NCAA football scores I Kent State vs. Saint Francis college football recap

KENT — The warning signs were quickly visible.

The Kent State University football team's home opener wasn't going to have the clear-cut path to victory some thought it would. As Saturday's game against Saint Francis wore on, you started to wonder if victory was even possible.

It wasn't on this day for the Golden Flashes .

Kent State never fully recovered from a slow start and lost to Saint Francis 23-17 at Dix Stadium The Flashes' 11th straight defeat was administered by the only FCS team they will face. It was a stunning outcome for a team that was showing some progress despite last week's 55-24 loss at Pitt .

Head coach Kenni Burns' message to the Flashes afterward?

"We got what we deserved," Burns said. "We came out a little bit flat, and it showed."

The Flashes have not won since their 38-10 victory over Central Connecticut State on Sept. 16, 2023 . They have not beat an FBS team since their 30-27 win over Buffalo on the final day of the 2022 season.

Wins over FCS opponents are no guarantee. Saint Francis almost beat Akron in 2022. The Zips survived in overtime.

"After what happened last week, I think our guys e x pected to win," Burns said. "I think they kind of hoped (Saint Francis would) shrug shoulders and say 'Woe is me.'

"I think this team was ready to play, and we weren't. We got smacked in the mouth."

The Flashes went three-and-out on their first four drives. The Red Flash led 10-0 at that point. They never lost their advantage.

Kent State quarterback Devin Kargman threw for 193 yards and a touchdown to Luke Floriea. Backup Tommy Ulatowski also saw action and threw a touchdown pass to Chrishon McCray, who made a great over-the-shoulders catch.

The running game, though, was a non-factor. The Flashes finished with just 78 yards. A good chunk of it came on Ky Thomas' 32-yard run.

"We have to figure out how to run the ball better up front and with our running backs," Burns said. "There were glimpses today of both, but still not what I expected it to be.

"I don't want to be a team that throws it 50 times a game. To me that's not championship football. We have to get the line of scrimmage figured out and run the ball better on offense."

The defense kept Kent State in the game. It held the Red Flash to just one field goal in the second half.

The offense couldn't take advantage of it. The only Flashes points in the second half came on Andrew Glass' field goal with 1:42 left.

The field goal would have been massive if Kent State took advantage of other opportunities in the second half. Glass missed a 40-yard attempt. With the Flashes threatening, Kargman had a pass broken up by Saint Francis' Semaj Williams that teammate Trey McLeer intercepted in the end zone.

How the Flashes react to losing to this loss will define their season. They will have their hands full in games at Tennessee and Penn State over the next two weeks. Then the Mid-American Conference season starts.

"I still believe in our football team," Burns said. "I still think they're extremely talented. I think this is a great youthful moment for these guys to learn how to handle adversity and respond.

"We didn't play well enough to win. All it is is they're 0-1 in the Saint Francis season. That is it. They have to move on and respond."

Here's how things unfolded through our live score updates.

Kent State upset by FCS Saint Francis 23-17

When you have winnable games on your schedule, you need to win them.

The Flashes didn't. They are 0-2 and have lost 11 in a row.

Andrew Glass keeps Kent State's hopes alive ... briefly

Andrew Glass' 44-yard field goal cuts Kent State's deficit to 23-17.

The Flashes needed to recover the onside kick to have a legitimate chance. They couldn't.

Saint Francis interception could be a decisive blow

This is when you know it's your day.

With Kent State threatening, Saint Francis' Semaj Williams breaks up a pass that teammate Trey McLeer intercepts in the end zone. The Flashes may not recover from this.

Saint Francis leads 23-14 going into the fourth quarter

The Flashes need a touchdown and a field goal to win. They also need to keep the Red Flash off the board in the final 15 minutes.

Kent State has golden opportunity, comes up empty

Oof.

The Flashes come up empty when they couldn't afford to come up empty. Andrew Glass' missed 40-yard field goal keeps Saint Francis' lead at 23-14.

Saint Francis regains momentum on second half's opening drive

You can't rattle Saint Francis kicker Mac Plummer

Someone in the stands tried to when he yelled "Shank it," but Plummer still tacks on a 46-yard field goal. It's a two-possession game again with the Red Flash leading 23-14.

Saint Francis carries lead into locker room

Saint Francis leads Kent State 20-14 at halftime.

Devin Kargman touchdown pass pushes Kent State closer

That's a massive touchdown for Kent State before the end of the half. Devin Kargman hits Luke Floriea from 23 yards out.

The Flashes still trail Saint Francis 20-14, but things have looked a lot better lately.

Saint Francis answers Kent State touchdown with a field goal

Mac Plummer kicked a 50-yard field goal earlier in the game. He has no problem splitting the uprights from 33 yards out to give Saint Francis a 20-7 lead.

The Red Flash respond after the Kent State touchdown.

Kent State makes change at quarterback, scores first points

Kent State has life.

Tommy Ulatowski comes in at quarterback and throws a 9-yard touchdown pass to Chrishon McCray, who makes an over-the-shoulders catch. The TD is confirmed after a video review.

The Flashes trail 17-7.

Wide-open touchdown completion increases Saint Francis lead

Yeah, that was pretty wide open.

Saint Francis quarterback completes a short pass to Gavin Thompson, and Thompson does the rest on a 64-yard touchdown completion. Thompson was so open, he didn't have to sprint the whole way.

Saint Francis leads 17-0.

Saint Francis defense stops Kent State's best drive

The Flashes went for it on fourth-and-1 from the Saint Francis 15. Curtis Douglas was stopped for no gain.

That's not ideal.

Kent State finally finally records a first down late in the first quarter

After going three-and-out on their first four drives, the Flashes finally have a first down.

Devin Kargman's 26-yard pass to Luke Floriea pushed Kent State into Saint Francis territory late in the first quarter. The quarter ended with the Red Flash leading 10-0.

Quarterback Jeff Hoenstine increases Saint Francis' lead

Saint Francis quarterback Jeff Hoenstine fakes the handoff and scores on a 2-yard touchdown run.

The Red Flash lead 10-0 and have all the momentum in the world right now.

No movement at all by Kent State's offense

The Flashes have had three possessions. They have gone three-and-out on each possession.

Kicker Mac Plummer gives Saint Francis the early lead

Mac Plummer has some leg. He kicks a 50-yard field goal to give Saint Francis a 3-0 lead.

The Red Flash drove 52 yards in eight plays on their opening drive.

Kent State gets the ball first, goes three-and-out

Kent State won the coin toss and chose to receive to start the game.

Luke Floriea returned the kickoff to the Flashes 39-yard line, but Kent state went three-and-out on its opening drive.

Kent State football shows promising signs in season-opening loss to Pitt

Kent State's losing streak continued in last week's season-opening 55-24 loss at Pitt .

Devin Kargman finished 14 of 28 for 181 yards and two touchdowns in his first start as Kent State's starting quarterback. He threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to Luke Floriea and a 29-yard TD pass to Chrishon McCoy. The touchdown pass to McCoy early in the third quarter cut Pitt's lead to 28-21.

Kent State scored a defensive touchdown on Naim Muhammad's 32-yard fumble return.

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This article originally appeared on The Repository: NCAA football scores I Kent State vs. Saint Francis college football recap