The no. 11 Penn State Nittany Lions will look to follow up last week’s blowout win with a similar result this week when they host the Kent State Golden Flashes. The game is set to start at noon EST on Saturday, September 15, at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania. Fans can catch the game on FS1.
If we check out the Week 3 college football odds, the Nittany Lions are 34-point favorites. However, that line is down slightly after Penn State opened at -36.
Penn State’s season got off to an unsettling start, as they blew a 4th-quarter lead against Appalachian State and needed overtime to avoid an upset. However, the Nittany Lions appeared to get back on track last week when they demolished in-state rival Pittsburgh 51-6. Despite the game being close at halftime, Penn State ran away with the game in the 2nd half, giving them plenty of momentum as they return to Happy Valley this week.
As for Kent State, they came close to pulling off an upset over Illinois in their season opener but couldn’t hold onto a 17-3 halftime lead. Fortunately for the Golden Flashes, they bounced back last week against FCS opponent Howard, winning 54-14 behind a strong performance from their new up-tempo offense. They now get a second chance to measure themselves against a team from the Big Ten.
When Kent State visited Penn State a couple of years ago, the Golden Flashes were surprisingly competitive. It was just a three-point game at halftime before the Nittany Lions began to pull away. Obviously, Kent State is a much different team from two years ago. But the players that remain will remember it and be confident that they can stay close against Penn State this time around too.
I was on the fence about whether or not to swallow this many points, which means the safe choice is to go with the underdog. Obviously, Penn State is coming off a 45-point win against a much better team than Kent State. But things aren’t always that simple in college football. The Nittany Lions no doubt brought a lot more intensity to a primetime game against a rival than they will to Saturday’s game against a MAC team. With Penn State due for a letdown, I’ll take my chances leaning toward Kent State and the points.
Obviously, Penn State is the more talented team in this matchup. However, Kent State has played a lot better than most people projected they would coming into the season. Of course, if they couldn’t beat Illinois, the Golden Flashes probably don’t have much of a chance against Penn State. But that doesn’t mean they can’t keep this game close and beat the spread.
The key for Kent State lies in the offense new head coach Sean Lewis brought with him after serving as the offensive coordinator for Syracuse’s up-tempo offense. Lewis appears to have found the right quarterback to run the offense in Woody Barrett, a dual-threat quarterback who started his career at Auburn. Barrett isn’t always a reliable passer, which is an obvious concern, but his athleticism and ability to make plays with his legs help to make up for that.
The Golden Flashes also have a couple of capable running backs in Justin Rankin and Jo-El Shaw. Both are powerful enough runners, and with the Nittany Lions still breaking in some new players at defensive tackle and linebacker, these are the kinds of backs who could give them trouble. Both Appalachian State and Pitt had a fair amount of success running the ball against the Nittany Lions. If Kent State can mimic that success, it’s easier for their offense to run at a high tempo and put the defense in a tough position.
Of course, the Kent State defense is also going to have to contribute for the Golden Flashes to stay competitive in this game. In terms of size, the Penn State offensive line will have a distinct advantage over the Kent State front-7. However, the Golden Flashes managed to keep Illinois out of the end zone during the first half, so there’s definitely some talent on that side of the ball. If the Kent State defense can provide a little bit of resistance or the Nittany Lions start the game slowly, it could go a long way toward helping the Golden Flashes beat the spread.
Obviously, I’m not going to project Kent State to pull off the upset. But that doesn’t mean the Nittany Lions can secure a five-touchdown win in order to beat the spread. We saw Penn State stumble the opening week when they didn’t have the motivation of a rivalry game to help them. I can see the Nittany Lions having a similar problem this week against Kent State and their tricky offense. That’s why I’ll lean toward the Golden Flashes beating the 34-point spread.