Akron Zips vs Kent State Golden Flashes Final — October 24, 2026
AKROffense2026 regular season to dateKENT
AKRDefenseKENTAKRRecent formKENTAKRHome and roadseason to dateKENTAKRLast 10 gamesKENTRest & travelrest and travel
AKRRest & travelKENTAbout these numbers
2026 regular season to date, captured before kickoff. League rank in small type (138 teams); the gold side ranks higher. Bars show rank, longest = 1st. Source: Gridiron & Wine public Analytics tables.
Last five results this season, oldest to newest. Records are season to date, with home and road splits. Against-the-spread (ATS) and over–under records use the consensus closing line.
Margin of each of the last 7 games this season, oldest to newest (gold = won). Hover a bar for the score margin.
Distance is straight-line from each team's home arena; time-zone change is at game time. Rest counts days since each team's previous game.
The pre-game matchup
Akron (0-6) visited Kent State (1-5) on Saturday, October 24 at 1:00 PM ET.
Akron has the 132nd-ranked offense by EPA per play (expected points added per snap) and the 115th-ranked defense (ranks among the 138 teams with play-by-play data). Meanwhile, Kent State has the 127th-ranked offense and the 72nd-ranked defense. When Akron has the ball, a 132nd-ranked offense (−0.164 EPA per play) meets a 72nd-ranked defense (+0.078 allowed); when Kent State has it, a 127th-ranked offense (−0.123) meets a 115th-ranked defense (+0.191 allowed).
By success rate (the share of plays that gain expected points), the Akron offense is at 42.5% (112th) and the Kent State offense at 45.1% (88th). Akron scores 14.5 points per game (131st) and allows 36.2 (123rd); Kent State scores 8.0 (138th) and allows 34.8 (119th).
Akron is 1-6 and 3-4 against the spread; its last game was a 34-14 loss to Miami (OH). Kent State is 2-5; its last game was a 29-2 loss to South Florida.
Kent State closed as a 3-point favorite at home against Akron. The spread opened at Kent State -3.5. The total closed at 47.5, up from 43.5 at the open. After removing the vig, the closing moneyline (Akron +125, Kent State -150) prices Akron at 43% and Kent State at 57%.
Written from the numbers available before kickoff.
Result
Final score and result vs the closing line
Akron Zips 20, Kent State Golden Flashes 35
Kent State Golden Flashes won by 15.
- Against the closing spread (Kent State Golden Flashes -3): Kent State Golden Flashes covered.
- Combined score 55 vs the closing total of 47.5: Over.
- Kent State Golden Flashes closed at -150 on the moneyline (a 57% no-vig market-implied chance).
Before the game: market and G&W
From open to close the market moved 1 point toward Akron Zips.
Market numbers are the consensus moneyline with the bookmaker margin removed.
Win probability
Each team's chance of winning through the game, starting from the market's closing price (Akron Zips 43%, Kent State Golden Flashes 57%) and moving with every snap until the final.
Biggest swings
- Q3 6:27 — Kent State Golden Flashes ball, 1st & 10 at KENT 45No Huddle-Shotgun #12 D.DeShields pass complete short middle to #6 W.Harris caught at Kent45, for 55 yards to the Akron00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 06:27, 1ST DOWN #49 T.…Kent State Golden Flashes 34% → 52% (+18 pts) · Drive 10 in Drive X-Ray
- Q3 5:34 — Akron Zips ball, 2nd & 13 at AKR 27No Huddle-Shotgun #6 B.Roggow pass complete deep left to #4 M.Burris caught at Kent36, for 37 yards to the Kent36 (#25 M.Buchanan), 1ST DOWNAkron Zips 44% → 57% (+13 pts) · Drive 11 in Drive X-Ray
- Q3 1:54 — Kent State Golden Flashes ball, 2nd & 4 at KENT 31No Huddle-Shotgun #12 D.DeShields pass complete short left to #22 B.White caught at Kent25, for 52 yards to the Akron17 (#9 A.Branch), out of bounds, 1ST DOWNKent State Golden Flashes 46% → 60% (+14 pts) · Drive 12 in Drive X-Ray
- Q4 12:02 — Kent State Golden Flashes ball, 2nd & 5 at AKR 25No Huddle-Shotgun #22 B.White rush middle for 7 yards gain to the Akron18 fumbled by #22 B.White at Akron20 forced by #29 T.Davis recovered by Akron #13 R.Hunter…Akron Zips 15% → 30% (+15 pts) · Drive 14 in Drive X-Ray
- Q4 9:57 — Akron Zips ball, 1st & 10 at AKR 42No Huddle-Shotgun #6 B.Roggow pass intercepted by #18 N.Johnson at Kent15 #18 N.Johnson return 37 yards to the Akron48, out of bounds at Akron48 PENALTY Akron Pe…Kent State Golden Flashes 65% → 83% (+18 pts) · Drive 15 in Drive X-Ray
Kent State Golden Flashes won after falling as low as 19% (Q2 4:40).
Game DNA
| Akron | Points added | Kent State |
|---|---|---|
| +0.4 | Passingdropbacks | -9.3 |
| -5.3 | Rushingdesigned runs | +5.5 |
| +17.3 | Explosive plays6 plays · 6 plays | +15.0 |
| -6.2 | Turnovers1 giveaways · 1 giveaways | -5.3 |
| -1.6 | Special teamskicks, punts and returns | -2.4 |
| -8.1 | Penaltiespre-snap and dead-ball | +9.6 |
| +1.7 | Red zoneTDs on trips: 2 of 4 · 4 of 6 | -1.6 |
| -1.8 | All plays | +11.5 |
The biggest single gap: penalties, worth about 17.7 points to Kent State Golden Flashes. The final margin was 15.
