Minnesota Football

Minnesota vs Kent State: Preview, Game Time, TV Schedule, Prediction, Streaming, Odds

SPOILER: Minnesota is going to win.

By GoAUpher@GoAUpher Sep 18, 2015, 3:29pm CDT

Opening Thoughts

A healthy Minnesota is better than Kent State. A banged up Minnesota team like we have? Still better than Kent State. Minnesota is not losing to Kent State. My certainty of this helped me craft a fun new Brew Scale option that I hope you'll enjoy.

Gnome #TAKES

The Gopher Gnomes have very little time for Kent State. They are building their homecoming float. Since #QBGAZE2015 is officially underway, they were thinking about going with this:

I tried to tell them that National Talk Like A Pirate day was tomorrow, not next Saturday, but they wouldn't listen. When I didn't receive a GIF for this post, I asked what was up. Football Gnome responded with the following to describe how the gnomes feel about Kent State.

Fair enough.

When/Where

Date: 9/19/15

Kickoff Time: 11 AM CST

Where: TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN

Watch/Listen

TV: Big Ten Network

Streaming Video: BTN2Go.com

Radio: KFAN (100.3 in the Twin Cities) and the Gopher Radio Network (Radio Affiliates).

Streaming Audio: Locate KFAN on IHeartRadio.comm (or the IHeartRadio app for your mobile device)

Satellite Radio: SiriusXM 196; Sirius 135; XM 196

Odds

Spread: Minnesota by 24 to 25, depending on the site.

Over/Under: 45.5 to 46.5, depending on the site.

Weather Forecast

So, perfect. I envy all of you who will be in attendance.

The Enemy

Where Are They From?

Kent, OH

I know nothing about Kent, OH. Don't really care to be honest.

All Time Series: Minnesota is 1-0 all time (44-0 win in 2006) against Kent State.

Last Season: 2-9 (1-6 MAC). They beat Army (wow........) and Akron. That Akron win was a rivalry game though, so Kent State when home with this:

Fun fact: Did you know Akron and Kent State are only 10 miles apart? I did not.

2015 To Date: Illinois destroyed them and Kent State then went and destroyed FCS Soup Can. All of this doesn't teach us a whole lot. I went looking for a soup can GIF and came up empty, so this seemed appropriate:

Head Coach: Paul Haynes (3rd year) is 7-18 overall and 4-11 in the MAC. Was a former DC for both OSU and Arkansas.

Players To Watch:

1) Terence Waugh (DE - Junior): Terence has been the most disruptive defensive lineman so far this season, notching 3 sacks and forcing one fumble. Something to watch given the Minnesota offensive line's recent issues.

2) Jordan Italiano (Safety - Senior): Leads Kent State in solo tackles so far in 2015. Here's what Hustle Belt had to say about him in the preseason:

One of ten returning starters on defense, Italiano was named to NFL.com's Smartest Player in College Football just a few months ago. The senior's on-field talent earned him a spot on our Top 70 Players Countdown at no. 41. He was second on the team last year with 96 tackles and hauled in three interceptions.

And that last name...molto bene!

3) Nate Holley (Safety - Junior): Tied for the team lead in tackles, also has 2 tackles for loss, a sack, and an interception so far this season. Here was Hustle Belt's preview take on Holley:

Junior free safety, older brother of returning leading rusher Nick Holley, was third in the nation with 12.5 tackles per game last year, sixth with 6.8 solo tackles. 174 total tackles in for his two season played, and is a preseason First Team All-MAC pick by Phil Steele.

Keys To The Game

- Come to play: Minnesota has no reason to let Kent State ever be in this game. I'm not saying I expect a 53-3 beatdown, just that there should never be a moment where Kent State has enough momentum to feel like they can win.

- Come together: If the offensive line gels better this week then this game should be easy enough. A cohesive Minnesota offensive line will open up holes for the running game and allow Mitch to have the time he needs to get into a rhythm.

- No injuries: No one gets hurt against Kent State, ok?

How Afraid Am I?

For those who don't know, this is a bit where I rank my fear by saying how many Tim Brewsters I am afraid of the opponent. The more Tim Brewsters I list, the more afraid I am. Why? Because the memory of Timmy Brew is scary for all Gophers fans. Typically this is done on a scale of 1 to 5 "Brewsters on his face" in the Metrodome. I'm continuing my new "tradition" of getting Brew out of the Dome because I'm having fun with it.

I'm 1 Brew in a "Where's Waldo?" panel afraid of Colorado State.

I do not fear Kent State. To celebrate this fact, I'd like for you to play a game of "Where's Brewster?" with me. It's just like "Where's Waldo?" only you're looking for a tiny Brew On His Face instead.