Opponent Overview Kent State

Kent used their last three games in 2019 to get to the Frisco Bowl and then won their first ever bowl game. That run, of course, by scoring 24 points in eight minutes to topple the Bulls in a game that eventually cost Buffalo the division.

But we won our Bowl game, they won their’s so.... no hard feelings?

In any even I believe a lot of people are underselling Kent. Three of their losses last season were all within a single score so the 7-6 record is very solid and they return the core of their team.

Sean Lewis took over a Kent program that was really circling the drain and in two season turned them into bowl winners.

Dustin Crum will be back behind center. The senior was the key to Kent State’s second half surge last season. He finished the year with over 2,600 passing yards with 20 touchdowns against just two interceptions. He also led the Flashes with over 700 running yards and six scores.

That’s the core of their offense, right there.

Kent will have to rebuild the receiving core. They are going to do that around 2019 leading receiver Isaiah McKoy and a JUCO transfer, Isaiah Wooden.

The defense is back nearly in it’s entirety, returning 8/11 starters from last season. Qwuantrezz Knight was their biggest loss, to the transfer portal, but unless UB suddenly becomes a pass first team that’s not going to have a huge impact on this particular matchup.

Buffalo knows how to beat Kent, run the ball solid and stop the big plays. They managed it for 52 minutes last season before a total collapse. The dynamic between these teams has not really changed and most of the key players are back.

If UB does not let Crum make huge gains on broken plays they should win this game pretty handily, if Kents O-line is better than last year and gives him time to work it’s going to be rough on our defense.