2019 Kent State Golden Flashes football team

The 2019 Kent State Golden Flashes football team represented Kent State University in the 2019 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by second-year head coach Sean Lewis and played their home games at Dix Stadium in Kent, Ohio, as members of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference.^[1]

2019 Kent State Golden Flashes football
Frisco Bowl champion
Frisco Bowl, W 51–41 vs. Utah State
Conference	Mid-American Conference
Division	East Division
Record	7–6 (5–3 MAC)
Head coach	Sean Lewis (2nd season)
Offensive coordinator	Andrew Sowder (2nd season)
Offensive scheme	Veer and shoot
Defensive coordinator	Tom Kaufman (2nd season)
Base defense	3–4
Home stadium	Dix Stadium
Uniform
Seasons ← 2018 2020 →

2019 Mid-American Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
East Division
Miami (OH) x$		6	–	2					8	–	6
Ohio		5	–	3					7	–	6
Buffalo		5	–	3					8	–	5
Kent State		5	–	3					7	–	6
Bowling Green		2	–	6					3	–	9
Akron		0	–	8					0	–	12
West Division
Central Michigan x		6	–	2					8	–	6
Western Michigan		5	–	3					7	–	6
Ball State		4	–	4					5	–	7
Northern Illinois		4	–	4					5	–	7
Toledo		3	–	5					6	–	6
Eastern Michigan		3	–	5					6	–	7
Championship: Miami 26, Central Michigan 21
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions

Trailing 6–27 in the fourth quarter against Buffalo with a 3–6 record, Kent State proceeded to score 24 unanswered points in the last eight minutes of the game to win 30–27, and later followed that victory with two additional wins to reach bowl eligibility for the first time since 2012. Kent State were then invited to the Frisco Bowl where they defeated Utah State with a 51–41 score.

Preseason

MAC media poll

The MAC released their preseason media poll on July 23, 2019, with the Golden Flashes predicted to finish in fourth place in the East Division.^[2]

East Division
Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
1	Ohio	144 (24)
2	Miami	107
3	Buffalo	100
4	Kent State	62
5	Akron	54
6	Bowling Green	37

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 29	10:00 p.m.	at Arizona State*	Sun Devil Stadium Tempe, AZ	P12N	L 7–30	47,413
September 7	12:00 p.m.	No. 9 (FCS) Kennesaw State*	Dix Stadium Kent, OH	ESPN3	W 26–23 OT	18,679
September 14	7:00 p.m.	at No. 8 Auburn*	Jordan–Hare Stadium Auburn, AL	ESPN2	L 16–55	84,542
September 21	3:30 p.m.	Bowling Green	Dix Stadium Kent, OH (Anniversary Award)	ESPN3	W 62–20	19,700
October 5	11:00 a.m.	at No. 8 Wisconsin*	Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI	ESPNU	L 0–48	74,559
October 12	3:30 p.m.	at Akron	InfoCision Stadium Akron, OH (Wagon Wheel)	ESPN3	W 26–3	22,692
October 19	12:00 p.m.	at Ohio	Peden Stadium Athens, OH	CBSSN	L 38–45	15,009
October 26	3:30 p.m.	Miami (OH)	Dix Stadium Kent, OH	ESPN+	L 16–23	8,455
November 5	7:00 p.m.	at Toledo	Glass Bowl Toledo, OH	CBSSN	L 33–35	16,331
November 14	7:00 p.m.	Buffalo	Dix Stadium Kent, OH	CBSSN	W 30–27	8,450
November 23	12:00 p.m.	Ball State	Dix Stadium Kent, OH	ESPN+	W 41–38	8,825
November 29	12:00 p.m.	at Eastern Michigan	Rynearson Stadium Ypsilanti, MI	ESPN+	W 34–26	13,444
December 20	7:30 p.m.	vs. Utah State*	Toyota Stadium Frisco, TX (Frisco Bowl)	ESPN2	W 51–41	12,120
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll and CFP Rankings after November 5 released prior to game All times are in Eastern time

Source:^[3]

Game summaries

At Arizona State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Golden Flashes	0	0	0	7	7
Sun Devils	10	0	17	3	30

See also: 2019 Arizona State Sun Devils football team

Kennesaw State

	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
No. 9 (FCS) Owls	3	13	0	7	0	23
Golden Flashes	3	7	7	6	3	26

