KSU Looks Ahead Without Jarvis
By Evan Meyer
Special To The MAC Daily
Kent — The optimism that the Kent State Golden Flashes had in the beginning of this 2009 season was severely dented when it was learned that their star running back and co-captain Eugene Jarvis was lost for the remainder of the season with a kidney injury.
Jarvis, a fifth-year senior from Pittsburgh, was injured during the first half of the Flashes 24-7 loss Saturday at Boston College.
Jarvis
At his press conference on Monday, Doug Martin said “When we got back, he was having some pain. We took him to the hospital and the doctors diagnosed the injury. That tough guy would have played the entire game if I had not seen him in there (the locker room) at halftime and figured out what was going on.”
“I am really thankful that we did not put him back into the game. I can’t say enough about our trainer, Pamela Long, and the job she did of holding him out”
Jarvis did not come out of the game when he sustained the injury, and did not show any sign of injury according to Martin.
The university, at the request of Martin and Athletic Director Dr. Laing Kennedy, will petition the NCAA give Jarvis a sixth year of eligibility.
Martin was adamant about getting that sixth year for Jarvis.
“That is a slam dunk that kid should get a sixth year,” Martin said. “If he doesn’t, then someone is not doing their job or the NCAA doesn’t care about kids”
Martin brought out copies of documents of six or seven players in the past that received a sixth year. The players had legal problems, had injuries, were redshirted their freshman year and others.
Jarvis came into 2009 with second most rushing yards in Division I-A, and needing only 721 yards to become the all-time leader in that category at Kent State.
He opened the season rushing for 141 yards and a touchdown in the Golden Flashes 18-0 home win over Coastal Carolina. Then in the first half against BC he ran the ball 10 times for 17 yards before leaving with the injury.
One thing Martin was doing with Jarvis this season was having him be a punt returner using his speed and quickness for better field position. In the Coastal Carolina game he had five returns with one being a 33-yarder which set up a Flashes touchdown.
As for the future, starting with this Saturday’s home game against Iowa State, Martin said he will work Andre Flowers, Jacquise Terry and Dri Archer into the starting tailback spot.
Eugene Jarvis hopes to return next season.
“We really loved what we saw from Dri Archer last Saturday at Boston College” Martin said. “His speed is a difference maker.”
Flowers led Kent State in rushing against the Eagles with 30 yards on nine carries while Archer had just five carries gaining 19 yards.
All the concern is the health of Jarvis.
“He called me and Cobrani (Mixon) on Saturday that he had to go to the hospital,” defensive back Brian Lainhart said. “We thought he was going to be alright and he called us back about 2:00-2:30 Sunday morning and he was crushed”
There is some speculation that Jarvis will be on the sideline for the game at Dix Stadium on Saturday.
“The only thing he did get upset about that he doesn’t know if he can walk out (for the coin toss) with the captains on Saturday but he said he is going to,” Lainhart said.
Football is like life, you move on, and the Golden Flashes will move on minus arguably their best player this Saturday night against the Cyclones.
