By Allen Moff

KENT — Two teams believing in themselves much more than outsiders believe in them will tee it up Saturday afternoon when Kent State visits Ball State to open Mid-American Conference play.

The Golden Flashes (1-3) and Cardinals (1-3) were both picked to finish last in their respective divisions after going 2-10 last season. They both drew attention early this season by playing formidable nonconference foes. Ball State was in the game at No. 8 Notre Dame all the way before falling 24-16, and the Flashes led Illinois by 10 at the half and trailed Mississippi by four points in the third quarter before staggering down the stretch in both road matchups.

Saturday’s winner receives fuel for its fledgling fire, while the loser’s flames get watered (click web address below for full article).

https://www.ohio.com/sports/2018092...able-mac-opener-for-golden-flashes-ball-state

From sportschatplace.com:

The Line: Ball State Cardinals -8.5

The touchdown with the hook is tempting for the Golden Flashes, but the bottom line is that Kent State isn’t a good defensive team. Sure, two of those games were against Penn State and Ole Miss, but Ball State also went toe-to-toe with Notre Dame and held their own for a bit against Indiana. All in all, we are laying a touchdown with the better team offensively and last I checked, you need to score to win games so I’ll lay the points with Ball State in this one.

(click web address below for full analysis)

https://sportschatplace.com/cfb-pic.../18-college-football-pick-odds-and-prediction

MUNCIE, Ind. — This one stung, but it was a different type of sting than Ball State felt at Indiana.

It was just two weeks ago that Ball State went into South Bend as 34.5-point underdogs and gave No. 8 Notre Dame all it could handle. That did nothing but raise the bar for the rest of this 2018 season, which is why last week’s 38-10 loss to the Hoosiers was disappointing. “That’s not Ball State football,” Mike Neu said after the game.

So Neu vowed to correct those things. And 15,873 fans showed up at Scheumann Stadium on Saturday to see the version of the Cardinals that went toe-to-toe with one of the best teams in the country on Sept. 8. Only they didn’t get it.

Ball State, a 3-point favorite, lost a pair of leads and ultimately suffered a 28-20 loss at the hands of Western Kentucky. This one was discouraging because the Cardinals could've, and frankly should've, won. They finished the non-conference portion of the schedule 1-3, meaning there is very little margin for error if the team is to make a bowl game for the first time in five years.

Mid-American Conference play begins with Kent State coming to town next week, which brings us to this question: Are we going to see the Ball State team that throttled Central Connecticut State and competed with Notre Dame? Or the one that fell flat at Indiana and left too many plays on the field against Western Kentucky?

“We’re 1-3; I expect better in our non-conference schedule,” Neu said. “But most importantly, we’ve got to make sure we’re working on the mistakes that have been made and can’t be showing up consistently. We’ve got to get those things cleaned up. It takes each guy recognizing when he watches the tape to say, ‘Hey, there’s something there I need to clean up or that I can do a better job of.’

“Listen, it’s certainly not what I envisioned going into the season. But everything in our conference is right in front of us.”

(click web address below for full article)

https://www.thestarpress.com/story/...am-we-see-next-week-vs-kent-state/1399852002/

7.5 points

http://www.vegasinsider.com/college-football/teams/team-page.cfm/team/kent-state

ESPN gives the Flashes a better chance to win over Ohio than Miami but I disagree with them. ESPN projects Kent State has a 34.7% chance to defeat Ohio, but only a 23.6 % chance to win against Miami. Since the Ohio game is at home and it is homecoming, perhaps that may give the Flashes more incentive to win than playing the RedHawks on the road. But given Miami's loss of key players due to injuries, and Ohio's strength in depth, I believe Miami presents Kent State its best chance of winning, besides the Bowling Green game. Certainly, most people agree records go out the window when rivals play, so the Akron game could go either way. But with Akron's dramatic win over Northwestern, I have to believe the Zips will be a heavy favorite to win this game. Now, contrast Akron with Miami and you have a different story. On the radio show following Miami's loss at Minnesota, Chuck Martin said something to the effect that if Miami is without these three guys then the RedHawks are going to have a long year because they are Miami's best offensive players. I know Ohio has not played very well in its first two games, but the Bobcats appear to have much more talent and confidence than the RedHawks at this point in the season. Unless Martin can turn things around in a hurry, I expect the Flashes to win their next game in Oxford on October 13. And if Bowling Green continues to flounder, then I see Kent State winning its third game on October 30.

