1965 Kent State Golden Flashes football team

The 1965 Kent State Golden Flashes football team was an American football team that represented Kent State University in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 1965 NCAA University Division football season. In their second season under head coach Leo Strang, the Golden Flashes compiled a 5–4–1 record (3–2–1 against MAC opponents), finished in a tie for third place in the MAC, and outscored all opponents by a combined total of 144 to 114.^[1][2] The season marked Kent's first winning season in a half-decade, its first as a major college program, and its longest unbeaten streak since 1956 that was not surpassed until 1973.^[3][4]

1965 Kent State Golden Flashes football
Conference	Mid-American Conference
Record	5–4–1 (3–2–1 MAC)
Head coach	Leo Strang (2nd season)
Home stadium	Memorial Stadium
Seasons ← 1964 1966 →

1965 Mid-American Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
Bowling Green +	5	–	1	–	0			7	–	2	–	0
Miami (OH) +	5	–	1	–	0			7	–	3	–	0
Western Michigan	3	–	2	–	1			6	–	2	–	1
Kent State	3	–	2	–	1			5	–	4	–	1
Marshall	2	–	4	–	0			5	–	5	–	0
Toledo	2	–	4	–	0			5	–	5	–	1
Ohio	0	–	6	–	0			0	–	10	–	0
+ – Conference co-champions

The team's statistical leaders included Willie Asbury with 998 rushing yards, Ron Mollric with 407 passing yards, and Billy Blunt with 337 receiving yards.^[5] Four Kent State players were selected as first-team All-MAC players: halfback Willie Asbury, offensive tackle Jon Brooks, defensive back Pat Gucciardo, and offensive guard Ed Musbach.^[6] Asbury ,who went on to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers, was the MAC Offensive Player of the Year.^[7]

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 18	at Xavier*	Xavier Stadium Cincinnati, OH	L 14–21	12,235	[8]
September 25	Dayton*	Memorial Stadium Kent, OH	W 14–6
October 2	at Ohio	Peden Stadium Athens, OH	W 27–10
October 9	Miami (OH)	Memorial Stadium Kent, OH	W 24–13
October 16	at Western Michigan	Waldo Stadium Kalamazoo, MI	T 10–10
October 23	Bowling Green	Memorial Stadium Kent, OH (rivalry)	L 6–7
October 30	at Toledo	Glass Bowl Toledo, OH	L 3–7
November 6	at Penn State*	Beaver Stadium University Park, PA	L 6–21	30,323
November 13	Marshall	Memorial Stadium Kent, OH	W 33–13
November 20	Louisville*	Memorial Stadium Kent, OH	W 7–6
*Non-conference game

References

1. "2016 Kent State Football Record Book" (PDF). Kent State University. p. D6. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
2. "1965 Kent State Golden Flashes Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
3. 2023 Kent State Football Record Book, Kent State University, 2023, pp. 7-8, 10, kentstatesports.com/documents/2023/8/28/2023_Football_record_book.pdf Retrieved September 3, 2024.
4. 1965 Kent State Media Guide, Kent State University, 1965, p.10 (Kent became a major college program in 1962).
5. 2016 Record Book, p. D17-D19.
6. 2016 Kent State Football Record Book, pp. D41–D42.
7. Kent State 2023 Football Record Book, supra, pp. 43, 48.
8. "Kent loses opener to Xavier, 21–14". The Akron Beacon Journal. September 19, 1965. Retrieved May 18, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.