1968 Kent State Golden Flashes football team

1968 Kent State Golden Flashes football
ConferenceMid-American Conference
Record1–9 (1–5 MAC)
Head coach
Home stadiumMemorial Stadium
1968 Mid-American Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 20 Ohio $6–0–010–1–0
Miami (OH)5–1–07–3–0
Bowling Green3–2–16–3–1
Toledo3–2–15–4–1
Western Michigan2–4–03–6–0
Kent State1–5–01–9–0
Marshall0–6–00–9–1
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1968 Kent State Golden Flashes football team was an American football team that represented Kent State University in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 1968 NCAA University Division football season. In their first season under head coach Dave Puddington, the Golden Flashes compiled a 1–9 record (1–5 against MAC opponents), finished in sixth place in the MAC, and were outscored by all opponents by a combined total of 230 to 101.[1][2]

The team's statistical leaders included Don Nottingham with 727 rushing yards, Steve Trustdorf with 773 passing yards, and Doug Smith with 247 receiving yards.[3][4] Defensive tackle Jim Corrigall was selected as a first-team All-MAC player.[5]

Puddington was hired as Kent State's head football coach in December 1967. He had been the head football coach at Washington University in St. Louis from 1962 to 1967.[6]

Schedule

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 14at Dayton*L 10–2413,888[7]
September 21Buffalo*L 13–2116,488[8]
September 28Ohio
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Kent, OH
L 7–3115,000[9]
October 5at Miami (OH)L 0–2414,622[10]
October 12Western Michigan
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Kent, OH
L 0–149,000[11]
October 19at Bowling GreenL 7–3016,214[12]
October 26Toledo
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Kent, OH
L 12–2814,500[13]
November 2at Louisville*L 9–238,000[14]
November 9at MarshallW 36–125,000[15]
November 16Xavier*
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Kent, OH
L 7–23[16]
  • *Non-conference game

[17]

References

  1. ↑ "2016 Kent State Football Record Book" (PDF). Kent State University. p. D7. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  2. ↑ "1968 Kent State Golden Flashes Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  3. ↑ 2016 Record Book, p. D17-D19.
  4. ↑ "1968 Kent State Golden Flashes Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  5. ↑ 2016 Kent State Football Record Book, p. D42.
  6. ↑ "WU Coach to Kent State: Puddington Quits". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. December 13, 1967. p. 5D.
  7. ↑ "Flyers defeat Flashes". Lexington Herald-Leader. September 15, 1968. Retrieved October 26, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "Buffalo beats Kent despite record act". The Indianapolis Star. September 22, 1968. Retrieved October 26, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Bobcats claw Kent State". The Tampa Tribune-Times. September 29, 1968. Retrieved October 26, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ "Miami throttles Kent State, 24–0". The Blade. October 6, 1968. Retrieved October 26, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "Western powers by Kent State, 14–0". The Kalamazoo Gazette. October 13, 1968. Retrieved October 26, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ "Bowling Green wins". The Atlanta Journal & Constitution. October 20, 1968. Retrieved October 26, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ "Rockets outclass Kent State, 28–12". The Blade. October 27, 1968. Retrieved October 26, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ "Kent State loses 8th in row, 23–9". The Plain Dealer. November 3, 1968. Retrieved October 26, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ "Kent easy winner in losers bowl". The Akron Beacon Journal. November 10, 1968. Retrieved October 26, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ "Final defeat is saddest". The Akron Beacon Journal. November 17, 1968. Retrieved May 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ↑ "Schedule/Results (1968 Kent State)". NCAA Statistics. National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved May 23, 2025.