See also: 2019 Kennesaw State Owls football team

At No. 8 Auburn

See also: 2019 Auburn Tigers football team

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Golden Flashes	3	7	0	6	16
No. 8 Tigers	14	10	14	17	55

Game information

First Quarter KSU – Matthew Trickett 21 yd field goal, 8:42 (KSU 3–0) AUB – JaTarvious Whitlow 3 yd run (Anders Carlson kick), 5:47 (AUB 7–3) AUB – Kam Martin 35 yd run (Anders Carlson kick), 0:11 (AUB 14–3) Second Quarter KSU – Isaiah McCoy 53 yd pass from Dustin Crum (Matthew Trickett kick), 10:47 (AUB 14–10) AUB – Bo Nix 1 yd run (Anders Carlson kick), 8:16 (AUB 21–10) AUB – Anders Carlson 45 yd field goal, 0:00 (AUB 24–10) Third Quarter AUB – JaTarvious Whitlow 16 yd run (Anders Carlson kick), 12:02 (AUB 31–10) AUB – Eli Stove 49 yd pass from Bo Nix (Anders Carlson kick), 5:59 (AUB 38–10) Fourth Quarter AUB – Anders Carlson 37 yd field goal, 14:55 (AUB 41–10) KSU – Kavious Price 15 yd pass from Woody Barrett (2 pt conversion failed), 12:36 (KSU 41–16) AUB – Joey Gatewood 2 yd run (Sage Ledbetter kick), 8:49 (AUB 48–16) AUB – Joey Gatewood 2 yd run (Sage Ledbetter kick), 2:27 (AUB 55–16) Top Passers KSU – Dustin Crum – 15–24, 198 yds, 1 TD AUB – Bo Nix – 12–16, 161 yds, 1 TD Top Rushers KSU – Dustin Crum – 11 rushes, 30 yds AUB – JaTarvious Whitlow – 17 rushes, 135 yds, 2 TD Top Receivers KSU – Isaiah McCoy – 4 receptions, 85 yds, 1 TD AUB – Eli Stove – 6 receptions, 88 yds, 1 TD

Kent State Golden Flashes at No. 8 Auburn Tigers – Game summary

at Jordan–Hare Stadium • Auburn, Alabama

• Date: September 14, 2019
• Game time: 7:05 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Temperature: 88° • Wind: NE 9 mph • Weather: Partly Cloudy
• Game attendance: 84,542
• Referee: David Smith
• TV announcers (ESPN2): Anish Shroff (play-by-play), Ahmad Brooks (analyst), Kris Budden (sideline reporter)

Bowling Green

	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	7	0	0	13	20
Golden Flashes	21	3	17	21	62

See also: 2019 Bowling Green Falcons football team

At No. 8 Wisconsin

	1	2	3	4	Total
Golden Flashes	0	0	0	0	0
No. 8 Badgers	7	21	13	7	48

See also: 2019 Wisconsin Badgers football team

At Akron

	1	2	3	4	Total
Golden Flashes	7	10	0	9	26
Zips	0	3	0	0	3

See also: 2019 Akron Zips football team

At Ohio

	1	2	3	4	Total
Golden Flashes	14	10	0	14	38
Bobcats	10	14	7	14	45

See also: 2019 Ohio Bobcats football team

Miami (OH)

	1	2	3	4	Total
RedHawks	6	3	7	7	23
Golden Flashes	0	6	0	10	16

See also: 2019 Miami RedHawks football team

At Toledo

	1	2	3	4	Total
Golden Flashes	10	7	10	6	33
Rockets	14	14	0	7	35

See also: 2019 Toledo Rockets football team

Buffalo

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bulls	7	10	7	3	27
Golden Flashes	0	6	0	24	30

See also: 2019 Buffalo Bulls football team

Ball State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	7	17	0	14	38
Golden Flashes	7	14	10	10	41

See also: 2019 Ball State Cardinals football team

At Eastern Michigan

	1	2	3	4	Total
Golden Flashes	14	10	7	3	34
Eagles	7	7	6	6	26

See also: 2019 Eastern Michigan Eagles football team

Vs. Utah State (Frisco Bowl)

	1	2	3	4	Total
Golden Flashes	17	6	3	25	51
Aggies	10	7	10	14	41

See also: 2019 Utah State Aggies football team and 2019 Frisco Bowl