Sep 195 min read

No. 10 Penn State Looks to Fine-tune Against Kent State

The No. 10 Penn State Nittany Lions (2-0) host the Kent State Golden Flashes (0-3) at 3:30 p.m. EST at Beaver Stadium on Sept. 21 in University Park, Pa.

After a scare with Bowling Green and a bye week, Penn State is back in action, hosting Kent State for its third game and seeking its third win.

The Golden Flashes haven’t had the best season, sitting at 0-3. They just suffered a blowout loss to No. 6 Tennessee 71-0, which placed them last in ESPN’s Football Power Index.

With Kent State’s recent performances, Penn State is heavily favored. It is a chance for the Nittany Lions to get back on track after a close game with Bowling Green before Penn State's bye week.

What’s at Stake?

There’s a lot at stake for Penn State because a loss to the Golden Flashes would be an embarrassment and a big dent in the historic program. A loss is unrealistic.

What is realistic for Penn State in Week 4 is having a dominant performance. They want to definitely show up better than they did against Bowling Green, where the Nittany Lions won 34-27 and trailed for most of it. A dominant performance would be similar to Tennesee’s beatdown of Kent State a week ago. It can help get the defense getting back on track, not allowing the opposition to easily march down the field.

Penn State couldn’t do anything to stop Bowling Green. Quarterback Connor Bazelak did look really good, making a lot of tough throws, but the defense should still create stops. Kent State is a good game for Penn State to iron out the kinks. The Nittany Lions are lined up to meet No. 24 Illinois the following week.

For Kent State, the Golden Flashes are just looking to get on the board. Kent State was beaten last week by a very good Volunteers squad. The loss made Kent State one of the worst teams in the FBS.

Key Players: Penn State

Abdul Carter, Edge

Penn State’s best defensive player is Abdul Carter. Carter moved to defensive end from linebacker in the offseason, and it has brought some benefits. But it’s also been a time for some growing pains. The Nittany Lions’ pass rush hasn’t been up to the standards of a Penn State defense and is ranked 108th in the FBS with just 2 sacks. Last season, Penn State led the FBS in sacks.

Carter hasn’t recorded a sack this season and didn’t make much of an impact against Bowling Green. He’s a disrupter on the defensive side of the ball and a strong performance from him will boost the defense.

Tyler Warren, Tight End

Over the past two seasons, Penn State hasn’t had a clear-cut leading wide receiver, so the offense and quarterback Drew Allar have relied heavily on their tight ends. Tight end Tyler Warren has been Penn State’s safety blanket. When they need to convert on a third down, Allar finds Warren, who has sure-fire hands.

Penn State is potentially developing a WR1 with Harrison “Trey” Wallace, but Warren still seems to be Allar’s go-to receiver.

Key Players: Kent State

Luke Floriea, Wide Receiver

Luke Floriea is one of the bright spots on Kent State’s squad. He’s a small, 5-foot-10 receiver who is good with finding himself some open space in coverage.

Floriea has 209 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns on the season, which is up there with some of the best in the FBS. He’s quarterback Devin Kargman’s favorite target and could get the offense going.

Penn State | Kent State WR Luke Floriea — © Nicholas McLaughlin/USA TODAY NETWORK

Kameron Olds, Linebacker

Kameron Olds already has three sacks this season, which is tied for 13th in the FBS. Olds spent two years at Buffalo before transferring to Kent State, where he’s already made a name for himself.

Olds is Kent State’s defensive playmaker and can have a big impact on the game despite his team not being very good. It’s going to be tough against Penn State’s line, but he should still disrupt the game.

Why Play Kent State?

Kent State is one of the worst teams in the FBS. The Golden Flashes are 1-14 in their last 15 games. So, why should fans tune in, spend money on tickets, buy hot dogs and merchandise to see Penn State potentially beat up on Kent State as Tennessee did?

There are a lot of benefits to playing a weaker team. One is being able to get younger players in the game. Penn State has a lot of encouraging freshmen and sophomores who could see action against the Golden Flashes. It’s also a great opportunity to try new schemes and plays before facing tougher opponents. Most scheduling is done years in advance. A lot can change in just a year or two, especially with conference shuffling, playoff expansion, name, image and likeness and the Transfer Portal.

“When you schedule these opponents, typically five and seven years out, you don't know what you're going to get,” Penn State head coach James Franklin said on Sept. 16 at his weekly press conference. “You schedule a MAC team, and some of the teams that you just mentioned have caused people fits, and then you can get to a year where someone is struggling. So that's unpredictable and challenging.”

Penn State Sees Benefits

This game isn’t a resume booster for Penn State, but it does has its benefits. It’s early in the season, and the Nittany Lions did open up the season with a big win over the West Virginia Mountaineers on the road. They do have a bunch of ranked opponents down the road, so Kent State won’t hurt Penn State’s resume.

Most teams play what might be seen as a confidence booster each year at the start of the season. This is Penn State’s, especially before Big Ten Conference play starting next week. How important are resume boosters in this new era of college football? Just last year, a resume was everything because only the best four teams in college football made the College Football Playoff. Now, the playoffs are expanded to 12 teams so you don’t necessarily need to win against big non-conference opponents.

With the Big Ten’s expansion, the conference added two currently-ranked teams and last season's national championship runner-up. So, the Nittany Lions try to square off against a big-time opponent. All the big programs have a layup game, and this is Penn State's layup.

“Ultimately, we're trying to get our staff and our players to approach every week with the same mentality, with the same preparation, with the same approach,” Franklin said. “When you do that, you give yourself the best chance to be consistent, and you give yourself the best chance to get better. That's really what our focus is.”