By Don Stone, KennesawStateSports.com, FootballAtlanta.com
History was made on a chilly drizzly Tuesday night as Kennesaw State football secured bowl eligibility for the first time in school history with a 33-20 victory over UTEP at Fifth Third Stadium. It was a raucus crowd just 400 tickets shy of another sellout. The Owls, now 6-2 and undefeated in Conference USA at 4-0, have become only the ninth program since 1987 to earn bowl eligibility in their first full FBS season.
Head Coach Jerry Mack praised his team’s resilience and record-setting performance. “At the end of the day — whenever we come back, this group right here, this 2025 Kennesaw State Owls team will be the first bowl-eligible team in our FBS era, and that’s a tremendous accomplishment,” Mack said. “The guys kept their composure during a tough stretch and finished strong.”
KSU’s defense and special teams helped build a quick lead in the first half, including a 23-yard fumble return touchdown by Caleb Offord and a 57-yard punt return touchdown by Gabriel Benyard. The team also recorded a defensive safety, marking a rare trio of non-offensive scores in a single half.
But, the Owls’ offense struggled in the first half with quarterback Dexter Williams II unable to get much going. He was only 8 of 22 for 68 yards with one interception. It wasn’t until Amari Odom was brought in after the half that things started moving scoring three touchdowns to come from behind with the win
Odom scored a key 5-yard rushing TD in the third quarter to reclaim the lead at 23-20.
Running back Chase Belcher led the ground attack with 113 yards and the game-clinching one-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter. “Chase was tremendous tonight,” Mack said. “He really set the tone with consistent tough runs and finishing drives. That last touchdown was a great way to cap this milestone for us.”
Defensive standouts included linebacker Tywon Christopher, who forced the pivotal fumble and posted 12 tackles, plus Brandon Hopson, who extended his streak to five straight double-digit tackle games, and freshman defensive lineman Elijah Hill with a career-high 2.5 sacks.
With bowl eligibility secured in just their second year of FBS competition, the Kennesaw State Owls have captured national attention and energized their fan base. “We’ve set a new standard here,” Mack said. “Now we focus on finishing the year strong and representing KSU football in a bowl game for the first time.”
Next up, Kennesaw State is back on the road at New Mexico State. Kickoff is Saturday at 4:00 p.m. with the game only available on ESPN+.