Flashes Kickoff 2024 Season at Pitt
8/30/2024 1:49:00 PM | Football
KENT- The Golden Flashes enter year two of the Kent GRIT era, making the short trek to the Steel City to take on the Pitt Panthers.
Kick-off is scheduled for 12:07 p.m. from Acrisure Stadium, with the pre-game show on the Kent State Radio Network starting at 11:30. Rob Polinsky will have the call with Tom Evans on color commentary and Dane Richardson on the sidelines. Saturday's open will air on ESPN U.
The Flashes bring back nine starters on offense and six starters on defense along with all three specialists. Joining the offensive fold this year is running back Ky Thomas. Thomas played for coach Kenni Burns at Minnesota where he ran for 824 yards, 4.5 yards per carry and six scores under Burns' tutelage. Also returning to the offense is a healthy Chrishon McCray, the first team All-MAC wideout led the MAC in yards per game last season but was injured in the Wagon Wheel Rivalry game.
Defensively, the Flashes will welcome back Khalib Johns and Matt Harmon from injury-plagued 2023 campaigns. Both veterans bring a balanced skill set back as well as the ability to get to the quarterback. Johns had two sacks and was the MAC Player of the Week when the Flashes took on Georgia in 2022.
Place Kicker Andrew Glass is on the brink of program history. The senior hit 15 field goals last year to give him 53 all time, putting him second on the all-time list and only five behind Freddy Cortez (2009-12). His 97 extra points are third all-time as he looks to become the third Kent State kicker with 100+ extra points in his career.
This is the eighth meeting all time between the schools on the gridiron, all of which have come in Pittsburgh. The series dates to 1970 with the Panthers winning each of the last seven times. This will be the first time in 21 seasons the two schools have met, Pitt took a 43-3 victory on September 6, 2003 in the last meeting.
This will be the first of three non-conference games against Pennsylvania Schools. The Flashes open up at home next Saturday, September 7th against the Saint Francis University (PA) Red Flash. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. from Dix Stadium, tickets are available at KSUTix.com.
