There is no shortage of confidence for the Kennesaw State Owls despite their early start to their inaugural Division 1 FBS season.

Two veteran Owls, redshirt senior Michael Benefield and redshirt junior Pooda Walker, emphasize staying confident for their last nonconference game of the season, continuing to follow the messages from coaches and team leaders and want Owl Nation to come out for a big Homecoming game against the UT Martin Skyhawks. 

Walker has been a consistent problem for opposing offensive linemen this season, and he has the same mindset when it comes to staying confident moving forward into the season.  

"We have confidence as we keep working and fighting," Walker said. "This confidence will take us in the right direction to dominate as we enter Conference USA play." 

Keeping up the fight while you are down may be hard for some, but the Owls are staying motivated, and head coach Brian Bohannon has kept that same message from the start of the season.  

"The message from Coach Bo is to always keep fighting and pushing," Walker said. "Most importantly, it all starts at practice. Great practices and preparation give us our best chance to win on Saturdays."  

This will be the second-ever matchup between the Owls and Skyhawks, after KSU earned a 44-27 road win in 2022. Bohannon mentioned that UT Martin will use that loss to motivate their players and that the Owls must be prepared for the Skyhawks.  

Both Benefield and Walker understand that they cannot overlook UT Martin before heading into conference play and are ready to accept the challenge.  

"We are going to control what we can control," Benefield said. "We're going to make sure we are focusing on ourselves, make sure we're doing our jobs and that should play out on Saturday."  

Homecoming is always a great time for colleges around the country, but the football Owls want Fifth Third Stadium to be packed out for this pivotal matchup against the Skyhawks.  

"It's Homecoming, and we need a great crowd," Walker said. "We always appreciate Owl fans for coming out and supporting us because it really means a lot. It also helps because playing in front of the home fans helps us play even harder."  

Another exciting development for the Owls as the season continues is that Benefield, the hardworking former walk-on, is closing in on 1,000 career rushing yards.  

"I didn't even know that I was close to that! That's just a testament to the offensive lines I've had," Benefield said. "They've helped me make the most of my opportunities when I've had the ball."  

The Owls will host the UT Martin Skyhawks on Sept. 28 inside Fifth Third Stadium at 6:00 p.m. Fans can watch the game with ESPN+ or purchase tickets here. Students can claim their free tickets to the contest here. 

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