Kickoff: 3:30 PM ET
Venue: Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, Florida
Broadcast: ACC Network
Weather Forecast (Tallahassee, FL)
Temperature: ~86°F (30°C) at kickoff
Conditions: Hot, humid, partly cloudy with light winds (6–8 mph)
Impact: Classic Tallahassee September conditions. Depth and conditioning will matter, especially for Kent State’s smaller roster.
Injury Report
Kent State Golden Flashes (MAC):
QB Dru DeShields (279 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT vs. Buffalo) healthy and entrenched as starter.
RB Gavin Garcia (61 yards vs. Buffalo) available after missing 2024 with injury.
WR Cade Wolford (95 yards, 1 TD vs. Buffalo; averaging 31.9 yards per catch this season) healthy.
OL depth remains a concern; unit has allowed 3 sacks per game and 3 blocked punts in 3 weeks.
#10 Florida State Seminoles (ACC):
QB Thomas Castellanos (237 yards, 3 TD vs. East Texas A&M-Commerce) healthy and leading the offense.
RB Samuel Singleton Jr. (82 yards, 1 TD last week) available.
WR Duce Robinson (173 yards, 2 TD vs. ETAM) healthy and explosive.
Defense fully intact, led by DBs Jeremiah Wilson and Earl Little Jr., both with INTs last week.
Key Player Matchups
QB Dru DeShields (Kent State) vs. FSU Secondary
DeShields showed poise vs. Buffalo, but FSU’s defensive backs are elite and opportunistic.
WR Cade Wolford (Kent State) vs. FSU Corners
Wolford is a true deep threat (31.9 YPC, 4 TDs on 7 catches). Can he break one against a top-10 defense?
QB Thomas Castellanos (FSU) vs. Kent State Pass Rush
Castellanos has been efficient and mobile; Kent State must generate pressure to avoid a track meet.
WR Duce Robinson (FSU) vs. Kent State Safeties
Robinson’s size and speed create mismatches; Kent State has struggled defending the deep ball.
Recent Team Form
Kent State Golden Flashes (1–2, 0–1 MAC)
8/30/25: W 24–17 vs. FCS opponent (snapped 21-game losing streak)
9/6/25: L 62–17 @ Texas Tech
9/13/25: L 31–28 vs. Buffalo (led late, lost in final minute)
Trend: Showing improvement after two winless seasons; offense finally producing with DeShields at QB.
#10 Florida State Seminoles (2–0, 0–0 ACC)
8/30/25: W 27–24 vs. Alabama (statement win)
9/6/25: W 77–3 vs. East Texas A&M-Commerce
Trend: Already matched 2024 win total; offense explosive, defense dominant.
Series History
First-ever meeting between Kent State and Florida State.
Betting Trends
Kent State:
1–2 ATS in 2025.
Overs hit in 2 of 3 games.
0–1 ATS as a 40+ point underdog this season.
Florida State:
2–0 ATS in 2025.
Overs hit in 1 of 2 games.
Covered easily in 77–3 win last week.
Head-to-Head: No prior meetings.
Historical Betting Results
Florida State: Historically covers large spreads against Group of Five/FCS opponents, especially at home.
Kent State: Rarely covers against Power Five teams; often competitive early but fades late.
ACC vs. MAC: ACC teams cover ~65% of the time in these matchups.
Game Odds
Kent State Golden Flashes 56.5
Florida State Seminoles – 44.5
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odd Direct as of Friday, September 19, 2025
