Kent State Golden Flashes travel to Tallahassee to play #7 Florida State Seminoles

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Kent State Golden Flashes will make their first-ever trip to face the Florida State Seminoles on Saturday afternoon, marking a historic first meeting between the two programs. The Golden Flashes face their biggest test of the young season as they travel to Doak Campbell Stadium to take on the seventh-ranked Seminoles.

Kent State Looking to Bounce Back

Coming off a heartbreaking 31-28 loss to Buffalo in their MAC opener, the Golden Flashes (1-2, 0-1 MAC) seek to regroup against one of the nation's elite programs. Kent State opened the season with promise, defeating Merrimack 21-17 before suffering a tough 62-14 setback at Texas Tech.

The Golden Flashes have shown flashes of offensive potential, averaging 318.7 yards per game behind the dual-threat capabilities of quarterback Dru DeShields. The redshirt-sophomore signal-caller has completed 61.4% of his passes for 513 yards and four touchdowns while adding 61 rushing yards and two more scores on the ground.

Offensive Keys for Kent State

The dynamic receiving duo of Cade Wolford and Wayne Harris will lead the Golden Flashes' offense. Wolford has been DeShields' favorite target with seven catches for 223 yards and four touchdowns, including an impressive 31.9 yards per reception average that ranks first nationally. Harris provides a reliable underneath option with seven catches for 75 yards.

In the backfield, running back Gavin Garcia has shouldered the load with 135 rushing yards on 45 carries, though the ground game has struggled to find consistency, averaging just 2.6 yards per carry as a team.

The Golden Flashes will need to protect DeShields better against a Seminoles defense that has recorded six sacks in two games. Kent State has allowed nine sacks already this season, which could spell trouble against Florida State's aggressive pass rush.

Defensive Challenge Awaits

Kent State's defense faces perhaps its biggest test of the season against a Florida State offense averaging an explosive 555.5 yards per game. The Seminoles have been dominant on the ground, rushing for 295.5 yards per game behind a deep stable of running options led by Tommy Castellanos (85 rushing yards, 1 TD) and Micahi Danzy (109 rushing yards, 2 TDs).

The Golden Flashes' defense, led by linebacker CJ Young (21 total tackles) and Mason Woods (20 total tackles), will need to find ways to slow down FSU's multi-dimensional attack. Kent State has struggled against the run, allowing 177.7 rushing yards per game and 5.0 yards per carry.

Florida State's Dominant Start

The Seminoles have looked every bit the part of a top-10 team through two games, opening with an impressive 31-17 victory over Alabama before dismantling East Texas A&M 77-3. FSU's offense has been explosive, scoring 54 points per game, while the defense has been equally impressive, allowing just 10 points per game.

Quarterback Tommy Castellanos has been efficient through the air (68% completion percentage, 389 yards, 3 TDs) while contributing on the ground. The Seminoles' receiving corps, led by Duce Robinson (191 receiving yards, 2 TDs), presents a significant challenge for a Kent State secondary already giving up 288.3 passing yards per game.

Special Teams Battle

One area where Kent State might find an edge is in the return game. Da'Realyst Clark has been electric on kickoff returns, averaging 33.0 yards per return with one touchdown, including a 100-yard return for a score.

Keys to an Upset

For Kent State to pull off what would be a monumental upset, several things must go right:

Protect the Football: The Golden Flashes cannot afford turnovers against a team of Florida State's caliber. Kent State has already lost three fumbles this season.
Win the Time of Possession: Keeping FSU's explosive offense off the field will be crucial. The Golden Flashes average 31:56 in time of possession, which could help keep the game close.
Create Explosive Plays: With Wolford's big-play ability and Clark's return skills, Kent State must find ways to match Florida State's explosive capability.
Force Turnovers: The Seminoles have been careful with the ball (zero interceptions thrown), but creating short fields through turnovers could be Kent State's best path to points.

The Flashes and Seminoles kick off at 3:30 p.m. on the ACC Network.

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