Last year's Heisman Trophy winner quarterback Lamar Jackson was back to his old self, breaking a school record for career touchdowns with 88 passing Chris Redman. Jackson was 18 of 22 passing for 299 yards and two touchdowns and two interceptions. Jackson didn't run the ball as much as he carried eight times for 34 yards and a touchdown. He didn't play in the fourth quarter. "I'm not trying to break records, I just go out there and try and get my team get in a better situation," Jackson said.
Jackson accomplished all of this without his top wide receiver Jaylen Smith who missed the game with an injured wrist. Sophomore receiver Seth Dawkins stepped up with four receptions for 75-yards and a touchdown. The Cardinal receivers finished the day with 23 receptions for 374 yards and two touchdowns. "We basically came out and took care of business did what we're supposed to do," Head Coach Bobby Petrino said.
The Cardinal defense also stepped up combining for 75 tackles, two sacks and 14 tackles for a loss. They also forced three Kent State turnovers including an interception returned for a touchdown by senior cornerback Trumaine Washington. "I thought the defense did a nice job of controlling the line of scrimmage. We played physical and I liked the way we tackled," Petrino said.