The Opponent: Kent State University was founded in 1910 in the small Ohio town of Kent. The school’s original name was the Ohio State Normal College at Kent. Kent State’s nickname is the Golden Flashes, officially approved by the school in 1927. For a few years prior, the school’s athletic teams went by the unofficial nickname of the Silver Foxes. Kent State has been playing football since 1920. The school has been competing in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) since 1951 but has just one conference title to its name. Kent State is the alma mater of Nick Saban. Saban played defensive back for the Golden Flashes from 1970-1972 and started his coaching career at the school.
Are they any Good?: No, this is a really bad football team coming to town Saturday night. The Golden Flash are coming off a loss to St. Francis University, a team coming off a 4-6 record at the FCS level. Overall, Kent State is 1-13 since the beginning of 2023. That one win came against Central Connecticut State from the FCS level. The Athletic ranks all 134 FBS teams on a weekly basis. Kent State is #134 (November opponent UTEP is #133). College football is beloved for its chaos and uncertainty, so anything can happen….but not really in this game. Kent State is a bad football team.
What will this tell us about Tennessee?: This game is all about developing youth and depth for Tennessee. Remember, a player can play in four games and still be eligible for a redshirt. This is probably Tennessee’s last chance to give meaningful playing time to some young players. It is something this coaching staff will be very mindful of. I will especially be looking at the offensive line and secondary. Tennessee is fairly set with its starters on the offensive line, but most of those starters won’t be back next season. It is a good opportunity to get some younger lineman real reps. In the secondary, the Vols still need to develop depth for this season. It is a good game to play Jakobe Thomas, John Slaughter, Jordan Matthews, Edrees Farooq and others. The Vols may really need some of those guys down the stretch.
What does Vegas say?: The Vols opened as a 47.5-point favorite over Kent State. That number is at -49 or -49.5 at most books right now. The game total is at 62.5. Tennessee will be in a position to easily cover this spread if they so choose. Keep an eye on 70 Saturday night. Josh Heupel has scored in the 60’s six times at Tennessee. His 69 points against UTC were the high water mark for Heupel though. Do the Vols flirt with 70 Saturday night? The first quarter spread is -13.5, and the first half spread is -28.5. Those seem like obtainable numbers.
More from RTI: Tennessee Basketball Hosting Pair Of Five-Star Recruits On Official Visits Around Kent State Game
Matchup to watch on Defense: For all the NFL Draft hype, it has been a quiet two games for James Pearce Jr. Tennessee’s All-American edge rusher played just 10 snaps in the home opener and 29 snaps against NC State. Pearce barely appears on the stat sheet for the Volunteers thus far, no sacks and only one total tackle. Tim Banks does not seem too concerned though. The reality is Pearce is going to attract double teams and added attention this season. He is going to be on a limited snap count many games, as Tennessee rotates through a deep defensive line. While I know coaches are not concerned about it, I am sure Pearce is very hungry to get his first sack of the season. How much does he play on Saturday night though? I would be surprised if it is much more than 15 snaps. Tennessee does not need James Pearce Jr against Kent State. They need him on the road versus a rebuilt Oklahoma offensive line. Sooner or later, Pearce is going to bring havoc on an opposing quarterback.
Matchup to watch on Offense: Continued chemistry between quarterback and receivers. Ideally, Nico Iamaleava only plays a half of football on Saturday night. For however long it may be though, it is a good opportunity to continue to build chemistry with his receivers. Nico has been outstanding through two games, but he had some freshman moments against NC State. It is a good opportunity for growth. With the emergence of multiple weapons at the tight end position, the young quarterback has a lot of mouths to feed. Against NC State, only 103 yards of passing went to his receivers. Squirrel White accounted for 67 of those yards. Having multiple weapons is a great problem to have. Saturday night is a chance to strengthen his bond with Chris Brazzell, Bru McCoy, and Dont’e Thornton though. The Vols were able to mostly rely on their defense and running game against the Wolfpack, which is an ideal scenario for any head coach. At some point, Tennessee will need some fireworks from its offense. Looking for Heupel and Nico to stretch the field early on Saturday night.
Fun Fact: The Cuyahoga River cuts through the town of Kent, just west of campus. The river itself served as a major landmark and boundary line for the Treaty of Greenville, signed in 1795. The treaty was between the Government of the United States of America and twelve indigenous of the Northwest Territory. It was witnessed by Meriwether Lewis and William Henry Harrison, and ultimately signed by President George Washington. It effectively ended the Northwest Indian War, and ceded the majority of modern day Ohio to the United States. The indigenous tribes were left with a small portion of land, and the promise of guaranteed annuity payments from the federal government. Those promises were short-lived at best, and completely disingenuous at worst. Frontier lines were impossible to enforce, so was violence between Native Americans and frontiersmen. Hard feelings boiled over, and were a large reason many tribes in the area elected to fight with the British in the War of 1812. We often think of the modern western United States when we think of the term the Wild West. Ohio, and the entire Northwest Territory, was America’s original Wild West though.
So what Happens?: If Tennessee is completely locked in and motivated, then the Vols will win by 50+. That may happen regardless. Still, it is worth noting where this game falls on the schedule for Tennessee. Sandwiched between two primetime ABC games against Top 25 opponents, it is understandable if the Vols are not totally dialed in on Saturday night. Fans are already looking ahead to Oklahoma, could the players be too? Tennessee will start hot though. I expect Tennessee to consistently rush for 5+ yards per carry. There will be a lot of rotation at running back Saturday night, but the result will be consistently productive. That is going to open up the big plays downfield, and Nico will connect on several. On offense, Kent State rushed for just 78 yards against St. Francis and only 31 against Pitt. That is not a good sign against a Tennessee defense giving up just 56 yards per game. Tennessee will make Kent State one-dimensional on offense, and that will lead to a few big turnovers. The Vols will take a 30+ point lead into halftime Saturday night, and you will see the benches empty in the 3rd quarter. Predicting the game from there is a crapshoot. Even with backups, the Volunteer front seven should be able to smother this Golden Flash offense. It will be interesting to see the second and third string secondary in coverage though. I predict a touchdown hat trick for Tennessee. The Vols put the ball in the endzone with their offense, defense, and special teams. Yes, everyone is glancing ahead to Oklahoma. I don’t know how much it matters against such a hapless opponent though. If this were even an average MAC team, or a plucky Sun Belt squad, I think they could surprise a Tennessee team with their eyes set on Norman. The Kent State Golden Flashes are not that though. This is a bad team, and the score will reflect as much. Tennessee 66, Kent State 13
