Hogs Enemy Lines: A Chat with a Kent State Writer

Week 2 Razorback Preview and perspective from the opposite press box

Author:
Daniel Shi
Publish date:
Sep 7, 2023 10:07 PM EDT

In this story:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The home opener is now less than 48 hours away. The Kent State Golden Flashes look to bounce back from an ugly 56-6 loss against the University of Central Florida. As part of an ongoing series, I sat down with John Hilber; a sports reporter for KentWired to preview the clash with the Razorbacks.

Note: Interview has been edited for clarity.

Daniel Shi: What's the state of the program under first-year head coach Kenni Burns after Sean Lewis departed for Colorado?

John Hilber: He's a very strong-minded coach. He's very hard on the details. He knew he had a young and inexperienced team; instead of creating a more physical aspect, he's made it more mental. As a mid-major team, they typically aren't more talented than other teams. Creating a more mental toughness really gives them an edge and he knows that. Game-wise, he's more of a running coach, although we didn't see much of it last week, they passed it a lot more than anybody thought they would.

DS: Outside of Colorado, Kent State is returning the fewest number of combined starts, how has that dynamic played out so far?

JH: The offense is pretty much all new, there was not a lot of gel-ing (in the opener). There is a lot of inexperience; the center (Andrew Page) is a true freshman. The Purdue transfer quarterback Michael Alaimo hasn't played with the offense much. In the game against the UCF, the team couldn't connect on deep balls and the running game wasn't as strong as projected. It goes back to lack of experience, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

DS: How does Alaimo look leading up to the game after looking shaky in his first start (12-31, 145 yards)?

JH: He's new to the system, so he's growing into it. Coach Burns has expressed a lot of trust in his ability. He's solid throwing the ball; he can run the ball, but he'd rather pass it. A few times he scrambled, then stopped and tried to pass it, which did not work too well. Going from the bench at Purdue to being the day-one starter is a bit of a culture shock. He is coming into a new system, so there will be difficulties but with his talent, give it a few weeks and he'll be alright.

DS: With Alaimo's week 1 struggles, what's the accurate representation of the receiver room?

JH: Senior Luke Floriea didn't get many touches in Week 1 for some reason. He is a captain and a go-to guy on the team. Look for him to get more balls thrown to him this week. It goes back to the lack of reps together between Alaimo and the receivers.

DS: Pittman Week 1 name-dropped redshirt freshman Chrishon McCray in his press conference on Monday (leading receiver against UCF) as both a receiver and on special teams; how does he fit into the game plan this weekend?

JH: He's a good second option in the receiving game. It's good to build off of (his week 1 performance). He's very versatile, fast and agile. When things get tough, look for him to make a play.

DS: On the defensive side of the ball, coach Burns had an infamous moment where he referred to KJ Jefferson as "KJ Jefferies." Where does the defense stand after facing UCF quarterback John Rhys Plumlee?

JH: There were a lot of explosive plays given up. UCF didn't chip away at any drive; they would struggle for a minute and then get a big play to turn the tide. The 723 total yards given up ranks last in the nation. It's hard to say what their strength is on defense. The one bright spot is turnovers (three against UCF).

DS: Who's the leader on the defense?

JH: Coach Burns mentioned defensive lineman CJ West. He's big and physical and anchors it down. His stats don't show it but he's a vocal leader. (Fellow defensive lineman Stephen) Daley played really well last week and recovered a UCF fumble. It starts up front and works its way back.

DS: Given how new everything is, what is a realistic goal for the squad this season?

JH: Stick around. Losing a big chunk of the team in the transfer portal killed morale a bit. There's definitely a process; these are all young guys, so they have something to build on. A lot of these guys are going to be here for a long time. This is step one.

The Razorbacks take on Kent State Saturday at 3 p.m. Saturday on SEC Network and fuboTV.