The only winless FBS team battles the only team undefeated in MAC play.
Game notes
- Time and date: Saturday, October 26 at 3:30 p.m. ET
- Network: ESPN+
- Location: Waldo Stadium — Kalamazoo, MI
- Spread: Western Michigan (-18)
- Over/under: 60.5
- All-time series: Western Michigan leads, 36-20-1
- Last meeting: Western Michigan 64, Kent State 31 — October 16, 2021
- Current streak: Western Michigan, 3 (2016-21)
Setting the scene
The apex and nadir of the MAC standings meet in Kalamazoo, MI for homecoming.
The Western Michigan Broncos (4-3, 3-0 MAC) are the only remaining team flaunting an undefeated MAC record after outlasting Buffalo in a 48-41 shootout last Saturday. The Broncos’ high-flying offense will suit up in gold jerseys for the first time as it hosts the Golden Flashes.
The Kent State Golden Flashes (0-7, 0-3 MAC) are on the opposite end of the standings. Kent State is now the only winless FBS team left after Kennesaw State stunned undefeated Liberty on Wednesday night. Now the Golden Flashes look to do the same on the road and earn their first MAC win of the Kenni Burns era.
Kent State Golden Flashes outlook
Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images
Kent State is winless with a bottom five scoring offense and the worst defense by a multitude of metrics, including points allowed per game, yards allowed per game, and rushing yards allowed per game.
The Golden Flashes season was at its bleakest point after dropping a matchup to St. Francis (PA) of the FCS and subsequently getting shut out by a combined score of 127-0 to Tennessee and Penn State. Then, an upswing was noticed as the Golden Flashes posted 68 points in a two-week span in competitive showings vs. Eastern Michigan and Ball State. However, the offense couldn’t sustain that level of play in a rivalry game with Bowling Green as the Golden Flashes are coming off a 27-6 defeat to the Falcons.
As evidenced by Kent State’s three MAC outings this year, the offense is dictated by the performance in the passing department. When quarterback Tommy Ulatowski posted 345 and 394 yards in consecutive weeks, the Golden Flashes looked like they could compete with any offense in the MAC in punch-for-punch fashion. However, the aerial game took a significant hit vs. Bowling Green as Ulatowski was held to seven completions on 27 attempts with two interceptions.
Getting an instant spark through the air is important for a multitude of reasons. When Ulatowski heats up, it’s like Klay Thompson catching fire from beyond the arc. The quarterback has a capable deep ball and a pair of All-MAC receivers that frequently win route matchups vs. the secondary. Chrishon McCray is on pace for a second-straight First Team All-MAC season with 543 yards and seven touchdowns. McCray collected over 180 yards in two of three conference battles, regularly scoring from 50 and 60 yards out in those matchups. Luke Floriea serves as a perfect reason why teams can’t overcommit to McCray as Floriea is another reliable big play threat with two 100-yard outings and four touchdowns this year.
Not all was dreary offensively for Kent State in its previous matchup though. The Golden Flashes found a working solution to a run game which struggled for most of the year as Ky Thomas became the team’s first century mark attainer with 121 yards on 14 carries, and the pass-happy offense will look for another Thomas clinic to keep Western Michigan’s defense honest.
On the other side of the ball, there hasn’t been much promise for the Golden Flashes. Fielding the FBS’s worst scoring defense is the main reason they haven’t held a single lead all season, but there were signs of improvement evident at Bowling Green — the first time in six tries Kent State held an FBS opponent under 50 points.
With defensive end Kameron Olds and inside linebacker Mason Woods leading the charge, Kent State logged 12 tackles for loss in the Bowling Green backfield, finally showing tremendous promise against the run. The Golden Flashes didn’t provide much resistance to the passing game, but making a team one-dimensional should be the goal at this point.
Kent State has plenty of backfield invaders on the team including defensive end Stephen Daley and outside linebacker Matt Harmon, who join Olds with at least five tackles for loss on the year. But that pressure needs to align with takeaways, and Kent State keeps ending up on the wrong side of the turnover battle — not just because of the offense, but because the defense only has generated four takeaways in 2024.
Western Michigan Broncos outlook
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Western Michigan may be the lone unscathed team in MAC play, but that doesn’t mean the Broncos have skated through conference play without any adversity. The Broncos needed to overcome a 17-0 deficit to Akron and outlast Ball State and Buffalo in shootouts where they allowed over 40 points, but simply outscored their opponents.
As suggested by a 45-42 victory over Ball State and a 48-41 win against Buffalo, it’s evident Western Michigan supports one of the strongest offenses in the MAC. Lance Taylor’s team averages 31.4 points per game behind a balanced unit which is able to inflict damage through both the air and ground.
Through the air, quarterback Hayden Wolff is as efficient as they come in the conference. His 68.5 completion percentage ranks second among all MAC starters as does his average yards per attempt of 8.4. He takes incredible care of the ball with a prosperous ratio of 12 touchdowns to two interceptions. While the Broncos’ passing attack is typically short to medium throws, it’s enough to consistently move the sticks. Wolff has three 260+ yard showings in 2024, and he’s proven reliable to lead his team to victory in shootout fashion.
But when game planning for the Broncos, stuffing the run always comes first. Western Michigan features the MAC’s leading rusher in Jaden Nixon, and the Oklahoma State transfer has emerged as a full-fledged star with four 110-yard performances in a five-game span, putting Buffalo away with a 54-yard scamper last week. Nixon is typically good for at least one game-changing breakaway run per outing, surpassing 35 yards on a gain in four of his last five starts. There is more than one weapon to stop in this backfield though as Jalen Buckley — a 1,000-yard rusher in 2023 — is healthy and racking up nice secondary yardage behind Nixon.
The Broncos struggled offensively to start the year against Wisconsin and Ohio State, but against their MAC peers, it’s hard to find too many flaws with the unit. The offensive line is thriving in pass protection as Wolff is only taking one sack per game since those Big Ten matchups concluded, and the receiving corps is deep. Kenneth Womack returned from a preseason injury and the 2023 All-MAC receiver already has 20 catches and 220 yards in four games, while Anthony Sambucci and tight end Blake Bosma are also churning out the stats as Wolff’s favorite targets.
Yet, there is still work to be done. Western Michigan has allowed over 40 points in multiple MAC games, and that trend must evaporate if the Broncos want to return to their first conference title game since 2016. The group is 107th in run defense and 126th against the pass — summing to a bottom 10 defense in college football.
More sacks and more interceptions certainly need to be observed as the team looks for ways to create more stops going forward. Key players to watch on this defense include outside linebacker Donald Willis, who serves as the primary run-stopper with 55 tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss, as well as cornerback Bilhal Kone, who will be tested often by Kent State’s talented receiving corps. Kone has 43 tackles and eight interceptions, and Western Michigan may want to utilize over the top safety help to prevent Kent State from rattling off explosive plays through the air.
Prediction
Pairing the MAC’s most prolific offense with the country’s worst defense could produce a lopsided result. The main question regarding this matchup is, does Kent State’s passing attack revert to its explosive potential against a shaky Western Michigan defense?
Even if it does, Kent State must win in a track meet where scoring at least 30 points is mandated. The Broncos feature too much offensive talent with an efficient quarterback, the league’s most dominant running back, and a deep group of receivers that excel in the short to medium game.
Western Michigan will post 40 points for the third time in four MAC games as Kent State remains in search of its first win since September 2023.
Prediction: Western Michigan 43, Kent State 14