Kent State vs Ohio NCAA Football Picks and Tips 10/19/2019

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Peden Stadium

Peden Stadium is the site where Nathan Rourke and the Ohio Bobcats will take on the Kent State Golden Flashes on Saturday. Ohio opens this contest as 9-point favorites. The Golden Flashes are 3-3-0 ATS and 2-4-0 when betting on the total. The Bobcats are 3-3-0 when wagering on the over/under and 1-5-0 against the spread.

In their last outing, the Kent State Golden Flashes played the Akron Zips and won 26-3. Will Matthews paced the team on the ground for that contest. He broke a long run for 16 yards and he ran for 1 TD during the game. He ran for 126 yards by way of 25 carries which meant he was running for 5.0 yards per run. Isaiah McKoy was the receiving yardage leader with a tally of 80 yards on 7 receptions. He averaged 11.4 yards per catch for that contest. Running the show from under center for the Golden Flashes was Dustin Crum who went 16/21 with 149 yards through the air and tossed 1 touchdown. He ended the game without an interception. The Golden Flashes ended up running the ball 48 times and racked up 233 yards earning them an average of 4.9 yards per rush. Overall, they ran 69 plays which gave them a total of 382 yards. On the day, the Golden Flashes earned 24 first downs and they had 5 penalties for 52 yards which tells us that they had an average outing in terms of discipline. When it comes to their defensive performance, Kent State allowed 17 catches on 29 attempts totaling 202 yards, and a completion percentage of 58.6%. Against the run, the Golden Flashes allowed 95 yards on 32 carries which gave them an average of 3.0 yards per rushing attempt allowed. Overall, they gave up a total of 297 yards and earned 1 turnover.

The Golden Flashes come into this matchup with a record of 3-3 for 2019. They are in the middle of the pack in regard to scoring in the nation averaging 22.8 points per contest, ranking them 104th in D-1. As a team, they are averaging 170.8 rushing yards per contest which is 6th in the conference. For total yards, they currently sit at 9th in the conference and 104th in D-1 with 2,114 yards. The Golden Flashes have one of the average defenses in college football, giving up 29.8 points per contest which has them at 7th in the conference. When it comes to passing yards, the Golden Flashes have conceded 1,089 yards. Teams are completing 64.6% of the passes they throw against them and averaging 8.4 yards per try. In discussing yards rushing, Kent State is giving up 248.2 yards per contest which has them at 12th in the Mid-American Conference and 130th in D-1. Opposing teams are running for an average of 4.9 yards per carry which has them at 8th in the MAC and 104th in D-1 overall. Overall, they have allowed 1,489 yards rushing through 6 games.

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The last time they took the field, the Ohio Bobcats played the NIU Huskies and lost 39-36. Running the show from under center for the Bobcats was Nathan Rourke who went 19/31 with 258 yards through the air and threw 2 touchdowns. He finished this contest without throwing a pick. Nathan Rourke paced the team on the ground for the game. He broke a long run for 19 yards and he added 1 TD for the contest. He rushed for 80 yards on 12 carries which meant he averaged 6.7 yards per tote. Shane Hooks led the team in receiving yardage by earning 131 yards on 7 catches. He had an average of 18.7 yards per reception for the game. The Bobcats rushed the ball a total of 34 times and generated 178 yards which earned them an average of 5.2 yards per carry. For the contest, the Bobcats got 24 first downs and they had a total of 6 infractions for 70 yards which tells us their heads weren't always in the game. In all, they totaled 67 plays which gave them a total of 438 yards. On the defensive side of the ball, Ohio conceded 24 completions on 40 tries totaling 341 yards, and a completion percentage of 60.0%. In the running game, the Bobcats conceded 169 yards on 31 carries which is an average of 5.5 yards per run allowed. In the game, they allowed 510 yards and forced 1 turnover.

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The Bobcats come into this matchup with a record of 2-4. Ohio has built a respectable ground game this year by averaging 167.2 rushing yards per contest, ranking them 65th in college football. As a team, they have a total of 1,003 rushing yards through 6 games, so they'll look to the run game to try to keep the opponents off balance so they'll have open receivers. The Bobcats average 379.2 yards per contest overall putting them 92nd in the nation and 6th in the conference. The Bobcats are conceding 29.5 points per contest which puts them at 6th in the conference and 85th in D-1. In regard to points given up, they have allowed 177 total points. When it comes to yards on the ground, they are giving up 197.3 yards per contest ranking them 102nd in the nation and 8th in the conference. For 2019, they have given up 1,184 rushing yards and 10.8 rushing touchdowns. Their pass defense is one of the middle of the road units in Division 1. They are conceding 260 passing yards per game. For passing yards allowed per game, the Bobcats sit in 8th in the MAC.

Who will win tonight's Golden Flashes/Bobcats college football game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take the Golden Flashes +9

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