The Kent State Golden Flashes (3-7) meet the Central Michigan Chippewas (5-5) looking to snap their three-game losing streak. A player to watch in this matchup is the MAC’s second-leading passer, Cooper Rush (2,975 yards, 22 TDs). It starts at 8:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Nov 18 and will air on ESPU.
Kent State was dominated by Ohio 27-0 last week. Antwan Dixon had a solid outing in the loss, registering five receptions for 62 yards. Central Michigan came up short as well, falling to Toledo 28-23. Cooper Rush had an outstanding performance throwing the ball for the Chippewas, completing 33 of 52 passes for 349 yards, two TDs and one interception. Jesse Kroll also had a big day, contributing 130 receiving yards on seven receptions.
The Golden Flashes, an eight-point underdog, will be looking to defend their home field when Central Michigan comes to town.
The Golden Flashes enter the game with a record of 3-7 Straight Up (SU) and Against The Spread (ATS) this season. Over their last five games, the Golden Flashes have records of 1-4 for both SU and ATS. Don’t anticipate Central Michigan will have much success running the ball against the Golden Flashes. The Chippewas average 91.7 rushing yards per game, ranking 126th in the nation. One of the keys to the game will be whether the Chippewas can protect the quarterback against Kent State’s aggressive pass rush. The defense ranks 18th in the nation in sacks with 2.8 per game.
Across the field, the Chippewas have 5-5 SU and 7-3 ATS records this season. In the previous five games, Central Michigan has a record of 3-2 both SU and ATS. Offensively, the Chippewas have picked up the pace in the last five games. They have exceeded their season average of 26.0 points per game by averaging 30 during that stretch. Kent State’s defensive backs better be ready for their opponent’s high-flying passing attack. The Chippewas average 306.0 yards through the air over their past five games. Shifting to the other side of the ball, the Central Michigan defense can dominate if it takes advantage of some favorable matchups. The secondary for the Chippewas will be looking to shut down the weak passing attack of the Golden Flashes, which ranks 121st in the nation with an average of 143.4 passing yards per game. Central Michigan tends to control the time of possession during games, averaging a time of 33:09 for 19th in the country.
Predictions: SU Winner – Central Michigan, ATS Winner – Central Michigan
Notes
Kent State is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games.
Kent State is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Kent State’s last 5 games.
Kent State is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home.
Central Michigan is 3-0 SU when leading at the half this season. Kent State is 2-2 SU when taking a lead into halftime.
Remarkably, Central Michigan is only 1-5 SU in games where it wins the turnover battle, yet undefeated (2-0 SU) when losing the turnover battle.
Central Michigan holds the upper hand in the passing game, according to overall FBS ratings. Its offensive passing game (ranked 19th in the country) will face the 42nd-ranked pass defense of Kent State, while its 32nd-ranked pass defense will look to limit the 121st-ranked aerial attack of the Golden Flashes.
