1 – Run Defense – Kent State has played one of college football’s toughest schedules, opening at Washington and then going to Oklahoma. The Golden Flashes have been tough and certainly earned a great deal of respect for hanging around against these college football bluebloods. Against Washington, Kent State ran 39 times for 147 yards, an average of 3.8 per carry. In Norman, Kent State ran for 12 first downs and 164 yards on 52 carries. Now obviously this is not a dominating attack, but it’s allowed Kent State to run some clock and build some toughness.