Frisco bowl preview: Kent State football
In a lot of ways, Kent State and Utah State aren’t that different of programs. So much so, both schools’ head coaches, Gary Andersen and Sean Lewis, alluded to the similarities in Thursday’s press conference. Both programs are built on work ethic, grit and determination, the typical traits that earn a team a win in the moments where things are not going in its favor.
“You can see that the programs have a lot of similarities in a lot of core beliefs,” Andersen said.
Kent State finished the season on a three-game winning streak and lost by a total of just 16 points in the three previous games against Ohio, Miami (OH) and Toledo. When looking into the stats, it’s impressive that the Golden Flashes were able to pull out victories with as many deficiencies as they have had on the defensive side of the ball. Kent State ranks 127th in the nation in rushing yards allowed, out of 130 teams, giving up an average of 249.3 yards per game. The Aggies have had their own struggles stopping the run this season and have allowed an average of 283.5 yards per game over the past six games.
Ironically, for a team nicknamed the Golden Flashes, Kent State is anything but on offense. Scoring just 27.4 points per game this season, Kent State sits almost directly in the middle of the Mid-American Conference, behind schools that finished with worse or similar records like Ball State, Eatern Michigan and Ohio. What has carried them throughout most of the season is a little different than what you would see in most college stadiums across the country, and helped the Golden Flashes to end the regular season with a bowl birth.
“When we came in, we knew that we had to instill a culture of a workman’s like attitude — being tough yet having fun and trusting in one another and being smart. The kids have embodied that for the past two years,” Lewis said. “You get through some adversity there and we’re sitting there 3-6. The kids pulled tight and we believed in one another and we found a way.”
For Kent State, junior quarterback Dustin Crum is the centerpiece of the offense, not just because he is the team’s starting quarterback, but because of the versatility and athleticism he brings to the field The current campaign is the first full season Crum has played as a starter and he’s shone as the go-to weapon. An 18-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio could be one way to measure Crum’s impact on the Golden Flashes’ offense, but he was almost just as effective on the move as a run as when he looked to throw the ball downfield. Kent State rushed for 2,172 yards on the season and Crum was the team’s leading rusher, amassing 560 yards on the ground to go along with 2,333 yards through the air.
“The ability to escape the pocket is huge. Kent State has had big-time plays getting out of the pocket with the QB and wide receivers being on the same page,” Andersen said. “He’s slippery when he’s in the pocket. He can escape through the A gaps and the B gaps. He gets out to the edges and does a nice job. He’s a good football player. But, that’s Ohio football.”
Crum may be the centerpiece of the offense, but there are some potent weapons around him that makes his job a lot easier. Senior running back Will Matthews was the team’s second-leading rusher of the 2019 campaign, racking up 514 yards in just seven games. Sophomore wide receiver Isiaah McKoy could be the perfect player to exploit Utah State’s secondary, who has at times this season, has looked extremely vulnerable against tall pass-catchers. McKoy used his 6’3” frame to help elevate him to first on the team with 767 yards receiving and a third-team All-Mac selection.
Much like Utah State, the Aggies’ Ohio-based opponent is quite effective at moving the ball on third down. Both schools rank in the top-40 nationally in that respect, with Kent State sitting six places ahead at 32nd. But third down effectiveness is a skill that didn’t translate over to the other side of the ball this season for either squad. Both programs are actually quite poor in that area of the game. The Golden Flashes are narrowly more reliable at stopping opponents on third down than Utah State, currently sitting at 115 in the nation compared to USU’s 119.
“We always have to maximize on third downs, but hopefully, we can set ourselves up on first downs and second downs so third downs are a lot easier to us,” Utah State junior wide receiver Jordan Nathan said.
Utah State may have had its struggles in the run game, on both sides of the ball, but the pass game has been very prolific at times this season, something that Kent State is no-doubt aware of. The Frisco Bowl will be quarterback Jordan Love’s final game as an Aggie after declaring for the 2020 NFL Draft; and although it is hard to predict how well an individual player will play, Love has one more opportunity to rewrite some of the narratives that have come out about fairly underwhelming junior campaign.
“I can guarantee Jordan wants to play very well and have an opportunity to win the game, so it’s important for Jordan,” Andersen said. “There is always going to be a little extra edge when you’re playing for your seniors in your last game, and that’s exactly what Jordan is now. Is he a senior? No, but it’s his last game. So, yes, he is a senior and we need to go and represent those kids as well as we can.”