KENNESAW, Ga. – History was made on Tuesday night under the lights as Kennesaw State football scored 17-straight points in the second half to secure its first bowl eligibility with a 33-20 victory over UTEP at Walens Family Field at Fifth Third Stadium.
The Owls (6-2, 4-0 Conference USA) became the ninth program since 1987 to earn bowl eligibility in its first full-fledged season in NCAA Division I FBS. KSU's six wins rank tied for 10th among teams in their second year of reclassification.
Kennesaw State did what only one other FBS program has done in the last 20 years when it scored a defensive touchdown, special teams touchdown and defensive safety in the first half to take a 16-10 lead at intermission.
The game began when linebacker Tywon Christopher stripped the ball from the Miners (2-6, 1-3 CUSA) and defensive back Caleb Offord scooped and scored for a 23-yard fumble return in the first quarter.
Wideout Gabriel Benyard then returned the second punt return in program history when took back a first-quarter punt 57 yards to the house to go up 14-0.
UTEP was then able to narrow the margin with a touchdown and field goal before linebacker Baron Hopson and defensive lineman Donovan Westmoreland capitalized on a sensational Joshua Huiet punt pinning them at the 1-yard line and combined for a defensive safety to take a 16-10.
The Miners than battled to take a 20-16 lead before Kennesaw State took control the rest of the way.
After a 66-yard pass from quarterback Amari Odom to wideout Javon Rogers, Odom scampered in from 5 yards out to retake the lead for good, 23-20.
Kicker Britton Williams would tack on a field goal from 30 yards, before Chase Belcher capped his 100-yard rushing day with a score from 1-yard out to seal the victory.
Offensively, Dexter Williams II got the start and finished 8-for-22 with an interception and 68 passing yards. Odom played the second half and finished 6-for-10 for 86 passing yards.
Belcher led the way with 113 rushing yards and one touchdown, averaging 4.7 yards per carry on the night.
Defensively, Christopher led the way with the forced fumble to go along with a team-high 12 tackles and tackle for loss. Hopson his program record fifth-straight double-digit tackle game and sixth overall, making 10 stops with 0.5 sacks and 1.0 tackles for loss.
True freshman defensive line Elijah Hill caused havoc in the backfield, finishing with three tackles but 2.5 sacks on the game.
Kennesaw State now heads out for two-straight road games, beginning with a trip to New Mexico State on Saturday, Nov. 8. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and the KSU Owls app.
Postgame Notes
Team Notes
- Kennesaw State improves to 6-2 this season.
- Kennesaw State improves to 4-0 in Conference USA action.
- Kennesaw State becomes the ninth school to earn bowl eligibility in its first full-fledged season in NCAA Division I FBS.
- Kennesaw State extends its win streak to six – it's longest win streak since 2021 (10 wins from Sept. 18 thru Nov. 27).
- Kennesaw State extends its home win streak to five – it's longest home win streak since 2021 (5 wins from Oct. 2 thru Nov. 27).
- Kennesaw State improves to 5-0 at home this season.
- Kennesaw State moves to 51-13 all-time inside Fifth Third Stadium.
- Kennesaw State moves to 21-8 all-time against conference foes inside Fifth Third Stadium.
- Kennesaw State moves to 1-1 against UTEP.
- Kennesaw State recorded its first scoop and score since 2023 (Jordan Miles vs. Tusculum). The fumble recovery TD is the first defensive TD overall since a pick six in 2024 (Jayven Williams vs. UT Martin).
- Kennesaw State recorded only the second punt return for a touchdown (prev. Nov. 27, 2021 vs. Davidson).
- Kennesaw State scored multiple non-offensive touchdowns in a game since Sept. 22, 2018 vs. Clark-Atlanta (3).
- Kennesaw State became the first team with a defensive TD, special teams TD and defensive safety since November 2020.
- Kennesaw State is only the second FBS team to record all three before halftime in the last 20 years (UCLA, 2012).
Individual Notes
- In his first career start, r-Fr. LB Tywon Christopher forced his first fumble of his career. R-Sr. DB Caleb Offord recovered the fumble for a scoop and score – both firsts of his career. Christopher recorded a career-high 12 tackles on the night.
- R-SR. WR Gabriel Benyard's 57-yard punt return touchdown is the second punt return TD in program history -- also by himself when he returned it 63 yards for six against Davidson (Nov. 27, 2021).
- Benyard accrued 61 punt return yards, surpassing Isaac Foster (2017-23) for the KSU career record with 457 in his KSU tenure. Foster's previously held the record with 436.
- Sr. RB Chase Belcher made his first start in a Kennesaw State uniform Tuesday.
- R-So. QB Amari Odom's 5-yard touchdown rush in the third quarter was his fourth this season and his second in as many games.
- So. WR Javon Rogers hauled in a career-long 66-yard pass from Odom to set up a third-quarter touchdown. His 66 receiving yards for the game were also a career high.
- r-Sr. LB Baron Hopson recorded 10 tackles on the night, giving him his fifth-straight double-digit tackle game and sixth overall, ranking third nationally.
- Fr. DL Elijah Hill doubled up his season total with a career-high 2.5 sacks - the second-most sacks for a true freshman in program history (3.0 - Joel Parker, 2019 vs. Alabama State).
Multimedia
Postgame Press Conference (Coach Mack, Chase Belcher, Tywon Christopher)
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