2026 MAC Football Week 9 Game Preview: Kent State Golden Flashes at Sacramento State Hornets

The Kent State Golden Flashes (3-5, 2-2 MAC) travels west to take on the Sacramento State (1-7, 0-5 MAC) under the Friday Night Lights in a nationally-broadcast contest.

After a pair of blowout losses to Western Michigan and South Florida, the Golden Flashes roll into this matchup strong after defending the Wagon Wheel in a 35-20 home win last week.

Sac State is coming off their best performance of the season, a 34-17 loss to Ball State, and is aiming for their first FBS win as a program. Now out of the postseason picture, the Hornets seek to pretty up the record and potentially play spoiler.

Game Notes

• Date and Time: Friday, October 30th, 2026 at 10:30 p.m. Eastern time
• Location: Hornet Stadium in Sacramento, California
• Weather: Per MSN Weather, clear, with a high temperature of 57 degrees Fahrenheit at kickoff.
• TV options: The game will be on ESPN2, part of the ESPN family of networks. A valid cable subscription is required for viewing.
• Streaming options: The game will be available for streaming on the ESPN App, ESPN Unlimited, or on applicable cable/satellite services. A valid subscription is required for viewing on any platform. Other streaming carriers include Sling, DirecTV Stream, fuboTV, Hulu Live TV, or YouTube TV.
• Sacramento State radio: Jason Ross (play-by-play) and Steve McElroy (color) will provide the home call for ESPN 1320 Sacramento.
• Kent State radio: Dane Richardson (play-by-play) and Rob Polinsky (color) will provide the Kent State call for Fox Sports Radio 1350 AM The Gambler.
• Gambling Considerations: Kent State is an 8.5 road favorite, and the over/under is set at 45.6-46.5 by book, per Covers. 
• All-Time Series: First-ever meeting

Kent State Outlook

With a bowl game in sight, the Golden Flashes will want to make a statement on national television, and a reeling Sac State side presents a chance to go above .500 in MAC play. 

Leading the charge for head coach Mark Carney will be a confident Dru DeShields, who comes off of a four-touchdown day against Akron. The redshirt junior is having a down year compared to his explosive sophomore season, but will face a Sac State team that has struggled to contain mobile quarterbacks. 

His favorite target thus far has been redshirt sophomore Wayne Harris, who is also coming off his best performance of the season. The five-foot-nine wideout hauled in nine receptions for 156 yards, scoring three touchdowns to boot. Over the last three weeks, Harris has averaged triple-digit yards per game as his chemistry with DeShields and place in the offense becomes more defined. 

Kent State has struggled to run the ball, and haven’t broken triple-digit rushing yards as a team since their Week 4 matchup with Ball State. The backfield of Brandon White and Mason Blakemore will have an opportunity to bounce back against a Sac State team that allows an average of 177 rushing yards a night. 

The Golden Flashes’ points for vs. points against numbers, which place Kent State as the lowest-scoring offense and fourth-worst defense are skewed by a brutal non-conference schedule that featured Ohio State, South Carolina and South Florida.

In conference play, they’ve been significantly better, featuring one of the stronger defenses in the MAC. The strength of that defense is their ability to get to the quarterback. Kent State’s recorded 20 sacks as a team, led by redshirt junior Hayden Dawahare and redshirt sophomore Jaihien Roy, who have four each. 

They’ve been exceptional at forcing turnovers as well, getting five via interceptions and three by recovering fumbles. Senior defensive back Norey Johnson nabbed a pair of those interceptions, including one that he returned for 37 yards against Akron. 

The Golden Flashes have struggled on special teams as well, hitting on just three of their nine field goal attempts between two different placekickers. Their strong return game from last year has also vanished, putting KSU in a potential get-right situation here.

Sacramento State Outlook

For the majority of the first half of Sac State’s game against Ball State, it seemed like the Hornets may keep a game competitive past halftime for the first time this season. 

But on the potential deficit-cutting two-minute drill, junior quarterback Jackson Sharman got sacked and fumbled the ball, leading to a quick touchdown drive from Ball State as time expired in the half. The Hornets’ brutal campaign as a new FBS team continues against Kent State for their penultimate home game. Sharman remains the quarterback, with Carson Conklin still sidelined, and will hold the reins of the worst offense in the MAC. Sac State has averaged just 11.4 points a game in conference play, recording just one first-half offensive touchdown. 

If there's a positive to take from Sac State’s anemic offense, it’s true freshman running back Isaiah Ene, who was given a bell-cow role against Ball State. He’s recorded over 50 yards in both of the Hornets’ last two games, averaging 6.8 yards per carry in that stretch. 

Onterrio Smith Jr. and Matthew Coleman lead the Hornets through the air, giving Sharman a pair of dynamic targets on offense. The two have been the recipients of two-thirds of Sharman’s passing yards, and with tight end Jordan Williams sidelined, that should continue to be the case. Defensively, the Hornets are also the MAC’s second worst unit, allowing an average of 32.9 points per game. Most of the damage has come from opposing rushing units– especially quarterbacks– who Sac State has struggled to contain as they extend drives. 

Senior safety Boogsie Silvera has accounted for all of Sac State’s defensive turnovers, and leads the conference in interceptions with three. DeShields has been error-prone thus far, a fact that the Hornets will need to capitalize on to create short fields for Sharman.

Kicker Grant Meadors had a solid outing against Ball State, drilling his career-high, a 47-yarder. 

Head coach Alonzo Carter and Sac State need a strong home showing, especially with respect to their potential recruiting class. 

Prediction

Kent State comes into the matchup with the edge in both momentum and talent, but Sac State has their backs to the wall and is desperate for their first win. The late-night kickoff and travel time may affect Kent State’s performance, but ultimately, it’s hard to pick against the Golden Flashes in this matchup.

Kent State 28, Sac State 17