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2026 Week 7 Preview: Kent State Golden Flashes @ South Florida Bulls

The South Florida Bulls look to wrap up their non-conference schedule with a commanding favorite’s advantage as they host the Kent State Golden Flashes at Raymond James Stadium. The Bulls, currently at 4-2 with a 1-2 record in American Athletic Conference play, are favored by 20.5 points in a matchup set for ESPN+ at 7:00 p.m.

ET on October 17. This will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs, but Kent State arrives in Tampa seeking to end a 31-game regular-season losing streak against FBS non-conference opponents dating back to 2014—a stretch in which they’ve been outscored 116-3 this season alone.

The Golden Flashes, struggling offensively at 137th in total offense and 134th in scoring, have managed just one touchdown in multiple games this year outside their wins over FCS Wofford and Ball State. Quarterback Dru DeShields, a dual-threat starter, has shown flashes of last season’s touchdown-heavy passing (18 TDs, 3 INTs) but has thrown four touchdowns to six interceptions this year, while the run game remains stagnant at 3.1 yards per carry with no 70-yard backs yet this season.

Defensively, Kent State has shown improvement after early-season struggles, but their 10th-most giveaways in FBS football could prove costly against a South Florida defense led by standout cornerback Israel Boyce.

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