# 2017 Kent State Golden Flashes football team

The 2017 Kent State Golden Flashes football team represented Kent State University in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by fifth-year head coach Paul Haynes and played their home games at Dix Stadium in Kent, Ohio as members of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference. They finished the season 2–10, 1–7 in MAC play to finish in last place in the East Division.
On August 28, 2017, the school announced that head coach Paul Haynes would be taking a medical leave of absence and miss the first two to three weeks of the season. Offensive coordinator Don Treadwell was named interim head coach. Haynes returned to the Flashes after missing two games due to prostate cancer treatments.
On November 22, one day after the Flashes' final game of the season against Akron, the school fired Paul Haynes after five losing seasons. On December 19, the school hired Sean Lewis as head coach.

## Coaching staff

| Name | Title |
| Paul Haynes | Head coach |
| Don Treadwell | Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach |
| Dave McMichael | Special teams coordinator/tight ends coach |
| Ben Needham | Defensive coordinator/linebackers coach |
| Jeff Burrow | Co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach |
| Doc Gamble | Wide receivers coach |
| Mark Spencer | Recruiting coordinator/running backs coach |
| Colin Ferrell | Defensive line coach |
| Rob Zeitman | Offensive line coach |
| Joe Tresey | Cornerbacks coach |
Source:

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 2 | 12:00 p.m. | at No. 5 Clemson* | Memorial StadiumClemson, SC | ESPN | L 3–56 | 80,121 |
| September 9 | 3:30 p.m. | Howard* | Dix StadiumKent, OH | ESPN3 | W 38–31 | 20,312 |
| September 16 | 6:30 p.m. | at Marshall* | Joan C. Edwards StadiumHuntington, WV | CUSA.TV | L 0–21 | 24,044 |
| September 23 | 12:00 p.m. | at No. 19 Louisville* | Papa John's Cardinal StadiumLouisville, KY | ACCRSN | L 3–42 | 47,812 |
| September 30 | 3:30 p.m. | Buffalo | Dix StadiumKent, OH | ESPN3 | L 13–27 | 12,355 |
| October 7 | 3:30 p.m. | at Northern Illinois | Huskie StadiumDeKalb, IL | ESPN3 | L 3–24 | 11,398 |
| October 14 | 3:30 p.m. | Miami (OH) | Dix StadiumKent, OH | ESPN3 | W 17–14 | 20,537 |
| October 21 | 12:00 p.m. | at Ohio | Peden StadiumAthens, OH | ESPN3 | L 3–48 | 19,540 |
| October 31 | 8:00 p.m. | Bowling Green | Dix StadiumKent, OH (Anniversary Award) | ESPNU | L 16–44 | 7,140 |
| November 8 | 7:00 p.m. | at Western Michigan | Waldo StadiumKalamazoo, MI | CBSSN | L 20–48 | 9,584 |
| November 14 | 7:00 p.m. | Central Michigan | Dix StadiumKent, OH | ESPNU | L 23–42 | 5,580 |
| November 21 | 7:00 p.m. | at Akron | InfoCision StadiumAkron, OH (Wagon Wheel) | ESPNU | L 14–24 | 21,683 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern time |||||||
Source:

## Game summaries
### At Clemson

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Golden Flashes | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| No. 5 Tigers | 21 | 7 | 21 | 7 | 56 |

### Howard

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bison | 7 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 31 |
| Golden Flashes | 14 | 7 | 2 | 15 | 38 |

### At Marshall

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Golden Flashes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Thundering Herd | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 21 |

### At Louisville

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Golden Flashes | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| No. 19 Cardinals | 21 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 42 |

### Buffalo

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bulls | 7 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 27 |
| Golden Flashes | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 13 |

### At Northern Illinois

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Golden Flashes | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Huskies | 7 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 24 |

### Miami (OH)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| RedHawks | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Golden Flashes | 0 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 17 |

### At Ohio

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Golden Flashes | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Bobcats | 0 | 13 | 28 | 7 | 48 |

### Bowling Green

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Falcons | 17 | 3 | 14 | 10 | 44 |
| Golden Flashes | 0 | 9 | 0 | 7 | 16 |

### At Western Michigan

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Golden Flashes | 14 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 20 |
| Broncos | 21 | 10 | 3 | 14 | 48 |

### Central Michigan

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Chippewas | 7 | 21 | 0 | 14 | 42 |
| Golden Flashes | 3 | 14 | 0 | 6 | 23 |

### At Akron

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Golden Flashes | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| Zips | 10 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 24 |