It’s been a rough first 14 games for Kenni Burns as the head coach of the Kent State Golden Flashes. After going 1-11 last season, Kent State is off to an 0-2 start to the 2024 season with losses against Pitt and FCS St. Francis.
The challenge only gets harder this weekend when the Golden Flashes travel south to Knoxville to face No. 6 Tennessee at Neyland Stadium. Tennessee is off to a dominant start to the season, outscoring Chattanooga and NC State by a combined 120-13.
Ahead of the matchup, Burns discussed the challenges that Tennessee presents including Nico Iamaleava, its stout defensive line and much more. Here’s what Burns said about the Vols on Monday.
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On what Kent State’s defense has to do to slow down Tennessee’s run game
“You have to tackle. That’s where it starts. You have to tackle the ball. You have to get it down. They’re going to have their success and we’re going ot give up some things at times but make sure you get the play down and try to limit the explosive plays. But I’d argue they’re just as good in the pass game so you’re going to rob Peter to pay Paul someway, somehow. Their quarterback is extremely talented. Very good young player who is playing at a very high level right now and they scored over 50 points in the first two games, I believe. So, again, the best defense to me is a really good offense. You have to play complimentary football. You have to keep them off the field and find ways to hang onto the ball and make sure their offense is on the sideline. But they’re a talented, talented group and we have our hands full with them.”
On how he expects his team to handle the environment at Neyland Stadium
“You have to go in there and keep the main thing the main thing. You’re there to play a football game and win a football game. You have to be at your best come kickoff and we’ll do some things with practice with the volume and the noise and that stuff to be able to execute in that. But it’s a great opportunity and I think that’s what our young football team is looking for. An opportunity and this is one to go redeem yourself off of what happened last week and get back to the basics of what we want to do as an offense and a defense and a football team. I think our guys are excited. Last night was a hard night for them to watch the tape and get better and see where they dropped the ball but I think they’re eager to go play and show our true ability. This is still a football team that when you look at it, we took Pitt, an ACC football team that’s 2-0 now— we were in that game until the fourth quarter so we have ability. It’s about maximizing our ability and putting ourselves in situations to be effective moving forward.”
On Tennessee’s high tempo
“They’re going fast. They’re going really really fast. The one benefit that we’ve got is we played a team that went fast in Pitt. So we have had experience with it. Now were they going as fast as this operation? Absolutely not. But they were going fast. So we’ve got to be able to handle that and we’ll do some things in practice. I think we’re equipped to it a little bit. We’ll do some things in practice that set our guys up to be successful. The biggest thing is limiting your calls and what you’re doing defensively. Making sure your guys know what to do and are able to execute in the tempo and pace that they’re going at.”
On what stands out about Tennessee’s defense
“Their DLine is extremely talented. We’ll have our hands full there. Again, you call us coach. We have to find ways to put stress on different defenders that we can get them with the RPO game and the run, pass, option. Make sure we find ways to get the ball out quick and utilize our running back Ky Thomas and get him down hill but they’re very talented defensively. There’s not many weaknesses on this defense. I was in the Big 10 for many years and I know a top 10 team when I see one and this is a top 10 football team. They’re talented. They play well together. They play for each other and then they play hard. They play really really hard. You put talent and playing hard together and you have a dangerous football team here. We’ve got to be at our best for sure and find ways to move the ball offensively and limit their explosive plays as a defense.”
On the overall challenge of this week
“You’re facing talent. You’ve got a talented football team that plays hard. I think whenever you have that you’ve got issues that you have to figure out how to put stress on them and slow them down a little bit. On defense, you have to slow them down so they’re not just playing off their heels and firing back at you. With maybe different movements and shifts to try and create confusion. Offensively, you have to be methodical. They’re not going to give you plays down the field so how do you stay on schedule in the run game and get four yards a carry, stay around there and be methodical in your pass game. Make high percentage throws with your quick game to get the ball out of your quarterbacks hands. I think they’re going to do a good job. I’d be shocked if they don’t come up and play some cover one and press our receiver ups and make it a little bit crazy for them. I think we have to be creative with how we get those guys open and do some stuff. That’s what I’d do against us, press our receivers up and add an extra head to the box. I don’t think that’s very hard to figure out, so I don’t mind saying that. Our coaches have to find a good way to do that because there are ways you can take advantage of that if teams are doing that to you. I think it’s about protecting the ball on offense, getting it on defense, tackling on defense and breaking tackles on offense and finding ways to limit their explosive plays on offense and finding ways to create some for us is the recipe in this game to give us a shot. And the thing is, living in the moment. Playing the next play. Don;t get ahead of yourself and see if you can give yourself a shot in the fourth quarter.”
