Florida State gets back to work after a bye week as they welcome the Kent State Golden Flashes to a sold-out Doak Campbell Stadium this Saturday at 3:30 pm. Mike Norvell said it was a good week for both work and rest for the team, and he likes where they are heading into the next contest. Although this is a game that FSU should win big, no opponent should be overlooked. After all, we just saw Clemson in a dogfight at home against Troy.
The Noles are a massive 44.5-point favorite over Kent State, which implies a score of around 52-6, which is what I’d like to see in this game. Kent State played Texas Tech two weeks ago, and it was 48-0 at halftime. However, the Golden Flashes may have found a spark on offense; more on that to come.
Looking at Kent State’s resume this season, they opened with a 21-17 win over FCS Merrimack. Although it was a close win over an FCS opponent, it snapped a 21-game losing streak for Kent State, so I’m sure they won’t complain. However, they were outgained in that game, and Merrimack had the lead with 5 minutes remaining before Kent State returned a kickoff for a touchdown. That also means they only scored 14 offensive points against an FCS school. They were held under 100 yards rushing and allowed almost 5 yards per carry (4.7).
In game 2, Kent State got demolished by an overmatched top-15 Texas Tech team. The Red Raiders won 62-14, outgained KSU by almost 400 yards, and, as previously mentioned, were up 48-0 at halftime. Kent State allowed 230 yards on the ground and was held to just 1.9 yards per carry.
Kent State played two quarterbacks in the first two games, and it was clear that freshman Dru DeShields was the better of the two. They gave him the start in game three vs. Buffalo, and it paid off… well, almost. Kent State still lost the game 31-28, but they were a 24.5-point underdog and had the lead with a minute left in the fourth quarter. In his first start, DeShields went for 316 total yards and 3 touchdowns. Now, I don’t expect this to change much for the FSU game, but he has clearly given this offense a spark.
Freshman quarterback Dru DeShields leads the Kent State offense and has been impressive so far. He can stretch the field with his arm. DeShields is 6/8 for 267 yards and 4 touchdowns on throws of over 20 yards. According to PFF, DeShields’ deep passing grade ranks fourth among FBS quarterbacks. He led two touchdown drives against Texas Tech, and while they were in “garbage time,” he made some nice throws. He’s also a mobile guy who can evade pressure. His pressure-to-sack-percentage is only 14.3% meaning he’s been sacked just 4 times despite facing 28 pressures.
The leading receiver you need to know about is No. 21 Cade Wolford. He leads the team with 7 receptions for 223 yards and 4 touchdowns. Wolford has averaged a whopping 32 yards per catch this season! The problem for Kent State is that he is the only receiver with over 100 yards and the only receiver with a touchdown. FSU faced three top-tier receivers against Alabama and shut two of them down. If FSU can focus most of its resources on stopping Wolford, it will likely also stop the Kent State passing attack.
The area where FSU will have the biggest advantage in this game is in the trenches. Although Kent State has size and experience on the offensive line, they are not very athletic or good. Only the center has a PFF grade above 50, and the left tackle’s pass blocking grade is 0.5… That is by far the lowest I’ve ever seen. They rank 113th of 136 teams in pass block efficiency and have the 130th-ranked rushing offense.
Their lead back, No. 5 Gavin Garcia, is averaging just 3.0 yards per carry on 45 carries and has not scored a rushing touchdown this season. Frankly, FSU should dominate up front and get plenty of pressure on DeShields. They just need to ensure they get him on the ground when they do.
The story doesn’t change much for the Kent State defense. FSU has a clear advantage in the trenches. Kent State’s top 6 defensive linemen by snap count have an average weight of 267 pounds compared to the FSU offensive line at 324 pounds. The Golden Flashes only have one defensive lineman who weighs in at over 300 pounds, and he’s a redshirt freshman who doesn’t play a lot.
Their front 7 was basically ineffective against Texas Tech, which is the most similar opponent they have faced to FSU. They gave up 230 rushing yards (5.5 YPC), and they only pressured TTU’s quarterback on 11% of dropbacks. Kent State’s defense has created just three sacks in three games and only produced 8 pressures in 46 dropbacks vs Buffalo.
On the back end, Kent State just doesn’t have the speed to match the FSU receivers, and this became apparent when watching the film vs Texas Tech. This was something I saw as an opportunity vs. East Texas A&M, who had the same issue vs. SMU, and it came to fruition with Duce having a big day. FSU should be able to move the ball however they want to against this defense. Kent State is 135th of 136 teams in explosive plays over 20 yards allowed. Whether a big day on the ground or a fireworks show in the air, FSU should have a big day on offense.
Kent State was literally the worst team in college football last year. They went 0-12 and finished dead last in scoring offense AND scoring defense. Florida State also had a terrible season last year, but has turned itself into a top 10 team in 2025. This game should not be close. FSU needs to start fast and “kill the will” of Kent State early. Don’t let them hang around and make a game of this. FSU did not play down to the competition against the FCS team two weeks ago, and that was a good sign. As they say, good teams win, and great teams cover.
I expect FSU to be down a few starters in this game because, while the reps are important, there is no reason to risk anyone who isn’t 100%. The biggest difference in this game will be speed and trench play. Kent State may have found a spark on offense, but I expect FSU to control the ground game. I’m looking for them to hold Kent State at or below 100 yards rushing while racking up well over 200 yards themselves. We’ll probably see a few explosive passes again this week, and a Micahi Danzy reverse for a touchdown is almost a Gus Malzahn calling card at this point.
The main goal for FSU is to continue to get reps as a team to get in mid-season form before beginning conference play next week at Virginia. This is also a chance to hone in depth and get those guys’ game reps. Lastly, get the reps you need and get the starters out as soon as possible. Obviously, I’m taking FSU to win, but I will also take them to cover. I’d love to shut out, but with DeShields playing well and this game likely getting into garbage time late, I’m not sure that it happens, but I got FSU rolling BIG in this one and walking out of Doak on Saturday at 3-0. Thanks for reading and Go Noles!
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