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http://www.espn.com/college-football/team/fpi?id=2309&year=2018

From olehottytoddy.com:

This is a game in which the Rebels need to set the bar at perfection on both sides of the ball. Coach Matt Luke and OC Phil Longo need to turn the Rebels offense wide open and let them get back to clicking at full speed. Whatever needs to be done to put a competitive defense on the field has to be achieved in this game. Not just do both sides of the ball need to be productive but they also need to make a huge statement. Of course, OHT made this prediction months ago but after this past Saturday this game could get much uglier.

OHT Prediction

Ole Miss Rebels 56

Kent State Golden Flashes 10

(click web address below for full article)

https://olehottytoddy.com/2018/09/19/ole-miss-football-rebels-defense-must-bounce-back-kent-state/

Below is an article written by Elton Alexander of The Plain Dealer, along with my rejoinder.

Kent State football can change its culture, but can it change the results?

KENT, Ohio - Kent State's Sean Lewis, 32, the youngest head coach in Division I football, begins his first season facing the same issues many past KSU coaches inherited; a lack of size, a lack of experience and a lack of talent comparable to other teams in the Mid-American Conference.

That perception was solidified with a last-place prediction for KSU in the MAC preseason poll.

None of that bothers Lewis, former quarterback coach at Syracuse and Bowling Green, who closed preseason practices to the media.

"Everybody is entitled to their opinion,'' he said. "We're going to have our blinders on. We're going to have our heads down, and we're going to get better, day in and day out and let the chips fall where they may.''

Kent's defense remains experienced and solid, anchored by returning senior linebacker Matt Bahr.

Lewis looks to tilt the scales with an offensive style designed to generate better than 80 plays per game. Last season the Golden Flashes averaged less than 65.

For junior tailback Justin Rankin, who led Kent last season in rushing (490 yards, 3 TD) and was second in receiving (311 yards, 2 TD) the challenge is simple.

"We've got to change the culture,'' he said. "You have to change the culture and that is what we are working on right now.''

Yet, to paraphrase former boxer Mike Tyson, ''Everybody has a plan until they get hit.''

If there is one thing Kent football has proven over the years, it is the Flashes take more than their fair share of hits, especially on offense.

Since graduating two offensive linemen into the NFL after the 2012 season, that unit has been consistently undermanned, and hit by the tragic misfortune of two preseason deaths.

That several true freshmen, a senior transfer and a juco recruit are in the mix for the starting five line spots says the problem remains for Lewis and Co. to fix.

In conjunction with those offensive line woes, understand, KSU's starting quarterback in the first game of the 2015, 2016 and 2017 seasons failed to make it to the end of the season due to injuries. The starting quarterback in 2016 and 2017 did not make it to October.

Kent has not had the same starting quarterback for two straight seasons since 2014 and 2015 (Colin Reardon). That trend will continue for 2018, as sophomore Dustin Crum and junior college transfer Woody Barrett have battled for the starting spot since spring (click web address below for full article).

https://www.cleveland.com/sports/co...e_football_can_change.html#incart_river_index

One can say that Coach Lewis has changed the culture of the football program, but until the results change can you truly say that there is a culture change? Certainly, Coach Lewis has brought his likable personality and positive attitude to Kent State but at the end of the day it is the results that really matter.

If there truly is a culture change, then why is the perception still the same? I understand that Coach Lewis has introduced a different way of doing things and hopefully will bring a more entertaining brand of football to the program. But until the team wins, the culture will still remain the same.

The brain trust of the university thought a change was needed because Paul Haynes didn't win enough games. Tomorrow we will see the first results of the change and whether a new culture has really been implemented.

I would have liked to see what Nick Holley and Stefano Millin could have done in their final year of eligibility but thanks to Nielsen we will never know. What we do know at this writing is Holley is still on the Los Angeles Rams roster as a running back and Millin is anchoring the Pittsburgh Panthers offensive line at left tackle.

Culture change or not, you don't lose talent like that and have it not impact the team.

Unfortunately at Kent State, the more things change, the more things stay the same.

You be the judge.

With 11 seconds remaining in a 56-0 blowout against Georgia State last year, Penn State coach James Franklin called a timeout just as Georgia State was set to attempt a field goal. The icing of the kicker worked, as Georgia State shanked the kick following the timeout.

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James Franklin says beating Pitt is like ‘beating Akron’

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Christopher Morris said it best when he wrote,

"Franklin said 'last year for their win it was like the super bowl' (Pitt 42-PSU 39, 2016). He realized he messed up and then said 'each win is like the super bowl' meaning his team. He compared Pitt to Akron on a competition level not a win is a win level. He's a fraud."

Last Saturday, Franklin challenged a fumble call with a minute left, while his team led Pittsburgh by 45.

And to think I use to like Franklin when he coached at Vanderbilt. But when he poached Vandy's recruits after he bolted for Penn State, I knew he was a snake.

