UCF opponent previews: Kent State undergoes roster overhaul under new coach Kenni Burns

Editor's note: This is the first installment in a 12-part series highlighting UCF's 2023 football opponents.

UCF's debut game as a Big 12 member is a blast from its Division I football past.

Twenty-one years ago, UCF entered the Mid-American Conference and squared off with its Week 1 opponent, Kent State, that November. It was the first of three consecutive head-to-head meetings between the then-Golden Knights and the Golden Flashes.

Joining the MAC proved to be a crucial step along UCF's path toward the Power Five. Three years later, the Knights departed for Conference USA, then the American Athletic Conference in 2013 and, finally, the Big 12. The Knights appeared in 14 bowl games between 2005-23, highlighted by New Year's six triumphs in the Fiesta Bowl (2013) and the Peach Bowl (2017).

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Kent State, meanwhile, has been largely mired in Mid-American mediocrity during that same time — appearing in just three bowl games this century. The Flashes went 5-7 in 2022 but will field an almost entirely new starting lineup this season under new leadership.

To kick off The News-Journal's 12-part, in-depth series previewing UCF's football foes for 2023, let's learn more about Kent State.

• Nickname: Golden Flashes

• Location: Kent, Ohio

• Enrollment: 21,133

• Home field: Dix Stadium (capacity 25,319)

• Conference: Mid-American

• 2022 record: 5-7 overall, 4-4 MAC

• All-time series record vs. UCF: 2-2

• Last meeting: Nov. 23, 2004 (Kent State won 41-24)

Kenni Burns enters first season as Kent State head coach

A trusted assistant of P.J. Fleck at Western Michigan and Minnesota, Burns will take his first crack at a head coaching job. The 39-year-old takes over for Sean Lewis, who accepted the offensive coordinator position at Colorado under new coach Deion Sanders.

Burns signed a five-year deal in December.

"Kenni has been a key contributor to championship teams at every stop and was the most prepared candidate in the country to be a first-time head coach," Kent State athletic director Randale Richmond said in December. "I have no doubt that Kenni and his staff will build upon the solid foundation of Kent State football as we continue to graduate student-athletes, boldly prepared for life after sport and win championships."

Burns worked as the assistant head coach and running backs coach for Minnesota, overseeing the development of All-American Mohamed Ibrahim. Kent State finished last season ranked 22^nd in the FBS in rushing offense at 202.1 yards per game.

Running back Gavin Garcia highlights short list of key returners

• Offense: RB Gavin Garcia, WR Trell Harris, TE Hayden Junker

• Defense: LB Khalib Johns, DB D.J. Miller Jr., LB Rocco Nicholl, DL CJ West

Kent State's roster was gutted from graduation and losses to the NCAA transfer portal once Lewis bolted for Boulder. The Golden Flashes will have five new starters along the offensive line, trusted to protect whoever emerges from a four-player quarterback battle.

Kansas State transfer Jaren Lewis, Devin Kargman, Tommy Ulatowski and Chandler Galban all saw reps in the spring game on April 30. Kargman played in six games as the primary backup to UCLA transfer Collin Schlee last season, completing 41.4% of his passes for 348 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions.

The defense surrendered 433.2 yards per game, ranking 113th in the FBS, as the Flashes tried to outlast and outscore their foes. Opposing quarterbacks picked the secondary apart to the tune of 23 touchdowns compared to just seven interceptions, though the unit fared well in the spring. Kent State's QBs went 11 of 23 for 187 yards in the exhibition.

Miller is the team's top returning tackler, making 63 total stops with four pass breakups. Johns, a 6-foot-2, 229-pounder, was granted an extra year of eligibility after suffering a season-ending injury four games into 2022. He was putting together a strong campaign, totaling 21 tackles, seven TFLs and four sacks before going on the shelf.

Kansas running back Ky Thomas in, quarterback Collin Schlee out via portal

• Additions: EDGE Tyler Baylor (Maryland), DL Mattheus Carroll (Virginia Tech), S Dallas Craddieth (Iowa), DL Javier Duran (Tarleton State), WR Ali Fisher (Buffalo), LB Nick Giacolone (New Mexico State), QB Jaren Lewis (Kansas State), CB Naim Muhammad (West Virginia), LB Devin Nicholson (Missouri), OL Jimto Obidegwu (Temple), RB Ky Thomas (Kansas), CB Lem Watley-Neely (Indiana), S Jalani Williams (Missouri), EDGE Marcus Winfield (Delaware State)

• Departures: IOL Jack Bailey (Colorado), RB Shakhi Carson (Stony Brook), WR Dante Cephas (Penn State), RB Marquez Cooper (Ball State), S JoJo Evans (Florida International), DL Adin Huntington (Louisiana-Monroe), K Casey Magyar (Ohio State), OL Marcellus Marshall (UCF), CB Montre Miller (West Virginia), WR Ja'Shaun Poke (West Virginia), QB Collin Schlee (UCLA), WR Devontez Walker (North Carolina), OL Savion Washington (Colorado)

Power Five programs plundered Kent State's offense upon Lewis' departure, including UCF. The Knights snatched Marshall, a likely plug-and-play starter at left guard.

Walker and Cephas are huge losses in the receiving corps, after each averaged more than 15 yards per reception and combined to catch 106 balls for 1,665 yards and 14 touchdowns. Cooper, the Flashes' leading rusher with 1,331 yards and 13 scores, elected to join Mid-American Conference rival Ball State.

As for the additions, Ky Thomas has the looks of a major contributor. Burns will know him well from his time at Minnesota, rushing for 824 yards and six touchdowns as a Golden Gopher in 2021. He capped the year with an Offensive MVP performance against West Virginia in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl.

Nicholson is two seasons removed from starting eight games and making 50 tackles in the heart of Missouri's defense. Big 10 transfers Watley-Neely and Craddieth figure to see significantly expanded roles in their first season as Flashes.

Quarterback Dru DeShields highlights meager incoming freshman crop

• Top incoming freshmen: ATH Dash Dorsey (Wheaton, Ill.), QB Dru DeShields (Beloit, Ohio), CB Joel Boamah (Jersey City, N.J.), IOL Chris Farrell (Lisle, Ill.), DL Kaden Beatty (Chesapeake, Va.), ATH Freddie Lenix Jr. (Massillon, Ohio)

Kent State had the No. 122 recruiting class in Division I, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. It's a somewhat unsurprising result, given the fact Burns was hired roughly a week before the early signing period. The Flashes patched holes in the portal, but will hope a handful of these freshmen outperform expectations and become key members of the team in the coming seasons.

2023 UCF football schedule

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Previewing UCF football's first 2023 opponent, Kent State