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The Kent State Golden Flashes have had their fair share of ups and downs this season, suffering three out losses in their first five games. The Golden Flashes are hoping to put behind them a discouraging 48-0 shutout drumming on the road against the eighth-ranked Wisconsin Badgers.
It has been a completely disappointing start out of the gate to the 2019 season for the Akron Zips, having dropped their first five contests. The Zips are coming off a 37-29 loss to the UMass Minutemen, which marked their third straight loss on the road.
Golden Flashes looking to bounce back
It has been a troubling start to the season for the Golden Flashes that has seen them experience plenty of struggles over the last three weeks with two losses over that span. They are coming off a disappointing loss on the road against Wisconsin being shut out 48-0. It was a complete offensive struggle for Kent State recording only 10 first downs with 124 total offensive yards while the Badgers possessed the ball twice as much of they did in the game. It was a completely one-sided affair that put on display their shortcomings on both sides of the ball that have put them under the .500 mark. However, the Golden Flashes had some bright spots on the roster that have helped them grab a pair of wins.😤#FlashFAST | #BTA pic.twitter.com/kSsVctcwtw
— Kent State Football (@KentStFootball) October 8, 2019
They have had strong play from their skilled-position players with senior running back Jo-El Shaw being their primary asset in the backfield, rushing for 298 yards on 60 carries with two touchdowns. Prior to playing against the Badgers, he put up his first 100 rushing yard performance of the year with 109 yards on 15 carries with two touchdowns. Shaw should be in line to bounce back against Akron, who has struggled against the run being 105th in the country, allowing 193.8 yards per contest. Their running game should lead the charge offensively help pace them to a strong performance on the road. Sophomore wide receiver Isaiah McCoy should also be a factor in the contest as he has been their primary receiving threat with 21 catches for 301 receiving yards and three touchdowns. It should see him bounce back as well from a quiet outing against Wisconsin.
Akron heading south in a hurry
The Zips have stumbled through the first five of the games of the season dropping each in disappointing fashion. They have had major issues on both sides of the ball being among the least productive teams. The bulk of their problems have come from their lack of offensive efficiency, being in the bottom tier in the nation ranking 124th with 16.6 points per game, last with just 50.0 rushing yards per contest, and 48th in passing. The utter lack of dependability in their running game has put them in a significant disadvantage each week with them struggling to get anything going. If they hope to keep up with the Golden Flashes, they will need their offense to put up a strong performance at home instead of the seven points they scored in their last home game against Troy.IT’S GAME WEEK‼️#BeatKent#OurWay | #HereToDevelop pic.twitter.com/m1npaCA7yF
— Akron Zips Football (@ZipsFB) October 7, 2019
These shortcomings offensively have been difficult to overcome, but they have had equally if not more issues defensively this year. The Zips are ranked 99th against the pass, 105th against the run, and 120th allowing 38.0 points per contest. They had major issues finding any type of success against teams defensively, allowing more than 30 points in each contest, which has continued to put their offense in a rut. In what has been their best offensive performance of the year, the Zips last week gave up 37 points to UMass with 433 total offensive yards with north of 200 yards, both from passing and rushing in the game. Their defense will need to step up to break their trend if they hope to send Kent State to their second straight loss. If not, it will be more of the same for Akron on Saturday afternoon.
Notable Trends
- Akron is 1-4 ATS in their last five conference games.
- Akron is 1-4 ATS againsat a team with a losing record.
- Akron is 3-13 ATS in their last 16 games on fieldturf.
- Kent State is 5-1 ATS in their last six games after allowing more than 40 points in their previous game.
- Kent State is 5-1 ATS in their last six games after accumulating less than 100 yards rushing in their previous game.
- Kent State is 6-2 ATS in their last eight games following an ATS loss.
The Bottom Line What to bet on this game.
Full-Game Total Pick
The Golden Flashes have had their struggles this year, but they are set to face a team that has had an enormous number of issues on the field on both sides of the ball. It sets the table for what will be a bounce-back performance with Shaw leading the way in the ground game. This will be the epitome of a one-sided affair.
Prediction: Kent State -14.5
Full-Game Prop Bet
This will be a strong offensive performance from Kent State against one of the worst defenses in the league rooted by their rushing attack. They have shown to be capable to put up points, especially against lesser opponents this season. Akron has had their struggles offensively, but the Golden Flashes should produce enough offense to carry this game past the over/under line.
Prediction: Over 57
