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Kent State Golden Flashes at Western Michigan Broncos

Oct 10, 20262:30 PM CTESPN+Kalamazoo, MI
By JR·2 min read
Kent State(2-3)
Western Michigan(3-2)
2:30 PM

TLDR: Western Michigan is 1-0 in the MAC after winning on a field goal at Buffalo. Kent State is 1-1 after a 3-point loss to Ohio. Both sides meet at Waldo Stadium on Saturday, October 10, with the West's early pecking order in play.

Week 6 · 10/10, 2:30 PM CTESPN+
Kent State
(2-3)
LWLWL
Western Michigan
(3-2)
WLWWL
Kickoff78°12 mph

Western Michigan (3-2, 1-0 MAC) hosts Kent State (2-3, 1-1) at Waldo Stadium after edging Buffalo on a late Dieter Kelly field goal, with regular kicker P. Domschke out. Kent State lost 13-10 to Ohio after Dru DeShields threw 2 interceptions, and neither offense has scored much against MAC-level defenses. This one probably comes down to whether the Flashes protect the ball and whether the Broncos can finish drives better than they did at Buffalo.

Kent State Golden Flashes
  • DeShields threw for 217 yards against Ohio
  • Lost by just 3 to Ohio in league play
  • Beat Ball State 26-13 at home
  • DeShields threw 2 interceptions against Ohio
  • 1 touchdown against Ohio's defense
  • 3 total points against South Carolina and Ohio State
Western Michigan Broncos
  • Rallied from 7 down in the 4th at Buffalo
  • Goal-line stand on the final play at Buffalo
  • Lost at Michigan by just 1
  • Kicker Domschke out with no timetable
  • Scored 7 at home against Boise State
  • Trailed Buffalo for most of the game

Start with the Kent State quarterback, because that's where the Golden Flashes' week went sideways. Dru DeShields threw for 217 yards against Ohio but was picked off twice, and in a 13-10 game the turnovers were the difference. Kent State only reached the end zone once, on M. King's 1-yard run in the third quarter. Otherwise it was a 24-yard field goal from S. Leonard and a lot of drives that came up short. Da'Realyst Clark was the top target with 6 catches for 68 yards. That's a passing game that can move the ball. It just hasn't been finishing drives.

Western Michigan comes in having just survived. The Broncos trailed Buffalo 14-10 at halftime and 17-10 in the fourth, then tied it on Broc Lowry's 5-yard touchdown run. Dieter Kelly hit a 38-yard field goal with 79 seconds left, and the defense stuffed Buffalo on fourth-and-goal with 2 seconds to go. Kelly matters here: kicker P. Domschke is listed out with an undisclosed injury and no timetable, so Kelly is the guy until further notice. So far he's handling it.

Neither offense has been explosive against real competition. Western Michigan put up 49 on Monmouth but scored 12 at Michigan and 7 at home against Boise State. Kent State's 2 wins came against Wofford and Ball State. Against South Carolina and Ohio State, the Flashes were outscored 116-3. The question for Saturday is which offense can do anything against a defense from its own tier.

Kent State Golden Flashes
(2-3)
10/03LvsOhio10-13
09/26WvsBall State26-13
09/19L@#5 Ohio State3-59
09/12WvsWofford36-15
09/05L@South Carolina0-57
Western Michigan Broncos
(3-2)
10/03W@Buffalo20-17
09/26Lvs#23 Boise State7-32
09/19W@Rice28-21
09/12WvsMonmouth49-14
09/05L@Michigan12-13

The Broncos' resume is the better one. They lost at Michigan by a single point, won a road game at Rice, and went to Buffalo and won a one-score league opener. That Boise State game is the outlier: a 25-point home loss that showed what happens when this offense falls behind. Kent State's best result is a 26-13 home win over Ball State. Its MAC loss came by 3 to an Ohio team that kicked 2 field goals and won with defense. The Flashes have been competitive in the league. They just haven't scored much.

Kent State doesn't list anyone on the injury report, so this comes down to availability on the Western Michigan side and a kicker swap the Broncos have already lived with in a tight game. The early Kalamazoo forecast calls for clear skies, low 80s and light wind, which would make for a good afternoon for football, though a week out that can change. If DeShields protects the ball, Kent State has a shot at a close one. Two more interceptions on the road, and Western Michigan probably wins its second straight one-score MAC game.

Kent State Golden Flashes at Western Michigan Broncos — Kent State Brings Its Stalled Offense to Kalamazoo for MAC Test | Polymarket Odds · Barstool Bush