Kent State fans know the routine by now for the Golden Flashes football program. Play three money games against Power Five opponents each and every season in the non-conference. Head into MAC play hoping the team is physically, mentally and emotionally OK and not too beat up for the rest of the season.
The money from the P5 games helps fund the entire department. The players get to play in some historic venues against great competition, and in many cases a lot of the programs they grew up watching on TV or wanting to play at some day. KSU has competed better in some years more than others in these types of games.
But, for the opening of conference play the MAC schedule makers gave the Flashes some reason for optimism. A manageable beginning to conference play with two games at Dix Stadium against teams they should be able to compete with who were both picked in the lower echelon of the league at Media Day.
After the gauntlet that is non-conference play, Kent State hosts Eastern Michigan on September 28 for Homecoming, followed by a bye, and then will stay at Dix Stadium to host Ball State on October 12. The Eagles were picked sixth at MAC Media Day and the Cardinals were picked ninth. Kent State Head Football Coach Kenni Burns knows this could be a nice start to MAC play for his young team looking to gain confidence, and pick up their first league win under Burns. Make no mistake, those are tough games. EMU has built a really good program at a place that is one of the toughest jobs to win at in the country. Ball State spanked the Flashes a year ago. But they aren’t drawing Miami, Toledo, Bowling Green or Western early. Those come in the middle of the league slate. The Flashes don’t draw Toledo this year but consistent and solid Ohio in midweek MACtion looms in November.
“Yeah I think that’s huge,” Burns said at his season kickoff press conference on August 1. “ You talk about the luck of the draw, to get the first two games back here at Dix Stadium is awesome. Two respectable opponents obviously but two teams I think we’ll match up well with, but right now we’re totally focused on Pitt, but I think that’s a major deal for our team after coming off one of the hardest…I think ESPN said we had, the Group of Five, the hardest non-conference schedule out there, coming off that and getting in that familiar environment to play your first conference games is critical.”
Let’s be realistic. A 2-0 start would be a very nice start to the season in league play, cause for belief that the Kent GRIT program is headed in the right direction and would be a huge jolt of confidence for the group, it also should further lead to that “All In” mentality Burns has been seeking.
1-1 is probably the most realistic and would be something to build on. An 0-2 start could be difficult to navigate. The woe is me “here we go again” mentality that has plagued the program for years could set in. It’s the exact same mentality Burns and his staff are trying to break.
“The last thing we really kind of addressed as a coaching staff is mental and emotional development,” Burns said at Media Day. “I didn’t think we handled discomfort well. I think when you look at Kent State the past 10 to 15 years whenever they’ve been in discomfort in games, discomfort in life, they’ve struggled with it so we talked about how can we make our team more mentally tougher and then playing with emotion, not playing emotional, and we did some things that are really cool with team building, with challenging them to rely on each other this offseason to really help that to so those were the three areas that I saw that I knew I had to address and i think we’re moving in the right direction in those areas.”
Let’s be clear, regardless of the first two league games, the season continues win or lose. But given the dynamic of the first two at home, it’s a crucial part of the season coming off non-conference play.
There’s no question an 0-2 start would be tough, but let’s stay positive. If Kent State can get one or two of those home games, the season can take on an entirely different tone. Consider the Flashes end the season with winnable games as well in Akron and Buffalo. The MAC is utilizing a new pod system starting this year with the getting rid of divisions. KSU is slated to play the rival Zips and Bulls every year moving forward.
Yes, the non-conference schedule is brutal as always, but there is reason for optimism and hope at the beginning of league play. As the Flashes move forward in 2024, a good start could lead to a fun season for the Flashes, looking to prove some of the naysayers wrong.