Tennessee football: Vols, SEC, CFP, and all other 2019-2020 bowl predictions
Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl (ESPN2)
Utah State Aggies vs. Kent State Golden Flashes
Line: Utah State -6.5; Over/Under: 67.5
Friday, Dec. 20 at 7:30 p.m. ET; Toyota Stadium; Frisco, Texas
In his return to the Utah State Aggies, Gary Andersen didn’t really build off of what he left. After all, they only went 7-5 this year despite going 11-2 and finishing in the top 25 in 2018. So Andersen still has his work cut out for him, especially since his stock has depleted upon returning to this program.
On the other hand, the Kent State Golden Flashes have had an amazing resurgence. After five straight years of no more than four wins, Sean Lewis has them in a bowl game with a 6-6 record in just his second season. That’s to be commended, and it makes for lots of excitement over what’s to come with that program.
Also like Tennessee football, Kent State had a rebound. They were 3-6 after the first weekend in November. Utah State, however, was inconsistent and back and forth all year. Andersen needs this win to prove he’s going to continue the program at where it was.
Prediction
Despite Utah State being the better team, Kent State is going to be significantly more excited about playing in this bowl game. You’re looking at an Aggies team that is coming off an 11-2 year, so they’re much more apathetic. As a result, the Golden Flashes pull off the upset. The over is a bit too high in this game. Kent State wins off a late score in a thriller.