Next up: Kent State.

Penn State football is back in action on Saturday as the Golden Flashes come to Beaver Stadium. It’s the Nittany Lions’ last non-conference opponent of the regular season as the Big Ten schedule is underway next week. Before the game begins, let’s take a look at another foe from the MAC.

The Team

Kent State is off to an 0-3 start. The Golden Flashes were infamously beaten 71-0 by Tennessee last week in Knoxville. Kenni Burns is in his second season as head coach after serving as a longtime assistant under P.J. Fleck at Minnesota. He has a 1-14 record as the team’s head coach.

Mark Carney serves as the team’s primary offensive coordinator, while Clay Patterson works as a co-offensive coordinator. Meanwhile, Kody Morgan is the defensive coordinator and C.J. Robbins is the special teams coordinator.

Penn State owns a 6-0 overall series lead against Kent State. The two teams last faced off in 2018, when the Nittany Lions won 63-10.

Offense

Kent State’s offense ranks last in the FBS, averaging 201.3 yards per game. That equates to 3.37 yards per play and 604 total yards.

Junior Devin Kargman is the starting quarterback. He has 432 passing yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions, and a 55.56% completion rate this season.

Ky Thomas, the starting running back, has 89 rushing yards but no touchdowns yet. Curtis Douglas, his understudy, has 22 carries for 73 yards.

Luke Floreia and Chrishon McCray are the only two wide receivers the Golden Flashes heavily utilize. Floreia leads the team with 209 receiving yards and two touchdowns. McCray has added 121 yards and a pair of touchdowns this season. Charlie Skehan is listed as the team’s starting tight end, although he’s yet to record a catch this season.

Jimto Obedegwu and Dustyn Morell start at left tackle and guard, respectively. Elijah Williams is the starting center, while Chris Farrell and Cameron Golden start at right guard and tackle.

Defense

Kent State’s defense also ranks last in the FBS. The Golden Flashes have allowed 570.7 yards per game, equating to 1,712 total yards and 7.48 yards per play.

Rocco Nicholl leads the team with 24 total tackles. The linebacker also has two breakups and two quarterback hurries. James Franklin mentioned him as a player he’s been impressed by this week. Khalib Johns, Nicholl’s fellow linebacker, is second with 20 total tackles. He also has half a tackle for loss. Mason Woods, who has 18 total tackles, also gets playing time at the position.

Stephen Daley is the starting left defensive end. He has 15 total tackles along with three tackles for loss, one sack, a breakup, and a quarterback hurry. Kaden Beatty and Oliver Billotte are the starting defensive tackles, while Matt Harmon is the right starting defensive end. He has 12 total tackles, one sack, and three quarterback hurries.

Alex Branch, the only player on the team to record an interception, is the starting full safety. Josh Baka, the strong safety, has 14 total tackles but has yet to register a breakup or hurry.

Dallas Branch, who is not related to Alex, is the starting right cornerback. He is a graduate transfer from San Diego State. Naim Muhammed starts on the right side, while Armahn Hale is the nickelback.

Special Teams

Josh Smith is Kent State’s punter, with 854 yards and a touchback on 20 punts. His longest punt is 53 yards.

Andrew Glass handles field goals, and he’s two-for-four this season. His longest kick came from 44 yards out. He also handles kickoff duties and averages 61.6 yards with three touchbacks.

Floreia handles both punt and kickoff returns. He’s got only one punt return for 29 yards, while four kickoff returns average 21 yards for 81 total yards.