The Flames’ first opponent of the year, Kent State, is looking to improve upon an incredible 2012-13 season, which included a regular season division title and their first bowl game appearance in 40 years. One of the main reasons for their success was the breakout performance of dynamic running back and long shot Heisman candidate Dri Archer.
Archer is a 5’8″, 175 pound senior from Laurel, Florida, who burst onto the national scene last season by leading the nation in yards per carry (9.0) and amassing over 2,600 all purpose yards. Archer is undoubtedly the focal point of the Golden Flashes’ offense, running the ball out of the backfield, leading the team in receiving yards last season, and routinely taking kick-offs into the endzone – he even threw a 24 yard touchdown pass.
With numbers like that, it is no surprise that Kent State has started a campaign to push Archer into this year’s Heisman conversation. They have started a twitter account for him (@Dri4Heisman, if you would like to send out some tasteful trash-talk before the upcoming game), and are even publishing comic strip in local papers featuring him as the cape-wearing superhero “The Archer.” The Flames are described as “powerful forces,” in the most recent installment, with Liberty’s mascot Sparky intent on denying “The Archer” the Heisman.
Despite all the hype, Archer is, by all accounts, down to earth and unaffected by it all. “It’s great getting recognition from being in the MAC. It’s a good feeling. But I’m just trying to be humble about it,” Archer says. “I still gotta go out and just play football. It’s something that’s just not even on my mind. I’m just worried about the guys on this team and winning the MAC championship. I just focus on the playbook, focus on our next opponent, which is Liberty.”
Archer is one of the most exciting players that Liberty has ever come up against, and anticipation is building to see how Liberty will go about slowing him down. With no offense to “The Archer,” coach Turner Gill and company is expecting the Flames’ defense to pull out some kryptonite and stop this superhero in his tracks. As far as the Flames are concerned, after August 29th, Archer is free to pursue the Heisman.
