WASHINGTON (September 6, 2018) – After nearly pulling off another season opening upset, Coach Mike London and the Howard University Football team get one more chance to take down a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponent when they return to Kent, Ohio to face the new look Kent State (KSU) Golden Flashes at Dix Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m.
 
Fans can follow all the action via ESPN+.
 
Additionally, fans will have the ability to listen to the game live with play-by-play from Trevin A. Jones and his color analyst Tiffany Hoyd. Tune in to the WHBC96.3HD3; SiriusXM Channel 142; or Resident Network Channel 51 for all Bison football coverage. Pregame coverage starts at 1:45 p.m.
 
LAST TIMEOUT
 
Last week (Sept. 1), Coach London and the Bison came up short as they were edged out by Ohio University, 38-32, despite putting up an impressive 645 total yards against the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Preseason Favorite.
 
"The effort was great," London stated in Tuesday's Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) weekly teleconference. "We had a chance in the last seconds [as we were] driving down to score. I'm excited about the young men we have, playing 14 freshman Saturday. We're still a very young team that went out and competed."
 
Second-year signal caller sophomore Caylin Newton (Atlanta) led the charge, posting 532 total yards with four total touchdowns. The Atlanta native threw for a career-high 439 yards with three TDs while adding 93 yards on the ground, including a touchdown in the loss. His 532 total yards is the third-most in program history and Newton's 439 yards in the air is the most since 2001.
 
Fellow Georgia native and deep threat specialist Jequez Ezzard (College Park) etched himself in the program's record book as he set a new school mark with 223 receiving yards on eight catches.
 
Defensively, junior Marcellos Allison (Durham, N.C.) registered a team-best nine tackles (eight solo), including a tackle-for-loss. Sophomore Bryan Cook (Cincinnati) added five tackles (four solo) and two pass breakups in the loss.
 
MATCHUP PREVIEW
 
HOWARD
 
A year ago, after a monumental victory at UNLV, Howard Football came up short at Kent State, 38-31, despite putting up 452 total offense.
 
"Last year, we were driving down for the opportunity to tie the score [against Kent State]," Coach London recalled. "We're looking forward to the challenge and rematch."
 
In that game, Ezzard and Kyle Anthony (Miramar, Fla.) each had over 100 receiving yards. Anthony grabbed five catches for 100 yards while Ezzard had three receptions for 120 yards in a losing effort.
 
This season, Howard (0-1) enters with the FCS's top passing offense (484 ypg) after week one. Monday (Sept. 3), Newton and graduate student James Holmon (Augusta, Ga.) received MEAC weekly honors for their outstanding performances at Ohio. Newton was named MEAC Offensive Player of the Week while Holmon took home MEAC Co-Offensive Lineman of the Week.
 
Defensively, HU looks to slow down the up-tempo Golden Flashes, who ran 84 plays in last week's loss at Big Ten Illinois.
 
KENT STATE
 
Last week, the Flashes (0-1) jumped out to an early 17-3 halftime lead, but Illinois rebounded and prevented Kent State from securing their first victory against a Big Ten foe, 31-24.
 
"There are new schemes and systems in place," said London on the new look Golden Flashes. "It's a team that's changed what they do and how they do it. It will be their first home game. We look to be competitive as we return to the state of Ohio."
 
In December, KSU announced Sean Lewis as its new football head coach; thus, becoming the youngest FBS head coach at 31 (now 32).
 
Offensively, Kent State is led by sophomore transfer Woody Barrett, who put up unprecedented numbers (387 yards total offense) at Illinois.
 
Senior All-MAC First Team inside linebacker Jim Jones led the defense with 11 tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery at Illinois. Last season, he led the Flashes with 98 tackles and 6.0 sacks.
 
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
 
On Sept. 15, Howard host Savannah State in their home opener. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Greene Stadium. For tickets, please Click Here.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.