The Massachusetts Minutemen host the Kent State Golden Flashes at Warren P. McGuirk Alumni Stadium this week in a MAC battle. Coming into this game, Massachusetts (1-4) and Kent State (2-4) are both in search of a win. Players will take the field Saturday, Oct 17 at 3:30 p.m. ET and the game will air on ESP3.
Massachusetts lost big to Bowling Green 62-38 last week. Blake Frohnapfel had an outstanding performance passing the ball in the loss, completing 34 of 56 passes for 409 yards, three TDs and one interception. Kent State didn’t play well either, getting blown out by Toledo 38-7. Colin Reardon had a solid outing throwing the ball for the Golden Flashes, completing four of 11 passes for 57 yards.
Massachusetts is a five-point favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is unavailable at the moment.
Heading into Week 7 of the college football season, the Minutemen are 1-4 Straight Up (SU) and 2-3 Against The Spread (ATS). The Minutemen utilize their passing attack frequently. They pass 49.8 times per game, which is the second-most in the nation. Massachusetts’s special teams are one of its strengths. They earn 127.4 return yards per game, putting them 14th in Division I.
On the other side, the Golden Flashes have a record of 2-4 for both ATS and SU. The Golden Flashes may be able to focus their attention on other areas, because Massachusetts’s run game has not been reliable this year. The Minutemen rank 121st in the nation with 100.4 rushing yards per game. The Minutemen need to protect their quarterback against the sack-happy Golden Flashes. The Kent State defense ranks 19th in the country in sacks with 2.8 per game. Massachusetts tends to lose the time of possession battle during games, averaging a time of 27:30 for 110th in the country.
Predictions: SU Winner – Kent State, ATS Winner – Kent State
Notes
Massachusetts is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games.
Massachusetts is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games.
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Massachusetts’s last 16 games.
Massachusetts is 4-15 SU in its last 19 games at home.
Kent State is 2-1 SU when leading at the half this season. Massachusetts is 1-0 SU when taking a lead into halftime.
According to overall FBS team rankings, Kent State is rated higher in the ground game on both sides of the ball. Its 74th-ranked rushing attack will face the 118th-ranked run defense of Massachusetts, while its 26th-ranked run defense will look to contain the 121st-ranked rushing game of the Minutemen.
