HawgBeat - Behind Enemy Lines: Gaining Kent State insight with Steve Helwick
See what college football writer Steve Helwick had to say about Kent State ahead of its matchup with Arkansas.
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As we will do throughout this football season, HawgBeat went behind enemy lines to gain insight on the Kent State Golden Flashes from college football writer Steve Helwick of SB Nation's Hustle Belt.
Here is what he had to say about Saturday's matchup between Arkansas and Kent State, which is set to kickoff at 3:00 p.m. CT inside Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville...
What is Kent State's identity and culture after so much roster and coaching turnover during the offseason?
Helwick: “It’s officially the “GRIT” era at Kent State. The Golden Flashes exchanged their past slogan of “Flash Fast” in for the four letter acronym which stands for 'Grow, Respond with Integrity Together.'
“It’s a mantra of Kenni Burns, who is taking on the challenge of his first head coaching job at any level. It won’t be easy given the cards he’s dealt — losing almost every starter — but we’ve seen MAC programs such as P.J. Fleck’s Western Michigan and even Sean Lewis’ Kent State manufacture successful rebuilds just by establishing a culture and getting young players to buy in.
This rebuilding campaign may be a rough season in Kent, OH, but turnarounds can happen fast in this conference. Ask Northern Illinois, which went from winless in 2020 to MAC champions in 2021.”
What can Kent State take away from the loss to UCF to help it against Arkansas?
Helwick: “There’s plenty of work to be done on the offensive line. The five-man unit entered Orlando last Thursday night with two collective starts, and both belonged to offensive tackle Jimto Obidegwu who transferred from Temple. Starting left guard Dustyn Morrell witnessed his first FBS snaps in the opener, as did true freshman center Andrew Page.
“The unit will gel together throughout the year, but Thursday was certainly a learning experience. Kent State, which has fielded dominant rushing attacks over the years, averaged just 2.6 yards per carry against a stout UCF front. They permitted four sacks and seven tackles for loss, and let heaps of pressure get to quarterback Mike Alaimo.
Missed blocks were frequent, but that’s a variable which should decrease as time progresses and the number of collective starts accumulate.
“Additionally, Kent State learned there’s infinite room for growth on defense. No FBS program allowed more yardage in Week 1 than the 723 the Golden Flashes yielded to the Knights. Run game, pass game — it didn’t matter. The only thing that stopped UCF throughout the night was turnovers, and Kent State must learn to record routine stops without relying on opportune takeaways as a crutch. But once again, everything’s fixable as this is a very young bunch in terms of collegiate experience.”
Who are the key players for the Golden Flashes?
Helwick: “Offensively, keep an eye on quarterback Mike Alaimo. The Purdue transfer earned his first start against UCF, and his 12-of-31 stat-line doesn’t necessarily tell the whole story. Alaimo directed the offense pretty well in the early going, completing six of his first nine attempts and piercing into UCF territory on three separate drives in the first half. When he was in a rhythm in the late first quarter and early second quarter, Kent State’s offense looked solid, and he probably would have guided the offense into the end zone if his 74-yard completion wasn’t called back to an inconsequential ineligible man downfield penalty.
“Additionally, running back Xavier Williams is one of the focal points of the offense. He’ll split carries with Gavin Garcia, but Williams has proven to completely take over games before. Williams missed the entirety of 2022, but when last healthy in 2021, the speedy back posted 261 combined rushing yards and two touchdowns across his final two outings that season.
“Defensively, Devin Nicholson looks like the player best suited for All-MAC candidacy on the roster. The outside linebacker hails from Missouri, where he recorded numerous starts against SEC competition over four seasons. Last Thursday, he channeled that wealth of experience into a team-high 13 tackles, including 11 solo stops and two tackles for loss. Nicholson is also well-acquainted with Arkansas and Saturday will mark his fifth game pitted against the Razorbacks.”
What kind of offensive system does Kent State run?
Helwick: “This was my biggest question going into this season due to the departure of head coach and offensive guru Sean Lewis to Deion Sanders’ staff at Colorado.
But Kenni Burns, who is supported by offensive coordinator Matt Johnson — one of the few returning staff members from the previous regime — has remained true to Lewis’ signature “Flash Fast” offense.
“This offense features a high-degree of tempo and reliance on RPO. Kent State’s offense gives the quarterback plenty of freedom in regard to decision-making, and the foundation of what they do relies on reading the opposing safeties. The wide receivers are typically spread far out to the boundaries, and the Golden Flashes target these portions of the field far more often than they do the middle. And from the run game, expect Kent State to attack with a heavy dose of inside zone with the occasional QB keeper.”
What kind of defensive system does Kent State run?
Helwick: “Kent State runs a 4-3 base defense under the direction of first-year defensive coordinator Dave Duggan.
Duggan last held an administrative position at Troy, but he boasts prior coordinator experience as the architect of Arkansas State’s defense in 2019 and 2020 and Southern Miss’ defense from 2013 to 2015.
While the 4-3 concept remains the bread and butter of the defense, you’ll see some 4-2-5 sets installed on third downs with an additional defensive back roving in the secondary.
“This secondary primarily relied on man coverage against UCF. And due to the mobility of Knights’ quarterback John Rhys Plumlee, one linebacker was often employed as a spy, and we could see that Saturday knowing the rushing capabilities of KJ Jefferson. Kent State refrained from frequent linebacker blitzes, primarily relying on defensive tackle CJ West’s disruptiveness to create pass rush lanes for the rest of the defensive line.”
Where can the Golden Flashes win the game and where can they lose the game?
Helwick: “The spread is currently 38 points in favor of Arkansas. Winning this game is certainly a longshot for an inexperienced team returning zero offensive starters and three defensive starters — while not exactly landing a slew of experienced arrivals in the transfer portal. Kent State is still a work in progress, but there were promising signs in the opener. Acquiring three turnovers was one of them, but going forward, Kent State needs to make that output sustainable. Additionally, moving the sticks steadily through a series of quick passes could spark the offense, and Alaimo had moderate success with this strategy in the first half against UCF.
“But overall, this defense allowed 723 yards and eight touchdowns last week while forcing just one punt. And offensively, the end zone remains unfamiliar territory heading into Week 2. So Arkansas should possess a myriad of advantages which makes this game another extraordinarily difficult test for the Golden Flashes.”
How do you see the game playing out and score prediction?
Helwick: “Both teams see a relative repeat of what transpired in Week 1. But this time, the Razorbacks establish a stronger foundation in the run game — even amidst the absence of Rocket Sanders — and they attain over 250 yards as a collective unit.
Fueled by this ground performance, the Razorbacks will go into halftime with a comfortable lead, but in the fourth quarter, Kent State’s offense puts together one sustained drive to register its first touchdown of 2023.”
Arkansas 52, Kent State 10