Don't expect Franklin to call off the dogs once he builds a commanding lead over Kent State. He will try to score as many points as he can regardless of how bad it looks.

Coach James Franklin talked up Kent, of course. He called them the fastest-tempo offense he's played since arriving in State College. He warned that Barrett could hurt his defense in big ways.

"He's dynamic. You see guys come through blitzing and he stands in the pocket, they hit him, they bounce off. He keeps his eyes down the field, delivers the strike, and he'll beat you with his legs. He’s a problem.’"

Bodani's pick: Penn State 52, Kent State 13

(click web address below for full analysis)


https://www.ydr.com/story/sports/co...ixing-and-fun-store-vs-kent-state/1254852002/

What’s Going To Happen
This is a better, more fun Kent State team – again, there’s an actual offense to worry about. But Penn State will keep the momentum going from the blowout win over Pitt with the offense getting out to a hot start. It’ll take its foot off the gas – the Golden Flashes will score late – but don’t expect a whole lot of drama.

Fearless Prediction & Line
Penn State 44, Kent State 13
Line: Penn State -35, o/u: 64

(click web address below for full analysis)

https://collegefootballnews.com/2018/09/penn-state-vs-kent-state-fearless-prediction-game-preview

Tim Owen • BlueWhiteIllustrated.com
@Tim_OwenBWI

For Kent State, it was the first time in 10 years that it surpassed 50 points in a single game. With a 54-14 win over Howard on Saturday, the Golden Flashes improved immensely on their margin of victory against the Bison. A year ago, they hung on to win by only a touchdown; this season it was by 40.

Perhaps more notably, though, this was the first win for new head coach Sean Lewis, a former Wisconsin quarterback and tight end who last served as offensive coordinator for Syracuse in 2017. In the locker room following the game, Lewis presented three game balls, one each to the school’s president, athletic director and associate AD. He meant it as a a sign of gratitude for putting him in the position in the first place.

Said Lewis, “I turned around and gave the game balls to them to thank them for believing in our vision and being able to take a chance and roll the dice on a young ball guy like myself."

Entering the season at the age of 31 years old, Lewis was the youngest head coach in the Football Bowl Subdivision. He now has Kent State starting out with a 1-1 record heading into Saturday’s matchup against Penn State in Beaver Stadium, but they were one touchdown away from a 2-0 start. At Illinois for the season opener, Kent State held a 17-3 halftime lead before the Illini prevailed, 31-24. Lewis went into week two’s practice hopeful they’d be able to build off the good start and learn from the final two quarters, in which Illinois outscored them 28-7.

Now with a win under their belt, the Flashes are aiming to maintain that momentum throughout the upcoming week.

“Ultimately at the end of the day, if we’re preparing the right way and we’re treating practice like a game, we’re big believers that our practice repetitions become our game reality,” Lewis said on the MAC Coaches conference call Monday morning. “It doesn’t matter if [Kent State is practicing on] our grass practice field on a Tuesday in between the white lines and there’s no one watching them, or if there happens to be 110,000 people watching in Happy Valley. Obviously it's going to be a little bit louder, but from our vantage point we need to do what we need to do and build a game plan that highlights our players' strengths. We’re looking forward to the opportunity and the challenge that lays ahead of us in Happy Valley.”

Through two games, Lewis has largely been pleased with his defense’s effort. Especially in the first half it’s been effective, allowing only one field goal against Illinois and holding Howard scoreless during the game’s first two quarters. Against Howard, specifically, Lewis called it a “phenomenal day” for the defense, holding the opposing team to a total of just 65 rushing yards and stopping 15 of 17 third-down conversion attempts.

He also praised the effort of his special teams unit, which had a 22-yard punt return and blocked a punt which set up a score.

Kent State’s offense “was very opportunistic but needs to be cleaner,” Lewis said in balancing his evaluation. “Disappointed in how many times we turned the football over. We need to put a premium on our ball security.”

In addition to one interception thrown by starting QB Woody Barrett, the Golden Flash offense also put the ball on the ground four times, losing three of them. Against Penn State Saturday, based on Lewis’s scouting of Nittany Lion personnel, those miscues will be more difficult to overcome.

Lewis evaluates Penn State’s ‘galaxy’ of stars
After spending the last two seasons working under Dino Barbers at Syracuse, Lewis gained firsthand knowledge about some of the best high school football prospects from the mid-Atlantic and East Coast. Often their recruiting territory overlapped with Penn State’s and in those two seasons Lewis saw more of the region’s top prospects choosing to sign under head coach James Franklin.

