Kenni Burns inherited a difficult situation with the Kent State Golden Flashes last fall, which inevitably went as well as expected. A 1-11 season without a conference win was the worst performance from the program since 2005.
Things can only improve from there, but realistically, how high can the Flashes climb? Will the Kent State 2024 football schedule help or hinder that progress?
Kent State 2024 Football Schedule
- at Pittsburgh Panthers
Saturday, August 31, time TBA - vs. Saint Francis Red Flash
Saturday, September 7, time TBA - at Tennessee Volunteers
Saturday, September 14, time TBA - at Penn State Nittany Lions
Saturday, September 21, time TBA - vs. Eastern Michigan Eagles
Saturday, September 28, time TBA - vs. Ball State Cardinals
Saturday, October 12, time TBA - at Bowling Green Falcons
Saturday, October 19, time TBA - at Western Michigan Broncos
Saturday, October 26, time TBA - vs. Ohio Bobcats
Wednesday, November 6, time TBA - at Miami (OH) RedHawks
Wednesday, November 13, time TBA - vs. Akron Zips
Tuesday, November 19, time TBA - at Buffalo Bulls
Tuesday, November 26, time TBA
In the past, the Golden Flashes have danced with the devil when it comes to out-of-conference scheduling, trading potential wins that count toward bowl eligibility for financially rewarding fixtures. 2022 was a prime example, and while the Kent State 2024 football schedule doesn’t quite match that level, they will carry no more than one win into MAC play this fall.
A home clash with the Saint Francis Red Flash is the lone comfort in an opening slate that features road trips to the Pittsburgh Panthers, Tennessee Volunteers, and Penn State Nittany Lions. The Golden Flashes have never played the Vols but are a combined 0-13 against the Pennsylvanian Power Five programs.
Moving to the MAC element of the Kent State 2024 football schedule, the Golden Flashes’ road slate of games features the more difficult opponents. They face a good Bowling Green Falcons side in mid-October, followed by a visit to the Western Michigan Broncos. The Wednesday night MACtion matchup with the Miami (OH) RedHawks is clearly the biggest challenge.
KEEP READING: 2024 MAC Weekly Football Schedule
The home slate offers some mild relief, although the Kent State 2024 football schedule still features the Ohio Bobcats as a challenging matchup. Welcoming the Eastern Michigan Eagles and Akron Zips to Dix Stadium boosts their chances of putting a notch in the win column while avoiding the Toledo Rockets altogether is advantageous. Still, a tough season awaits.
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