By: Austin Williams
The Kennesaw State Owls kick off a new era in their inaugural Division I FBS football season against the UTSA Roadrunners.
Excitement is brewing within the Owls football team and two players share that feeling heading into game one.
Que Billingsley, a redshirt freshman defensive back for the Owls, talked in the preseason about how thrilled he is to follow the Owls into their first season as an FBS team.
"I'm just really excited to be a part of this program and go up and compete at the FBS level," Billingsley said. "We are all taking it day by day and preparing as best we can."
Kennesaw State joining Conference USA helps take the Owls into the national spotlight, and the football team will be traveling around the country this upcoming season. The Owls travel to San Antonio, Texas for their first FBS game, but Billingsley was quick to add there is no difference in preparation for future opponents.
"Coach Bohannon is putting us in the best situation possible to help us go into game one and be ready," Billingsley added.
Billingsley shared that head coach
Brian Bohannon is committed to making this team better through each practice.
"We are just trying to keep stacking days," Billingsley said. "We cannot come out here and waste any days because we can't get those days back. So we have to continue to stack days and keep moving forward."
Redshirt junior wide receiver
Gabriel Benyard also shared his enthusiasm for beginning FBS play and the upcoming matchup against the Roadrunners.
"It's exciting and a blessing," Benyard said. "I'm very excited for UTSA because I've been in the playbook, learning every day, watching film on my own and just can't wait to play."
Benyard is one of the more explosive players for the Kennesaw State offense and feels very comfortable after transitioning from running back to wide receiver.
"It's been great learning how to be a receiver," Benyard said. "It's been pretty easy getting the plays down and going out there and executing every day."
Benyard may not be one of the most vocal leaders on the team, but he has earned the respect of his teammates by going out on the field and making special plays.
"I try to go out there and make plays, come to practice every day and be a hard worker," Benyard said. "As coach Bohannon said, I'm a quiet leader, and I try to communicate with guys, but I come out and make plays so the guys can trust me on gamedays."
The Roadrunners, a part of the American Athletic Conference (AAC), are coming off a strong season in 2023, going 9-4 and winning the Frisco Bowl. But that hasn't deterred the Owls.
"We're all focusing one game at a time," Benyard said. "We are focusing on UTSA, going out and executing every play and we will focus on everyone else after that."
The Owls visit the Roadrunners on Aug. 31 inside the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
