By Don Stone, KennesawStateSports.com, FootballAtlanta.com
First place in Conference USA and five straight wins have turned Kennesaw State’s second FBS season into one of the nation’s biggest stories. On Tuesday night, the Owls look to keep their remarkable run alive when they host UTEP in a nationally televised matchup at Fifth Third Stadium (8 p.m. ET, ESPNU).
“This team just keeps finding ways to grow,” head coach Jerry Mack said this week. “We’re not satisfied. Every time we go out, we want to set the standard a little higher. UTEP is a tough, physical football team, and we know it’s another big challenge.”
Kennesaw State (5–2, 3–0 C-USA) sits tied atop the conference standings with Jax State after a 45–26 road victory at FIU that snapped a 13-game road losing streak. The Owls have now won five straight, the second-longest active streak in the league. A win Tuesday would make them bowl eligible for the first time in school history.
Led by a dynamic quarterback tandem in Amari Odom and Dexter Williams II, Mack’s balanced offense has found its rhythm. Odom, completing more than 70 percent of his passes, has thrown for 959 yards, five touchdowns, and just one interception this year. Williams, who provides a bigger rushing threat, has sparked the offense in red-zone packages.
“They make each other better,” Mack said. “Amari’s command of the passing game and Dexter’s physicality on the ground give us versatility that’s tough to defend.”
Receivers Gabriel Benyard and Coleman Bennett headline a deep group of targets. Benyard, with 495 receiving yards and three touchdowns, has become Odom’s favorite weapon on play-action shots, while Bennett’s speed has opened up big plays downfield.
Complementing the air attack, KSU’s ground game has leaned on Alexander Diggs (69 yards and one touchdown last week) and Bennett’s dual-role effectiveness. The Owls’ rushing attack averages 155.7 yards per game this season.
Defensively, Kennesaw State continues to improve each week. Linebacker Baron Hopson, who posted 12 tackles at FIU, anchors a unit ranking top-30 nationally in red-zone defense and allowing just 21.3 points per game. “He’s the heartbeat of our defense,” Mack said. “He plays sideline to sideline, and guys feed off that energy.”
UTEP (2–5, 1–2) comes in off a 35–17 win over Sam Houston, driven by quarterback Skyler Locklear, who threw for 236 yards and added two rushing touchdowns. Mack called them “a team you can’t underestimate.” “They’ve got athletes everywhere,” he said. “Their quarterback extends plays, and their front seven plays with real power.”
Tuesday’s contest will mark Kennesaw State’s first home appearance in nearly a month since the October 9 win over Louisiana Tech, and Mack expects an electric atmosphere at Fifth Third Stadium. “Our fans have made this place special,” he said. “FBS football in Kennesaw is real, and you can feel it every time we take the field.”
Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. Tuesday on ESPNU as the Owls aim for a sixth consecutive victory and their first 4–0 start in conference play.