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Kent State vs. Rutgers 2012 results: Flashes upset No. 15 Scarlet Knights, 35-23

Rutgers lost its first game of the season today, falling to Kent State at home.

Alex Trautwig

Rutgers is unbeaten no more. The No. 15 Scarlet Knights fell today to the unranked Kent State Flashers, 35-23.

Crucial to the Kent State victory was the team's defense, which recovered a fumble and intercepted Rutgers' Gary Nova six times. They also limited the Rutgers rushing attack to just 96 yards and forced the Scarlet Knights to the air by establishing an early lead on offense.

Kent State's backfield was also an instrumental part of the team's success, with halfbacks Trayion Durham and Dri Archer combining for 210 yards and two touchdowns. Archer also led the team in receiving yards with 36.

With the loss, Rutgers falls to 7-1 on the year, but remains unbeaten in the Big East at 4-0. Kent State improves to 7-1 (4-0, MAC).

Box Score Hero: Kent State defensive end Mark Fackler was a force on defense, notching two interceptions on the day, one of which was returned for 25 yards and a touchdown.

Rankings Ramifications: Rutgers is certainly going to drop significantly from its No. 15 ranking, while Kent State, having improved to 7-1 with the win, could receive enough votes to creep into the top 25.

But Did They Cover? Rutgers was a 13-point favorite going into this game. This was an upset for Kent State.

Next Week's Schedule: Next week, Kent State will host Akron and Rutgers will have a bye before a Nov. 10 date against Army.

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This story originally appeared on SBNation.com.

Photographs by spatulated, Triple Tri, and chrischappelear used in background montage under Creative Commons. Thank you.