In our "Out of Spring" series, Orange and Blue News takes a look at spring football for the Illini's 2018 opponents.
First up is a look at Kent State from the Mid-American Conference. Illinois hosts the Golden Flahes on September 1 at Memorial Stadium to kick off the 2018 campaign. The Illini last played Kent State in 2015. Quarterback Wes Lunt passed for four touchdowns to lead Illinois to a 52-3 win.
The Golden Flashes finished the 2017 season 2–10, 1–7 in MAC play to finish in last place in the East Division. The school fired head coach at the conclusion of the season. Paul Haynes.
Sean Lewis was announced as the new Kent State head coach in December. Lewis came to the Golden Flashes after serving as the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach under Dino Babers at Syracuse University.
Orange and Blue News spoke to Allen Moff, Kent State beat writer for the Record-Courier in Kent, Ohio to get the lowdown on the Golden Flashes. Follow Allen Moff on Twitter @@AllenMoff_RC. Follow the Kent State Golden Flashes @KentStFootball.
Kent State brought in a new coach in Sean Lewis. What does Lewis bring to job and what changes did you see this spring.
Allen Moff: Lewis is youngest FBS head coach in the nation at age 31, and he's highly energetic. He's given the program a jolt of passion and enthusiasm since taking over in December. He also brings a quick-tempo offensive mentality to a Kent State program that's scored the fewest points in the nation over the past four years.
Besides the new coach, what were some of the major story lines headed into the spring, and what did you learn about the team?
AM: The fast-pace offense Lewis has brought to camp was the talk of spring camp. Syracuse led the nation last year in plays and tries to snap the football in less than 15 seconds between plays. Kent State's players are excited about the new style of play, but now must learn to execute it — which will obviously take some time.
Who are some of the names that Illinois fans will want to be familiar with when the Illini and Golden Flashes hook up in September?
AM: Junior running back Justin Rankin will be a big part of the offense, both as a rusher and receiver. On defense, senior linebackers Jim Jones and Matt Bahr are very active playmakers and sophomore cornerback Elvis Hines is playing like an emerging star.
What questions went unanswered this spring, and what improvements need to be made before the fall for Kent State to compete with the top teams in the Eastern Division of the MAC?
AM: The Flashes must settle on a quarterback, who will carry a huge burden in the quick-tempo offense Lewis runs. Sophomore Dustin Crum returns after seeing action last season for the Flashes and is competing primarily with sophomore transfer Woody Barrett — an intriguing prospect with tremendous size (6-2, 231) and athleticism who was once in the mix to start at Auburn.
Simply stated, Kent State must score points consistently to compete. Last year the Flashes ranked next-to-last in the nation in scoring at 12.7 points per game. Until that changes, the struggles will continue.
