Saturday’s football game at Kent State University’s Dix Stadium marks potentially the most important Mid-American Conference game on the Falcons’ 2013 schedule.
BG is coming off a 34-7 win against reigning Conference-USA champion Tulsa and Kent State is coming off a 17-10 win over FCS opponent Liberty University.
The Golden Flashes struggled against Liberty and won the game on a touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter. However, though Kent State won the game, they saw their Heisman hopeful running back, Dri Archer, sit most of the game with a leg injury, but is now listed as day-to-day leading into the weekend.
“I think we’re prepared to play with him,” head coach Dave Clawson said. “They know what’s at stake in this game and I’m sure if they could have him healthy for one week in the next three, it’s going to be this game. So, we’ve got to prepare for him and I’d be very surprised if he’s not out there in practice before the game running around.”
Saturday’s matchup is somewhat of a revenge game against Kent State. The Golden Flashes went 8-0 in regular-season conference games this past season, which included a 31-24 thriller at Doyt Perry Stadium in mid-November. If BG won that game, it would have solidified a spot in the MAC Championship game against the Northern Illinois Huskies.
The 2013 senior class has faced Kent State three times but Kent beat BG in all three matchups.
“The motivation is that this could be a MAC Championship game,” senior offensive lineman Dominic Flewellyn said. “We take every MAC game as a MAC Championship week. If we come out with the mindset that every game that we’ve got to win is a MAC Championship game then that’s the motivation we need enough.”
At the time of this past season’s matchup with Kent State, the Golden Flashes were ranked No. 25 in the AP poll and the victory over BG pushed Kent State into the No. 23 spot in both the AP and the BCS poll. This season the tables have turned a little bit. BG received nine votes in the AP poll this week while Kent State received none.
“We want to be a ranked football team,” Clawson said. “We want to be a top-25, then a top-20 and we want all of those things to happen for our program, but those things don’t happen unless we win on the football field. After one game, we’re not raising a banner saying ‘hey we got votes.’ Our goals are to win the MAC and to get to Detroit, and in order for that to happen, we’ve got to take care of business this week. If it doesn’t happen, we won’t get to Detroit and we won’t be ranked.”
Kickoff between BG and Kent State is scheduled for a 12 p.m. start. Follow BG News Sports for live updates from Dix Stadium on Facebook and Twitter.
