kentucky player since Benny Snell in 2018 to run for 100 yards in each of the first two games, has 331 for the season. His 166 yards per game are second nationally behind Brandon Thomas’ 169 for Memphis.

SACK ‘EM UP

Tristan Nichols of Nevada had four sacks against Idaho State, the most since Charles Snowden of Virginia had four against North Carolina on October 31.

LSU had 10 sacks against McNeese State, the most since Miami, Ohio beat Akron quarterbacks 12 times in November 2019.

GAMECOCK COACH EXPERIENCE?

With wins over Eastern Illinois and East Carolina, Shane Beamer is the first South Carolina coach to start his first 2-0 season since Richard Bell in 1982. Beamer is the Gamecocks’ seventh coach since Bell, a roster that includes Lou Holtz , Steve Spurrier and Will Muschamp.

Things didn’t go very well for Bell after his team opened in ’82 with wins over Pacific and Richmond. The Gamecocks lost seven of the next nine games and he was fired after the season.

ATTACK MACHINE

Fordham’s Ryan Greenhagen continued his record-breaking performance of 31 Division I tackles against Nebraska with 28 saves in a loss to Monmouth.

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