#FlashFAST Releases 2021 Schedule
2/26/2021 11:01:00 AM | Football, The Golden Flashes Club
KENT, OHIO- The 2021 schedule is officially set for year four of the #FlashFAST era as the Mid-American Conference announced the dates for all eight of Kent State's conference games.
Kent State has also finalized their four non-conference opponents. The 12-game schedule will see the Golden Flashes head on the road for three of their four non-conference games. Game times for each of the 12 contests will be announced at a later date.
The season will get under way on Saturday, September 4th with a trip to the lone star state and a date with the Texas A and M Aggies at Kyle Field. This will be the first meeting between the Aggies and the Golden Flashes. The Aggies, under head coach Jimbo Fisher finished 4th in the final polls of the 2020 season. This game will mark the first regular-season game for the Golden Flashes in the State of Texas since defeating UTEP in October of 1985. The Flashes are 2-0 all time in the state with the other victory coming in the 2019 Tropical Smoothie Café Frisco Bowl.
A week later the Golden Flashes will host the Virginia Military Institute Keydets in the 2021 home opener. This will also mark the first meeting between VMI and Kent State. The Keydets are playing an eight-game spring schedule and are out of the FCS SoCon Conference.
Kent State will make its third ever trip to Kinnick Stadium on Saturday, September 18th to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes. Iowa has taken the previous two meetings between the team, winning in 2001 and again in 2004. Last season, the Hawkeyes won their final six games of the season to finish 6-2. They were slated to face Missouri in the Music City Bowl, which ended up being canceled.
The 2021 non-conference wraps up on Saturday, September 25th with the first ever meeting between Kent State and the University of Maryland. The Terrapins finished the 2020 season at 2-3. The trip to the old-line state will mark the sixth all-time for the Golden Flashes. The five previous trips have been to Annapolis to take on the Naval Academy.
Mid-American Conference play will begin on Saturday, October 2nd with the Battle for the Anniversary Award. The game will mark the 69th time the Bowling Green Falcons and the Golden Flashes have met and the 36th time for the Anniversary Award. Kent State has won the previous three meetings, including 62-point showings in each of the last two years.
Buffalo comes to Dix Stadium on October 9th, marking the first time since 2009 that the Flashes have played their first two MAC games at home. The last time the Bulls came to Dix Stadium the Flashes erased a 21-point fourth-quarter deficit to win 30-27. That victory sparked a four-game win streak to end the 2019 season culminating in the Frisco Bowl win over Utah State.
The Golden Flashes head to Kalamazoo the following weekend for the first matchup with the Broncos since the 2017 season. The meeting with the Broncos is the first of three "cross-over" games with the MAC western division.
The last game before the bye week will come on Saturday, October 23rd with a trek to Athens, Ohio and Peden Stadium to take on the Ohio Bobcats. The Golden Flashes were on the wrong end of a 45-38 shootout in 2019, the last time these two teams met.
Kent State will enjoy a lengthy bye as the schedule flips over to November "MACtion". Northern Illinois makes its first trip to Dix Stadium since the 2016 season for a Wednesday, November 3rd mid-week battle. It's the first of only two mid-week games for Kent State, who make the trip to Mount Pleasant the following Wednesday. It'll mark the first time since 2016 that Kent State has made the trip to face the Chippewas.
A "mini-bye" awaits the Golden Flashes as it will be 10 days between contests. The schedule flips back to traditional Saturdays for the final two regular-season games. The Battle for the Wagon Wheel heads back down I-76 for a Saturday, November 20th contests with the Zips at InfoCision Stadium. Kent State has held the Wheel in each of the last two seasons. Senior Day and the regular-season finale are set for Saturday, November 27th against the Miami Red Hawks. It will be the 68th meeting all time between the conference rivals.
The full 12-game 2021 season schedule can be seen below.
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Saturday 9/4 |
At Texas A and M |
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Saturday 9/11 |
Vs VMI |
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Saturday 9/18 |
At Iowa |
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Saturday 9/25 |
At Maryland |
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Saturday 10/2 |
Vs Bowling Green |
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Saturday 10/9 |
Vs Buffalo |
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Saturday 10/16 |
At Western Michigan |
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Saturday 10/23 |
At Ohio |
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Saturday 10/30 |
Bye Week |
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Wednesday 11/3 |
Vs Northern Illinois |
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Wednesday 11/10 |
At Central Michigan |
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Saturday 11/20 |
At Wagon Wheel |
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Saturday 11/27 |
Vs Miami |
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Saturday 12/4 |
MAC Championship |
