Underdog Kent State refuses to alter game plan for FSU football clash

The Florida State Seminoles return to Doak Campbell Stadium this weekend following their first BYE week of the season. With the Seminoles coming off two big wins, taking them from unranked to seventh in the country per the AP Poll, the team that once had nothing to lose is now a contender for a spot in the 12-team college football playoff.

In their third game of the season, the Seminoles face the Kent State Golden Flashes, who are coming off a dramatic 31-28 loss to Buffalo in week three, making it 24 consecutive FBS matchups in which the Golden Flashes have found themselves in the losers' column.

As Kent State enters Tallahassee with the hope of breaking what could be a historic losing streak, interim head coach Mark Carney discusses what his team will bring to Bobby Bowden Field Saturday afternoon, as well as the challenges that come with playing FSU.

Kent State's Approach Will Remain the Same for Florida State

Kent State Football team — Kent State interim coach Mark Carney watches from the sideline during the season opener against Merrimack College on Aug. 30, 2025, in Kent. | Nicholas McLaughlin / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In his weekly press conference, Carney, who was named interim HC in April of this year, discussed the state of his program following a devastating loss to Buffalo last weekend, which was the closest the Golden Flashes came to an FBS victory in over a year.

With Carney and his team traveling to play Florida State in a sold-out Doak Campbell Stadium, the approach to the game doesn't change. Regardless of the opponent, Carney and his players are looking forward to making a statement in front of the big crowd.

"You don't approach it differently, I think, again, we talked about it before the Texas Tech week. We recruit guys in the transfer portal and high school players that want to be involved in these types of environments and want to make plays," Carney said.

"Proving somebody wrong, proving yourself right, whatever it is, whatever we're motivated by," Carney added. "Our challenge is continue to grow, don't be satisfied with where we are, avoid complacency, and continue to grow."

Carney added to his optimism, saying that his team can be competitive with anyone, but competition within the team has to grow in order to improve.

"We're to the point now where we know we can be competitive with anybody on our schedule, it's how competitive are we with each other and ourselves every day that will continue to maximize the potential of this football team," Carney said.

How Far Has Kent State Come Since Last Power 4 Loss?

Kent state at texas tec — Sep 6, 2025; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders defensive back Brock Golwas (45) pressures Kent State Golden Flashes quarterback Dre DeShields (12) in the second half at Jones AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images | Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images

In their week 2 game of 2025, the Golden Flashes traveled to Lubbock to take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Despite a fourth-quarter comeback effort that saw Kent State score two touchdowns, the Red Raiders won the game 62-14.

With Kent State already having played a ranked power four team on the road this season, Carney mentioned his team is prepared for the challenge, and he believes the team learned their lesson after the blowout loss to Texas Tech.

"We'd better have learned our lesson about the way we start for sure. That's growth, right? I think for the most part, the last six quarters of football that we've played, there's a lot of really positive things to take away," Carney said. "We're going to focus and keep building on those positive things, and certainly learn the lessons, and we'll be better moving forward."

With Florida State outscoring opponents 104-20 through two games, it is hard to believe that the seventh-ranked team will go easy on the 1-2 Golden Flashes as they come into a full capacity Doak Campbell Stadium.

The Seminoles will face the Golden Flashes for the first time in program history, with kickoff scheduled for 3:30 PM ET. The game will be broadcast on ACCN.

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