Scouting the opponents: Key questions for Kent State

HEAD COACH: Sean Lewis (fourth year)

2021 RECORD: 7-7 overall, 6-2 in MAC East

RETURNING STARTERS: Offense – 8; Defense – 6; Special Teams – 1

PLAYERS TO WATCH: QB Collin Schlee, RB Marquez Cooper, WR Ja’Shaun Poke, WR Dante Cephas, OL Adam Gregoire, DE Zayin West, DB Montre Miller, S Dean Clark

VERSUS GEORGIA: Sept 24, Noon

Will Kent State miss a beat with Collin Schlee at quarterback?

For Kent State, the biggest question is at quarterback, where the Golden Flashes must replace Dustin Crum, who completed 244 of 381 passes in the offensive-minded MAC for 3,187 yards and 20 touchdowns with just six interceptions.

Junior Collin Schlee is expected to be his replacement.

At 6-foot-3 and 218 pounds, Schless is more of a dual-threat competitor than his predecessor, having thrown for 238 yards, while rushing for 127 in 10 games off the bench.

The Flashes are blessed to have some experience back at wide receiver, led by senor Dante Cephas, who caught 82 passes for 1,240 yards and nine touchdowns in 2021.

Kent State also has its top two running backs returning: Marquez Cooper and Xavier Williams. Cooper ran for 1,205 yards and 11 touchdowns and was just the second back to pass the 1,00-yard mark for KSU since 2012.

What can the Golden Flashes expect from their revamped defense?

Kent State has a new defensive coordinator in Jeremiah Johnson who comes down from the mountains after nine years at Northern Iowa (sorry, couldn’t resist) to retool the program’s defense.

The Golden Flashes will apparently be sticking with the 3-3-5 used last by the team, but hopefully with better results after Kent State allowed 37-plus points in seven of its 12 games, including season highs of 54 and 64.

All total, Kent State allowed 36.3 points per contest, which ranked 121st in the country,

Kent State head coach Sean Lewis hit the NCAA Transfer Portal in an attempt to address some of the needs and did come away with former UCLA defensive end A.J. Campbell.

Rutgers transfer safety Naijee Jones is also expected to play a big role.

Otherwise, Kent State will depend on a pair of returnees on the defensive line—Zayin West and nose tackle CJ West, two of seven defensive linemen back from last year.

There’s also experience back at linebacker with the return of Kesean Gamble and Juan Wallace.

Cornerback Montre Miller also returns after leading the team with four interceptions last year.

Can the Golden Flashes withstand the early part of their schedule?

Kent State’s not playing around with the early portion of their 2022 schedule.

Last year, the Golden Flashes played Texas A&M, Iowa, and Maryland, losing all three by a combined score of 108-33.

This year might be worse.

After opening at Washington, Kent State heads to Oklahoma before traveling to Athens on Sept. 24 to take on the defending national champions.

Once the Georgia game is complete, the MAC portion of the schedule opens up, and the hope is that by then, the experience gained by lining up against three of the FBS’s big boys will help the team be ready for another run at the MAC East crown.