Kent State did two things last Saturday they haven’t done since Kenni Burns was named Head Coach — his team scored a touchdown, and the Golden Flashes won a game.
Both happened last Saturday when Kent State defeated FCS Central Connecticut by a score of 38-10. Burns was elated to get the proverbial monkey off of his back and said as much to reporters following the victory;
“It’s a special moment,” Burns said. “I’m not going to underplay that. You work so hard to be a head coach, and, in this moment, to get the win and be with that group of guys, I love those kids, man. I can’t say that enough. They didn’t pick me. I picked them, and they work so hard.”
Through the season’s first two games, Burns watched his team score just 12 points on four field goals. That all changed for the Golden Flashes Saturday–Kent State scored two TDs in the first stanza and never looked back in their 38-10 win over the Blue Devils.
Purdue transfer quarterback Michael Alaimo threw for 172 yards and a TD–the junior QB also scampered for 18 yards and a TD and had this to say to local reporters afterward;
“It was definitely good to start fast,” said Alaimo. “That’s a big emphasis in practice — start fast, accelerate in the middle, and finish strong. We definitely started fast, and it starts with the big guys up front. They blocked their tail off all day long. The running backs ran hard, and it makes it easy for us.”
Kent State rushed for 295 yards and four TDs against Central Connecticut. RB Gavin Garcia led the way with 125 rushing yards and a pair of TDs on 21 attempts, and Jaylen Thomas ran for 70 yards and a score to lead Kent State.
The Golden Flashes defense allowed 153 total yards Saturday, with the Blue Devils scoring all 10 points during the fourth quarter and well after Burns had pulled his starters.
Big Test Saturday Against Fresno State
The Golden Flashes are a +27.5 point away underdog at BetMGM Ohio when they face the 3-0 Fresno State Bulldogs. The Bulldogs have impressive away victories over Purdue and Arizona State and feature a pass-first offense led by sophomore QB Mikey Keene.
Keene has thrown for 880 yards with eight TDs and a pair of picks. He’s also suffered through 11 sacks this season and was dropped six times in last week’s 29-0 away shutout of ASU.
Fresno State forced eight turnovers in their shutout win over a quarter-backless Sun Devils offense. The Bulldogs defense is fourth in the Mountain West in total defensive yards allowed with a half dozen interceptions and the same number of sacks.
Kent State vs. Fresno State Betting Analysis
Fresno State will hammer the Golden Flashes, and the best play for this contest is laying the -27.5 and rolling with the Bulldogs to cover the spread.
Kent State is rebuilding. They have a new head coach with numerous new faces, and they won’t be able to hang offensively or defensively with the high-scoring Fresno State Bulldogs.
Keene and the Bulldogs’ offense will pick apart the Golden Flashes defense. We should also expect to see Fresno State RB Elijah Gilliam having a huge game against a Kent State defense that surrendered 221 rushing yards on the ground this season. Lay the -27.5 and take Fresno State to cover Saturday night.
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