FSU vs. Kent State 2025 Preview: Keys, Players, and Predictions

The Florida State Seminoles are coming off a bye a week after dominating East Texas A&M. The Seminoles were able to pull starters midway through the second quarter and spread the wealth as eight different players scored touchdowns. This week, it’s a FSU vs. Kent State showdown – so let’s dive into this 2025 preview.

FSU Seminoles vs. Kent State Golden Flashes: Football History and Game Excerpts

This will be the first time the Florida State Seminoles and Kent State Golden Flashes have met in football. The Golden Flashes have lost 25 out of their last 27 games and have not won double-digit games in a season since 2012.

In his weekly press conference, Mike Norvell spoke about what the team accomplished in the bye week and his thoughts on Kent State before their Week 4 matchup.

“It was good for guys to get a few days away,” began Norvell. “[I] thought we had a really good bye week and the work they were able to put in … really big focus on ourselves.”

“Pete Lembo, the head coach there, worked with us at Memphis. Got a lot of respect for Pete and a number of guys on the staff that we know … [Kent State] came up a little bit short in the game there in the game against Buffalo but you saw a very competitive matchup and a team that’s taking positive steps.”

FSU vs. Kent State 2025 Preview: Keys, Players and Predictions

Key Players for FSU

Tommy Castellanos had a very efficient game against the Lions in Week 2. He only threw 11 passes, but completed eight of them for 237 yards and three touchdowns in less than two quarters. The offense for Florida State will run smoothly when they run the ball but when the passing game is clicking it makes it even harder to defend. The key to every game for the Seminoles will be Castellanos making good decisions and keeping the offense in manageable third down situations.

The running back rotation looked to be set in Week 1, but it was different in Week 2. Roydell Williams will miss some time, so it looks like Gavin Sawchuk will be the “starter” this week. The rotation seems to change depending on the team’s gameplan. Jaylin Lucas was a big part of the offense against Alabama, but the wealth was spread around against the Lions. Ousmane Kromah has shown flashes and could push for more time each week.

Duce Robinson had his coming out party against East Texas A&M and he showcased a little bit of everything. FSU uses their rushing attack to get receivers single-coverage, and Robinson should be a focal point. Squirrel White has not been getting many touches other than returns, but the Seminoles need to get him more involved because of his speed to get down the field.

Facing a MAC opponent in Week 2, it’s hard to read into how the Seminoles defense truly performed. Yet with that said, you can only play who is on your schedule. And, the defense did what they were suppose to, almost completing a shutout. Earl Little Jr. continues to be a big part of the defense. The distribution of tackles was pretty even in that lopsided matchup, but Justin Cryer continues to be important in stopping the run.

Key Players for Kent State

After a very tough loss to Texas Tech, Kent State came out strong in a losing effort to Buffalo. Quarterback Dru Deshields had more yards against Buffalo than he had in the first two games. He finished with 279 yards and two touchdowns. Deshields isn’t a true dual-threat, but does run enough to make the defense honor it.

The main receiving weapon is running back Cade Wofford. He is the only player with over 100 yards receiving and had 95 yards on three catches with a touchdown against Buffalo. Wofford has all four of the receiving touchdowns for Kent State. Meanwhile, Gavin Garcia is the leading rusher for the Golden Flashes with 135 yards. However, he is averaging only three yards per attempt.

Kent State’s defense has not been good this season. They rank outside the top-100 in both passing yards and rushing yards per game. The Golden Flashes are worse defending the pass, with four of their top five tacklers are defensive backs. The most active linebacker is senior Mason Woods who has 20 tackles on the season and finished with 68 in 2024. The defense only has three sacks in three games so the Seminoles should be able to protect Castellanos.

2025 Game Prediction: How FSU Wins vs. Kent State in Week 4

Do not overlook Kent State. The Seminoles need to come out aggressive in this matchup. They have to make sure to get ahead early so backups can get time needed to develop for the rest of the season.

There is a big talent gap in this matchup. The Seminoles should be able to do what they want passing or running the ball. This will provide a bigger test for the defense based on how Dru Deshields was able to play against Buffalo last week. As long as the Seminoles can limit Cade Wofford out of the backfield, this should be another easy Saturday.