Kent State football will return to Dix Stadium for Homecoming week, facing the University of Buffalo after a two-game road trip, where the team lost both contests.

The most recent loss came to Eastern Michigan (4-3, 2-1) by a 28-14 score, the team’s fourth loss in a row.

The losing streak puts the Flashes on the brink of bowl eligibility elimination, as the team sits at 1-6 on the year.

KSU needs to win the season’s final five games to participate in a bowl game.

“We’re obviously disappointed with the loss, but we got better as a football team in areas,” coach Kenni Burns said. “Everybody grows at different times. There were a lot of guys that played extremely well in that game that, earlier in the year, did not play as well, but they learned, they grew, and they got better – that’s what this program is all about.”

The Flashes (1-6) sit in a tie for last place in the East Division with Akron (1-6) with a 0-3 Mid-American Conference record.

KSU, Akron and Ball State share identical overall and conference records.

Buffalo comes into the game with a 2-5 overall record and a 2-1 conference record, putting them in a tie for second place in the MAC East with Ohio University.

UB lost its first four games of the season but has been 2-1 in its past three games.

“This is a really good Buffalo team,” Burns said. “Their record isn’t showing who they are – they’re a very talented group. If they put the pieces together, they’re a very good football team, and we have to come out here and expect them to put the pieces together.”

Player matchups

Quarterback

Buffalo will be starting graduate student Cole Snyder, a transfer student from Rutgers in the 2022 season, who was benched last weekend in the loss against Bowling Green State University.

• Last week vs. BGSU: 5-15, 30 passing yards, two interceptions, zero touchdowns
• Season Stats: 140-237, 1,337 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, six interceptions

Redshirt junior Mike Alaimo will get the start despite his benching in the team’s two most recent games, but Burns made it clear that fans should expect sophomore quarterback Tommy Ulatowski to play in the game, as well.

• Burns: “You’ll see them both again. They both will play different roles. Last week, with the way the game was going, I thought it was better to give Tommy the second half and see if he could use his legs a little bit more. We’ll try some things out this week to get both involved; they both bring different elements to the game. If one gets the hot hand, we’ll go with that guy throughout the game. I like both of their growths – I think they both need to play better than what they played on Saturday, but they’re both moving in the right direction.”
• Alaimo’s season stats: 72-130, 881 passing yards, two touchdowns, four interceptions
• Ulatowski’s season stats: 14-36, 181 passing yards, three touchdowns zero interceptions

Running back

Fifth-year runner Ron Cook, Jr. will make the start for the Bulls.

• Leads team in carries, rushing yards, and rushing touchdowns
• Last week vs. BGSU: 12 carries, 47 rushing yards, three receptions, 18 receiving yards
• Season Stats: 81 carries, 330 rushing yards, four rushing touchdowns, 19 receptions, 154 receiving yards, one receiving touchdown

Redshirt senior Jaylen Thomas will be starting the second consecutive game for the Flashes.

• Last week at Eastern Michigan: 23 carries, 94 rushing yards
• Season Stats: 63 carries, 240 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown
• Burns: “He’s running behind his pads. He brings a level of physicality that we’re looking for in the run game. It doesn’t have to be blocked perfectly for Jaylen, and you’re seeing him being able to make people miss in space and keep the plays going. I’m impressed with Jaylen so far; I think he has a lot of room to grow, but he’s doing a good job of managing the game.”

Receivers

Graduate student Darrell Harding, Jr. leads the Bulls’ receiving core.

• First year with the team – transferred from Duke at the beginning of the 2023 season.
• Leads the team in receiving yards and has the longest reception on the team (51 yards).
• Last week vs. BGSU: two receptions, 39 yards, and one touchdown
• Season Stats: 14 receptions, 239 receiving yards, three touchdowns

Redshirt freshman Chrishon McCray continues to break out for a struggling Kent State offense, which ranks 121st nationally out of 130 teams in passing yards per game.

• Leads the team in receptions and receiving yards and is tied for first on the team in receiving touchdowns
• Last week at Eastern Michigan: five receptions, 70 receiving yards
• Season Stats: 30 receptions, 397 receiving yards, two touchdowns

Defense

Sophomore safety Devin Grant will lead the Buffalo defensive unit.

• Tied for fourth in the nation in interceptions
• Last week vs. BGSU: eight tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss, 
• Season stats: 45 total tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble, four interceptions, two pass breakups, one blocked kick

Redshirt senior linebacker Devin Nicholson continues to command the KSU defense.

• Leads team in total tackles
• Last week at Eastern Michigan: five total tackles, one fumble recovery
• Season Stats: 47 total tackles, three tackles for loss, one fumble recovery, one pass breakup
• Sophomore defensive lineman Oliver Billotte: “This new staff came in in the winter with high hopes and was ready to buy into the process. I am really happy with where we’re at, and that all comes down to the guys around me and the coaching staff preparing us well.”
• Burns: “I thought our defense got better. They played well – the first five drives were three-and-outs. It was outstanding on the defensive side of things. We stopped the run and got a takeaway, and the guys were playing hard; they were swarming.”

How do they stack up?

Burns expressed his happiness with the team’s fight in recent games.

“The one thing I won’t question is how hard they play,” he said. “They play really hard, and that’s evident on tape. If we can clean up our miscues, I think we have a really good shot to win some games here down the stretch.”

Kickoff will be 3:30 Saturday in Dix Stadium.

“It’s going to feel good to get back in Dix Stadium,” Billotte said. “I am super excited for that; it is always good to be in front of the home crowd. Homecoming weekend is obviously a big game, so hopefully we’ll see a lot of fans out.”

It will be Homecoming week for the Flashes with a “gold out” theme. Tailgating opens at 12:30 p.m., and the first 1,500 fans can pick up a gold rally towel as they enter the stadium.

Burns said the players are “excited to get back to Dix Stadium” after the road trip.

“The guys understand that we’ve had a couple of blunders and lost a couple of games, and there’s no better way to put it back on the right path than by coming back home and playing in front of your fans,” he said. “You’re going to see great energy on Saturday, and I know our fans are going to come out, and hopefully, it’s a great college atmosphere, and we can find a way to pick up a win.”

John Hilber is a reporter. Contact him at [email protected].