Florida State football’s Ousmane Kromah talks his first touchdown against East Texas A&M, Seminoles physical practices.
- Florida State has two “buy games” on the 2025 schedule: Sept. 6 vs. East Texas A&M and Sept. 20 vs. Kent State.
- FSU and Kent State have never played before. The two teams agreed in 2023 to face off in Tallahassee.
Today, No. 9 FSU welcomes Kent State, the least successful program across all of college football over the past few seasons. Since 2023, the Golden Flashes are 2-25 with those two wins coming against FCS teams (they lost their matchup against a lower-division opponent in last year’s winless campaign). It’s quite the fall for a team that played in the MAC championship game as recently as 2021.
Located about 11 miles northeast of Akron, Ohio, Kent State is 1-2 to start the 2025 season. First-year coach Mark Carney’s team nearly beat Buffalo last week until surrendering the go-ahead touchdown with about a minute to go. The Golden Flashes enter Doak Campbell Stadium today after the two schools agreed to the game in 2023.
Watch FSU vs Kent State live on Fubo (free trial)
This is the first meeting between FSU and Kent State. The Golden Flashes are 2-5 all-time against Florida teams with the two wins coming against UCF in 2003 and 2004.
The schedule doesn’t get much easier for Kent State after this with a trip to No. 12 Oklahoma on tap next week. FSU hits the road next week for a Friday night date with Virginia before the highly anticipated showdown in Tallahassee against No. 6 Miami.
How much did Florida State pay Kent State?
FSU owes Kent State $1.2 million, according to a game contract obtained by USA TODAY Sports. That’s more than double what Florida paid USF for their game Sept. 6 (the Bulls got $500,000 to come to The Swamp and beat the Gators 18-16). In 2024, Notre Dame gave Northern Illinois $1.4 million to come to South Bend and upset the Fighting Irish.
The payment is due by Feb. 15, 2026, the contract states. FSU also owes East Texas A&M $450,000 after the Lions came from the FCS to come to Tallahassee for their Sept. 6 game. The Seminoles tied the team record for margin of victory and put up 729 yards of offense in a 77-3 rout.
Florida State vs Kent State predictions, picks, odds
Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Friday, Sept. 19.
- FSU 63, Kent State 10: “The Seminoles don’t slow down after the bye week and pick up where the team left off against East Texas A&M. Kent State has the potential to make some big plays happen, but it’s likely the Seminoles’ defense swarms the Golden Flashes, and offensively, Tommy Castellanos and FSU run wild.” – Liam Rooney, Tallahassee Democrat
- Spread: FSU by 45
- Over/under: 55
