Kent State vs. Utah State: Frisco Bowl prediction, time, TV channel, preview

Kent State and Utah State will square off in the second game of the 2019 college football bowl season on Friday, Dec. 20 in Frisco, Texas. The 7-5 Aggies will meet the 6-6 Golden Flashes at Toyota Stadium, the same venue where the FCS championship game is played each year.

Utah State has been playing well of late, going 6-2 in the Mountain West after a tough nonconference start. And Kent State managed a solid 5-3 record in the MAC, winning its last three games.

Here's what you need to know about this year's Frisco Bowl.

Frisco Bowl: Time & How to watch 

The Frisco Bowl kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Dec. 20. It will be broadcasted live on ESPN2 and ESPN's streaming platforms. 

Frisco Bowl: Prediction, Preview

This will be the final college game for Utah State quarterback Jordan Love, who has thrown for 8,283 yards and 57 touchdowns in his three-year career. Love hasn't been great this season, as he has 17 touchdown passes to 16 interceptions, but he's an explosive quarterback who has made big plays in his career. He will be missed by the Aggies.

TV SCHEDULE: Complete times and TV channels for every bowl game

He'll present a tough task for Kent State, which had to win its last three games to become bowl-eligible. The Golden Flashes are the only team who did that this season and are led by dual-threat quarterback Dustin Crum, who leads the offense in passing and rushing yards. The Aggies are vulnerable against the run, allowing a total of 573 rushing yards over their last two, so there will be lanes for Crum.

This is the third matchup between the two schools, but the first since 1974. While Utah State has a better overall and conference record, they appear to be pretty evenly-matched. The Aggies rank 73rd nationally in yards per play (5.76) while Kent State ranks 75th (5.75). Granted, the Utah State defense has a clear edge on the season, but it hasn't been great against the run lately and Kent State is starting to hit its stride on that side of the ball. Manny Lawrence-Burke is a beast; he leads the Golden Flashes in total tackles and ranks near the top in tackles-for-loss and sacks. Look for him to put some heat on Love.

PREDICTION: Utah State 34, Kent State 27

SCOREBOARD: Live scores, stats for every bowl game

Utah State vs. Kent State: Stats, how they compare

UTAH State	STAT/LEADER	KENT STATE
7-5 (6-2 Mountain West)	Record (Conference)	6-6 (5-3 MAC)
NR	CFP ranking	NR
28.3	Points per game	27.4
29.0	Points allowed	31.1
428.2	Yards per game	393.6
275.9	Passing ypg	212.3
152.3	Rushing ypg	181.3
431.9	Yards allowed per game	471.7
233.7	Passing yards allowed	221.4
198.3	Rushing yards allowed	250.3
Jordan Love 3,085 yards (17 TDs, 16 INTs)	Passing yards leader	Dustin Crum 2,333 yards (18 TDs, 2 INTs)
Gerold Bright 827 yards, 8 TDs	Rushing yards leader	Dustin Crum 560 yards, 5 TDs
Siaosi Mariner 874 yards, 8 TDs	Receiving yards leader	Isaiah McKoy 767 yards, 7 TDs
David Woodward 93 total tackles, 5 tfl, 2 sacks	Defensive leader	Manny Lawrence-Burke 94 total tackles, 5.5 tfl, 4 sacks