The Golden Flashes suffer their second consecutive shutout in a tough environment.
Kent State was coming off the worst loss by an FBS team this season.
The Golden Flashes were listless one week ago in a 71-0 shutout at Tennessee where they trailed 65-0 at halftime. However, the difficulty didn’t dwindle down as Kent State sought redemption after the obliteration in Nashville. For the second-straight week, it traveled to a 100,000-seat hostile environment, and for the second-straight week, it failed to register a single point against ranked competition.
Penn State blanked Kent State, 56-0, while producing more than 10 times the Golden Flashes’ yardage output in a 718-67 difference. Not only did they suffer consecutive shutouts, but for the second-straight outing, Kent State allowed its opponent to attain its highest yardage output in program history. One Saturday before Penn State generated 718 yards, Tennessee edged Kent State 740-112 in the yardage department.
To make things worse for Kent State, a significant injury struck right out of the gate. On the second snap of the game, starting quarterback Devin Kargman was wrestled down while attempting a screen pass. He laid down on the turf for significant time and was carted off the field on a stretcher, as his teammates all took the field to wish him well on his way out of Beaver Stadium. Kargman was transported to Mt. Nittany Medical Center during the contest.
Kent State backup quarterback JD Sherrod checked in to replace Kargman, but Sherrod’s day was also short-lived. Sherrod was assisted off the field in the late second quarter, writhing in pain while grabbing his leg. Down two quarterbacks, Kent State utilized Tommy Ulatowski for the remainder of the game, who was already nursing a finger injury prior to Saturday.
The Golden Flashes’ passing game proved futile against a relentless Penn State defense. Sherrod completed 2-of-6 passes for 18 yards while Kargman finished 0-of-1 and Ulatowski 0-of-6 — aggregating to two completions on 13 attempts, averaging 1.4 yards per pass. Kent State wasn’t able to move the ball aerially, but the run game didn’t provide ample support either. With only two sacks factoring into the rushing total, Kent State picked up 49 yards on 30 rushing attempts with no individual picking up more than 20.
Only one Kent State play spanned more than nine yards — a 13-yard completion from Sherrod to Ardell Banks in the second quarter. The Golden Flashes fared 1-of-11 on third downs, and only produced six first downs in the defeat, paling in comparison to Penn State’s 40. Kent State punter Josh Smith was utilized nearly as much as the passing game, punting 10 times for 422 yards with five punts landing inside the Penn State 20.
The Nittany Lions weren’t as assertive in the first half as the Volunteers were against Kent State. By the 6-minute mark of the second quarter, Tennessee led 51-0 while Penn State’s lead was just 7-0. Kent State defensive end Kameron Olds picked off a Beau Pribula screen pass and the defense forced a punt on Matt Harmon’s sack — concluding two of the Nittany Lions’ first three drives in scoreless fashion. Another standout defensive performance was observed by Kent State outside linebacker Rocco Nicholl, who totaled a career-high 14 tackles after entering Saturday as the team leader in the category.
After an uncharacteristic slow start, Penn State responded with a late second quarter scoring rampage, reaching the end zone three times in the final six minutes before the break. The Nittany Lions scored touchdowns on five consecutive possessions in a streak which bled into the third quarter. Quarterback Drew Allar efficiently guided the offense with a 17-of-21 performance, totaling 309 passing yards and a trio of touchdowns.
Penn State also diced up the Kent State defense through a concerted effort in the run game. Led by Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, the Nittany Lions totaled 309 yards and three touchdowns on the ground, picking up 6.3 yards per attempt.
Penn State (3-0, 0-0 Big Ten) wrapped up its out-of-conference play unscathed, remaining perfect against regular season non-conference opponents since 2017. After consecutive wins over MAC opponents, the Nittany Lions remain at Beaver Stadium for a matchup against a ranked Illinois squad.
Kent State (0-4, 0-0 MAC) also concluded its non-conference slate. The Golden Flashes are 0-4 for the first time since 2014, dropping back-to-back games by a collective score of 127-0. Kent State aims to improve in all facets of the game as the team currently ranks last in the country in offense (168 yards per game, next closest is 211) and last in defense (608 yards per game, next closest is 532).