Previewing The Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. Kent State Golden Flashes
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The Texas Tech Red Raiders had a dominant week one win, but quarterback Behren Morton suffered an injury scare, reminding fans about the fragility of their season's status. However, these remain tune-up games for Joey McGuire's team, preparing them for conference play in just about a month.
Already having lost running back Quinten Joyner, seeing Morton out was the last thing they needed. Thankfully for the Red Raiders, he will return in week two against the Kent State Golden Flashes.
With a roster lined with talent, preparing to win their second straight home game in Lubbock, who are the Golden Flashes that the Red Raiders will welcome to town?
Who Are They
When the Red Raiders (1-0) welcome the Golden Flashes (1-0) to Jones AT&T Stadium, it will be the first all-time matchup between the two teams. It will also be only the second time in program history that the Red Raiders have played a team from the Mid-American Conference. For the second straight week this season, the game will be played in front of a sold-out crowd.
The Golden Flashes won their first game of the season 21-17 against FCS opponent Merrimack, led by starting quarterback Dru DeShields, a stoic pocket passer. He will be playing his first away game as a true freshman. Last week, he finished with 118 yards through the air, and as a team, they finished with 198 yards, which ranks 74th in FBS.
Between DeShields and CJ Montes, who finished with 91 passing yards, the majority of the work went to receiver Cade Wolford, who finished with 109 yards against Merrimack. His teammate, and opposite receiver, Sebastian Brown, finished with 50 yards and was the only other receiver on the team to finish with more than 20.
The Golden Flashes lack a running game. Entering the week two matchup, they had just 96 rushing yards as a team and an average of 2.59 yards per rush. Gavin Garcia and Jahzae Kimbrough led the team in rushing yards with 49 and 39, respectively.
On defense, the Golden Flashes' defense doesn't get much better. After the first week of the season, they rank in the bottom half of every category. They have allowed 325 yards per game, 164 rushing yards, 161 passing yards, and 17 points per game, marks that will only get worse after traveling to Lubbock this weekend.
For the Red Raiders, the main thing to watch in this matchup will be Morton's return to the team and how he performs. I would not expect to see him play a long time, giving back up Will Hammond some more game experience in case he is needed later on in the season.
The Red Raiders will play the Golden Flashes in Lubbock, Texas, on Sept. 6 at 11 a.m. CT.
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JD Andress is an accomplished sports writer and journalist with extensive experience covering a wide range of collegiate sports. JD has provided in-depth coverage of the TCU Horned Frogs and the Texas Longhorns. He looks forward to being part of the coverage of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. His experience spans various sports, including football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, rifle, equestrian, and others, reflecting his broad interest and commitment to sports journalism.