(RB Gavin Garcia – USA Today Sports)
Key Players Returning:
QB Tommy Ulatowski, RB Gavin Garcia, WR/PR Luke Floriea, WR/KR Chrishon McCrary, OC Andrew Page, OG Dustyn Morell, OT Cameron Golden, OT Jimto Obidegwu, DE Stephen Daley, DT Oliver Billotte, LB Nicholas Giacolone, FS Alex Branch, PK Andrew Glass, and PT Josh Smith.
Key Players Departing:
QB Michael Alaimo, WR Trell Harris (Virginia transfer), WR Jamir Gardner, OG Nolan Rumler, NT CJ West, (Indiana transfer) LB CJ Harris, LB Devin Nicholson, LB Khali Saunders, CB Capone Blue, CB DJ Miller, and FS Bryce Sheppert.
(CB Dallas Branch – AP Photo)
Top 10 Recruits:
3 Star Recruits: TE Conner Muldowney (Tiffin transfer), ATH Clinton Robinson (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), CB Dallas Branch (San Diego State transfer), WR Darrion Gilliam (Chicago, Illinois), DT Keenan Landry (Florida transfer), ATH Javier Etheridge (Cincinnati, Ohio), ATH Troy Martin (Reynoldsburg, Ohio), DS Kaleb Moody (Harvard transfer), DS Malcolm Folk (Syracuse, New York), and LB Nylan Brown (Indianapolis, Indiana).
2023 Results:
G01 @ UCF L 6-56
G02 @ Arkansas L 6-28
G03 CENTRAL CONNECTICUT W 38-10
G04 @ Fresno State L 10-53
G05 MIAMI (OH) L 3-23
G06 @ Ohio L 17-42
G07 @ Eastern Michigan L 14-28
G08 BUFFALO L 6-24
G09 @ Akron L 27-31
G10 BOWLING GREEN L 19-49
G11 @ Ball State L 3-34
G12 NORTHERN ILLINOIS L 27-37
Team Info:
2023 Overall: 1-11 (6th in MAC East)
Home: 10-4
Away: 0-7
Neutral: 0-0
MAC: 0-8
Non-MAC: 1-3
Head Coach: Kenni Burns
Kent State: 1-11
Career: 1-11
Bowls: 0-0
(WR Chrishon McCray – USA Today Sports)
Returning Statistical Leaders:
Passing: Tommy Ulatowski (60-121, 737 yards, 49.6%, 6.1 avg., 7 TD, 2 INT)
Rushing: Gavin Garcia (138 car., 544 yards, 3.9 avg., 2 TD)
Receiving: Chrishon McCray (41 rec., 610 yards, 14.9 avg., 4 TD)
TD’s Scored: Luke Floriea (5)
Sacks: 4 Tied (1)
Tackles: Nicholas Giacolone (54)
Interceptions: Stephen Daley/Nick Giacolone (1)
Pass Deflections: Alex Branch (3)
Tackles For Loss: Stephen Daley (5.5)
Forced Fumbles: Alex Branch/Nick Giacolone (1)
Kick Returns: Chrishon McCray (9 ret., 196 yards, 21.8 avg., 0 TD)
Punt Returns: Luke Floriea (13 ret., 89 yards, 6.8 avg., 0 TD)
Kicking: Andrew Glass (15-17 fg/fga., 88%, 16-17 xp/xpa., 61 pts.)
Punting: Josh Smith (50 punts, 2052 yards, 41.0 avg., 14 in20)
Projected Offensive Starters:
QB: 15 Devin Kargman (RS SO)
RB: 3 Ky Thomas (RS SR/TR)
WR: 2 Chrishon McCray (RS SO)
WR: 25 Jay Jay Etheridge (FR)
WR: 0 Luke Floriea (GR)
TE: 89 Conner Muldowney (GR/TR)
LT: 73 Jimto Obidegwu (RS JR/TR)
LG: 73 Dustyn Morell (RS SO)
OC: 63 Tony Georges (RS SR/TR)
RG: 70 Chris Farrell (SO)
RT: 77 Cameron Golden (GR/TR)
KR: 2 Chrishon McCray (RS SO)
PK: 60 Andrew Glass (SR)
Projected Defensive Starters:
DE: 6 Stephen Daley (RS SO)
NT: 90 Mason Maddox (RS JR/TR)
DT: 14 Oliver Billotte (RS SO)
DE: 17 Mattheus Carroll (RS JR/TR)
LB: 24 Nicholas Giacolone (GR/TR)
LB: 8 Khalib Johns (GR/TR)
LB: 44 Rocco Nicholl (JR)
CB: 15 Dallas Branch (GR/TR)
CB: 21 Xavier Cokley (RS SR/TR)
FS: 1 Alex Branch (SR)
SS: 20 Josh Baka (JR/TR)
PR: 0 Luke Floriea (GR)
PT: 96 Josh Smith (SR)
(QB Tommy Ulatowski – The Record-Courier)
Team Grades:
Offense
Quarterbacks: C
Running Backs: C
Wide Receivers: C
Offensive Line: C
Defense
Defensive Line: C
Linebackers: C
Secondary: C
Special Teams:
Kick Returns: C
Punt Returns: C
Kicking: B
Punting: B
Schedule:
08/31 @ PITT Panthers | Kent State lost (3-43) the last meeting between schools in 2003.
09/07 ST. FRANCIS U RED FLASH | First meeting between schools.
09/14 @ Tennessee Volunteers | First meeting between schools.
09/21 @ Penn State Nittany Lions | Kent State trails the series 0-6. The Golden Flashes lost (10-63) the last meeting between schools in 2018.
09/28 EASTERN MICHIGAN EAGLES | Kent State leads the series 19-16. The Golden Flashes lost (14-28) last season’s meeting between schools, and their last series win (27-23) was in 2020.
10/12 BALL STATE CARDINALS | Kent State trails the series 8-23. The Golden Flashes lost (3-34) last season’s meeting between schools, and they lost (20-27) the prior meeting in 2022.
10/19 @ Bowling Green Falcons | Kent State trails the series 24-61-6. The Golden Flashes are 5-5 since 2014, and their last series win (40-6) was in 2022.
10/26 @ Western Michigan Broncos | Kent State trails the series 20-36-1. The Golden Flashes lost (31-64) the last meeting between schools in 2021.
11/06 OHIO BOBCATS | Kent State trails the series 27-46-2. The Golden Flashes are 2-7 since 2014, and their last series win (31-24) was in 2022.
11/13 @ Miami (OH) RedHawks | Kent State trails the series 18-52. The Golden Flashes are 3-6 since 2014, and their last series win (48-47) was in 2021.
11/19 AKRON ZIPS | Kent State trails the series 28-36-2. The Golden Flashes are 5-5 since 2014, and their last series win (33-27) was in 2022.
11/26 @ Buffalo Bulls | Kent State trails he series 14-15. The Golden Flashes are 4-5 since restarting the series in 2015, and their last series win (30-27) was in 2022.
Predictions:
Home: 3-2
Away: 0-7
Neutral: 0-0
MAC: 2-6
Non-MAC: 1-3
Overall: 3-9 (10th in MAC)
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