Points added: what each team's plays added to its expected points, credited to the team with the ball. Each play counts once.
Line review
Kent State Golden Flashes closed as the market favourite at 57% and won.
Market
Closing line and line movement
Akron +3.5 (-110)
Akron +3 (-115)
Kent State -152 58%
Kent State -150 57%
Consensus of US sportsbooks. Open = first line after both teams' previous games; Close = consensus at kickoff. Percentages are the moneyline's no-vig market-implied chances.
Members
G&W Line
G&W’s own number for this game, next to the market. Analytics
Matchup
Players to watch
- Attempts157
- Completion %58.6%176th
- Passing yards1,068167th
- Yards per attempt6.8173rd
- TD–INT7–9
- Rushing yards45655th
- Season line99 carries, 456 yds, 4 TD
- Receiving yards332135th
- Season line31 catches, 332 yds, 3 TD
- Tackles675th
- Attempts185
- Completion %57.3%191st
- Passing yards1,140154th
- Yards per attempt6.2217th
- TD–INT4–6
- Rushing yards202281st
- Season line52 carries, 202 yds, 1 TD
- Receiving yards39681st
- Season line31 catches, 396 yds, 1 TD
- Tackles35292nd
Season passing totals from public box scores, captured before kickoff. Ranks among the 262 quarterbacks with at least 60 attempts. Rushing, receiving and tackle leaders: season totals captured October 21, 5:34 a.m. ET; ranks among FBS players.
Success by situation
| Situation | Akron | Kent State |
|---|---|---|
| Early-down success rateAkron offense vs Kent State defense | 39.5%109th | 51.4%136th |
| Early-down success rateKent State offense vs Akron defense | 44.9%95th | 39.2%116th |
| 3rd-down conversion rateAkron offense vs Kent State defense | 35.8%98th | 42.9%97th |
| 3rd-down conversion rateKent State offense vs Akron defense | 41.5%82nd | 32.4%113th |
| Explosive play rateAkron offense vs Kent State defense | 5.6%106th | 7.5%88th |
| Explosive play rateKent State offense vs Akron defense | 8.5%115th | 4.9%120th |
| Pass rateshare of plays that are passes or sacks | 55.4%22nd-highest | 52.8%47th-highest |
On 3rd down Akron converts 35.8% (98th) against a Kent State defense allowing 42.9% (97th).
On 3rd down Kent State converts 32.4% (113th) against a Akron defense allowing 41.5% (82nd).
2026 regular season before kickoff, from play-by-play with garbage time removed; ranks among the 138 teams in the play-by-play data (defense: 1st = allows the least). Success = a play that gains expected points.
Coaching staff
| Staff | Akron | Kent State |
|---|---|---|
| Head coach | Joe Moorhead | Mark Carney |
| Tenureat this school | 5th season | 2nd season |
| Record at schoolthis season included, as of the date below | 14–41 | 7–12 |
| Career recordas an FBS head coach | 28–53 | 7–12 |
| Offensive coordinator | Joe Moorhead | Clay Patterson |
| Defensive coordinator | Tim Tibesar | Cherokee Valeria |
Staff list as of October 20, 6:50 a.m. ET.
Head-to-head
The teams have met 5 times since 2021: Akron won 2 and Kent State 3.
| Date | Score | Line | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 11, 2025 | Kent State 42, Akron 35 Kent State won | ||
| Nov 19, 2024 | Akron 38, Kent State 17 Akron won | ||
| Nov 1, 2023 | Kent State 27, Akron 31 Akron won | ||
| Oct 22, 2022 | Akron 27, Kent State 33 Kent State won | ||
| Nov 20, 2021 | Kent State 38, Akron 0 Kent State won |
Meetings since 2021, most recent first. Line and total are the consensus closing numbers where line history is available.
Teams
Akron Zips
- Akron Zips team stats
- Akron Zips 14, Miami (OH) RedHawks 34 (Oct 17)
- Eastern Michigan Eagles 25, Akron Zips 23 (Oct 10)
- Akron Zips 17, Central Michigan Chippewas 41 (Oct 3)
Kent State Golden Flashes
More NCAAF games on October 24, 2026
- LSU Tigers 38, Auburn Tigers 17 (Oct 24)
- Texas Tech Red Raiders 24, Cincinnati Bearcats 37 (Oct 24)
- Rice Owls 49, Florida Atlantic Owls 51 (Oct 24)
- Pittsburgh Panthers 23, Miami Hurricanes 52 (Oct 24)
- Indiana Hoosiers 13, Michigan Wolverines 6 (Oct 24)
- Rutgers Scarlet Knights 14, Northwestern Wildcats 42 (Oct 24)
- California Golden Bears 20, SMU Mustangs 59 (Oct 24)
- West Virginia Mountaineers 24, TCU Horned Frogs 20 (Oct 24)
- Western Michigan Broncos 38, Toledo Rockets 45 (Oct 24)
- Miami (OH) RedHawks 28, Central Michigan Chippewas 27 (Oct 24)
- Baylor Bears 24, Kansas Jayhawks 25 (Oct 24)
- Oregon Ducks 10, Illinois Fighting Illini 21 (Oct 24)
- Texas A&M Aggies 20, Alabama Crimson Tide 31 (Oct 24)
- Sacramento State Hornets 17, Ball State Cardinals 34 (Oct 24)
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