“He’s got a galaxy over there with the number of stars he’s been able to accumulate in recruiting,” Lewis said. “They’re long, they're athletic, they’re nasty, they hunt the ball, they're opportunistic and they play the game the right away, which is a credit to Coach Franklin and his staff.”

Here’s more of what Lewis had to say about the Nittany Lions’ personnel (click web address below for full article):

https://bwi.rivals.com/news/following-1st-win-kent-state-hc-sean-lewis-previews-penn-state

When Tua Tagovailoa of the University of Alabama expressed his faith in an interview following the Crimson Tide's BCS championship game against the University of Georgia, the quarterback placed himself in a growing number of Christian athletes, who are vocal about their commitment to Jesus Christ.

When asked what his victory means to him, Tagovailoa said, "In this moment, it means the world but at the same time, all glory goes to God. I can't describe what He has done for me and my family. I thank God for that. First and foremost, I just want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, with whom all things are possible.That's what happened tonight."

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Like Tagovailoa, Kent State's quarterback Woody Barrett gave all the glory to God in a tweet following the Flashes' opening home win against the Howard Bison.

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Flash fans are familiar with Will Matthews' strong faith in God having led the team in prayer last season, but until I read Barrett's recent tweet, I was unaware of his spirituality.

It's always nice to see athletes like Tim Tebow, Tua Tagovailoa, Woody Barrett, and Will Matthews using their platforms to promote their faith.

As committed Christians, they know from where their strength comes and recognize the source of their talents and gifts. And as team players, they know they didn’t get this far alone, and want to give credit.

They also understand they have been trained and developed by coaches, and have been blessed with somebody who helped shape their raw talent.

Barrett can thank his high school and JUCO coaches for developing his abilities but it may very well be Sean Lewis who helps maximize his talent through his experience as a quarterback coach.

But no matter how far Barrett's talents take him, he keeps his eyes set on the ultimate goal of eternal life.

And because of this, I keep him in the same high esteem as Tebow, Tagovailoa, and Matthews.

Congrats to Coach Lewis on picking up his first career victory in his home debut!

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From Cappers Picks:

Last time these two teams played the Golden Flashes came out ahead 38-31.

Howard Bison
The Howard Bison come into this game looking for their first win after losing their opening game to the Ohio Bobcats but don’t let the record fool you, they are a good offensive team.

They put up 645 yards in the first game including 484 yards through the air. The defense just let them down and it led to a loss.

They are led at quarterback by Sophomore Caylin Newton, who is Cam Newton’s younger brother and shows a lot of the same traits as the Carolina Panthers quarterback.

He is a real gunslinger who can really hurt opponents with the way he can bring the offense up and down the field.

In this game it’s going to start with the defense and they need to be better. The offense should do it’s part but if the defense struggles again that could mean the second week in a row that the offense is good and the defense lets them down.

Kent State Golden Flashes
On the other side of this matchup is the Kent State Golden Flashes who haven’t had a good team for years but they showed some reason for optimism in their first game against Illinois.

They came in as 18 point underdogs but the offense actually performed pretty well putting up 24 points and although they still lost, they only lost by seven points.

The Golden Flashes are still a team that relies on the run putting up 270 yards on the ground but this year they are putting a bit more focus on passing the ball.

Woody Barrett threw for 270 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw two interceptions which is concerning and he needs to do a better job of taking care of the ball.

NCAA Football Handicapping Trends
There are no trends released yet.

Free Week 2 NCAA Football Pick
I really like the Bison offense and the way they are able to move the ball. They played well against an Ohio team that is much better than Kent State.

The Bison offense will be too much and that will be the difference as they send Kent State to 0-2. I am not sure who will be favored in this game but I think the Bison ML is the play.

Week 2 Free Score Prediction: Bison 31 – Kent State 24

https://www.capperspicks.com/free-p...e-golden-flashes-9-8-2018-betting-prediction/

I'm still waiting on predictions from Hustle Belt and College Football News. I will post them when they are released. As far as the prediction above, it's really hard to disagree with this analysis. Offensively, Howard was impressive against the Ohio Bobcats. Hustle Belt predicted the Flashes would score 21 against Illinois and they scored 24. Although I was wrong in doubting Kent State would score that many points, I was correct in predicting the two interceptions. Obviously, this game could go either way. Despite committing four turnovers, the Bison still only lost by six points to Ohio. This game could be decided by special teams. If Derek Adams is available to punt, I will go with the Flashes, but if he is unable to go against Howard, I will have to go with the Bison only because of what they were able to do against Ohio. Let's just hope the Flashes are leading at the half because I'm afraid the Bison will score a lot of points in the second half against Kent's exhausted defense.