KENT STATE FACES UTAH STATE IN TROPICAL SMOOTHIE CAFE FRISCO BOWL

2019 TROPICAL SMOOTHIE CAFE FRISCO BOWL
Kent State (6-6, 5-3 MAC) vs. Utah State (7-5, 6-2 Mountain West)
Friday, December 20, 2019 • 7:30 pm ET • Frisco, Texas • Toyota Stadium (17,200)
ESPN2 Announcers: Anish Shroff (play-by-play), John Congemi (analyst), Kris Budden (sideline)

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Kent State Notes:
• Kent State was the only FBS team that won its final three games to become bowl eligible.
• The Golden Flashes’ three game win streak to close the season started in improbable fashion. The Flashes trailed Buffalo 27-6 with under eight minutes to go. Three touchdowns sandwiched between a recovered onside kick and blocked punt, tied the game at 27. Matthew Trickett hit a walk-off 42-yard field goal to mark the largest fourth-quarter comeback in the FBS this season.
• 1954, 1972, 2012 and now 2019 are the only bowl dates in Kent State history. The Flashes lost to Delaware in the 1954 Refigerator Bowl in Evansville, Indiana, lost to the University of Tampa in the 1972 Tangerine (now Citrus) Bowl and to Arkansas State in the 2012 GoDaddy Bowl.
• Matthew Trickett became the first player since Dri Archer in 2012 to earn the MAC’s Special Teams Player of the Year. Trickett set a school record for field goals with 24 including three game winners. Trickett is one of just five place kickers to hit 24 or more field goals this season.
• Isaiah McKoy became the first Kent State wideout with three touchdowns in a game since Eugene Baker did it in 1997. McKoy has seven touchdown catches this season, all of which are 21 yards or longer.
• Sean Lewis has his FlashFAST sytem rolling innjust his second year at the helm. The Golden Flashes’ four game improvement from their 2-10 season in 2018 is tied for the eighth-best improvement in the FCS. A big reason behind the turnaround has been the offense, which improved to 34.8 points per game in MAC play in 2019, up from 22.8 points per game in 2018 and 13.8 points per game in 2017.
• Dustin Crum is a big reason for the continued improvement of the FlashFAST offense. The junior led the MAC in completion percentage (68.2%), yards and touchdowns in MAC play this season. His 18:2
touchdown-to-interception ratio is the best in school history and helped him rise to No. 25 in the FBS in passing efficiency (156.1) and the top mark in the Mid-American Conference.
• 1973-74 Kent State and Utah State have met twice prior in their respective histories. The teams had a home-and-home in 1973 and 74 with each team winning on the road.

A New Pace:
Kent State ran a total of 914 plays in 2018, the most since the 2012 season. Sean Lewis and the new #FlashFAST offense ran an average of 76.6 plays per game a season ago. This season, the Flashes are running 68 plays per game and averaging nearly six yards per play. The result is over 4700 yards, the fourth-most in school history and the most since 2008. The 27.5 points per game are the most for Kent State since the 2012 season. Under Lewis, the Flashes have improved to over 34 points per game in conference play, up from 22 points per game in 2018 and 13 points per MAC contest in 2017.

Moving The Chains:
The Kent State offense has steadily increased their third-down efficiency this season. After starting the first two weeks 11/33 (33%) on third down, Kent State was ranked 100th in the NCAA. In MAC play, Kent State is second in the MAC and have converted 49 percent of their third downs in conference play. As a result, Kent has converted 44 percent of their third downs on the season. As a result, the
Golden Flashes now rank 32nd in the NCAA in conversion percentage.

Crum Shines:
Quarterback Dustin Crum has shined as the Flashes signal caller. The junior set multiple records in the win over Ball State. Crum became the first Kent State quarterback since Josh Cribbs in 2003 to throw for 300 and rush for 100 in the same game. His 470 yards of total offense was the most by a Golden Flashes player since 1997 and the most ever in a victory. Crum has thrown just two interceptions on the season and has risen to 16th in the NCAA in passing efficiency.