JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – With under a minute left, Championship MVP QB
Amari Odom drove the field and found WR
Navelle Dean on an 11-yard, go-ahead touchdown pass to propel Kennesaw State football to a thrilling 19-15 victory over Jax State and its first Air National Guard Conference USA Championship on Friday at AmFirst Stadium.
The Owls (10-3) pitched the second-longest shutout in CUSA Championship history, holding the Gamecocks (8-5) scoreless until the 10:20 mark of the fourth quarter.
Kennesaw State opening the scoring with an 11-play, 80-yard drive that saw RB
Coleman Bennett power his way to the endzone from 3 yards out.
KSU kicker
Britton Williams then knocked home a 38-yard field goal at 9:57 in the third quarter to make it 10-0.
The defense again was outstanding, providing the first safety in a CUSA Championship Game since 2007 when DL
Marcus Patterson got to the running back in the endzone for two points.
But with an 11-game home winning streak on the line, Jax State fought back late, scoring two-straight touchdowns in the fourth quarter, capped by a successful two-point conversion to take the lead 15-12 with 4:04 to go.
So the Owls marched, even against stacked odds, making a third-and-27 a manageable fourth-and-1 at JSU's 36. Then converting on a fourth-and-14 later in the drive thanks to a 14-yard escape from Odom before a JSU personal foul cut the field in half to the Gamecock 11.
From there, Odom escaped pressure and kept his eyes downfield to find Dean in the back of the endzone for the go-ahead score.
With 52 second remaining, KSU's defense finished the job as true freshman DL
Elijah Hill recorded a monstrous second sack of the game to force a third-and-20 before back-to-back incomplete passes ended the game.
Overall defensively, LB
Tywon Christopher led the way with seven tackles and a QB hurry, while LB
Baron Hopson turned in six tackles with a hurry. DB
Milon Jones recorded his first career interception on a pick in the endzone and DL
Tylon Dunlap recorded two tackles for loss.
Offensive, Bennett finished with 82 rushing yards (4.8 ypc) and a score, while WR
Christian Moss led the receivers with five catches for 75 yards.
Kennesaw State's historic season continues as it awaits its destination in its first-ever bowl trip. The Owls will learn this weekend following conference championships.
Postgame Notes
Team Notes
- Kennesaw State wins its first Conference USA title in only its second season as a member.
- Kennesaw State improves to 10-3 on the season and 8-1 against CUSA foes.
- Kennesaw State snapped Jax State's 11-game home winning streak (third-longest in the nation).
- Kennesaw State clinches its first conference championship since 2021 (Big South)
- Kennesaw State improves to 6-4 in postseason games.
- Kennesaw State secured its 10th victory in its last 11 games.
- Kennesaw State won its ninth game against CUSA opponents in its last 11 games.
- Kennesaw State snapped a three-game losing streak to Jax State.
- Kennesaw State improved to 4-3 against Jax State all-time.
- Kennesaw State is now tied for second all-time for most wins in second year of reclassification from FCS to FBS (Sam Houston – 2024; Marshall 1997).
- Kennesaw State is now tied for seventh all-time in NCAA history in best year-over-year improvement (+8 games). It's the largest improvement by a CUSA team since FAU in 2017.
- Kennesaw State held Jax State to its fewest first-half rushing totals (78) since Oct. 29 vs. MTSU (60).
- The 7-0 Kennesaw State lead at half was the lowest scoring first half in CUSA Championship history.
- Kennesaw State's defensive safety in the fourth quarter is the first safety in a CUSA Championship Game since 2007.
- It's the first safety scored against Jax State since LA Tech (Nov. 9, 2024)
- Jax State was shutout in the first half of a game by a CUSA team for the first time since joining the league.
- Jax State is the second team to be shut out through three quarters of the CUSA Championship Game since SMU (2010).
- Kennesaw State pitched the longest shutout in CUSA Championship history since SMU took until 9:15 left in the fourth quarter in 2010.
- Kennesaw State committed their fewest penalty yards (26) of the season.
- Kennesaw State's go-ahead touchdown with 51 seconds remaining marked the first time a team won the CUSA Championship Game in the final minute of regulation.
- The Owls improved to 5-0 this year in one-possession games against CUSA opponents, with six one-possession wins - most in FBS.
- Head coach Jerry Mack became the first first-year head coach to win the CUSA Championship Game, joining Liberty's Jamey Chadwell and FAU's Lane Kiffin.
Individual Notes
- 2025 Air National Guard Conference USA Championship MVP Amari Odom completed 26-of-32 (.823) for 246 yards and one touchdown. He posted the second-best completion percentage in CUSA Championship Game history, including a stretch of 13-straight completions.
- His 11-yard, go-ahead touchdown pass to r-So. WR Navelle Dean with 51 seconds remaining in the game was the first TD catch of Dean's career.
- R-Sr. RB Coleman Bennett's 3-yard rushing TD with 13 minutes left in the first half was his fourth of the season. He was the most productive Owl on the ground and was their leading pass catcher with 7 receptions.
- R-Jr. WR Davis Bryson hauled in four catches for 42 yards on the night – both career highs.
- R-Sr. DB Milon Jones' interception in the end zone in the first quarter was the first of his career.
- R-Sr. DL Marcus Patterson forced the first defensive safety in a CUSA Championship Game since 2007.
- Fr. DL Elijah Hill led the game with 2.0 sacks, including a critical 10-yard takedown on Jax State's final drive of the game. He finishes CUSA play atop the league rankings for sacks. He enters Bowl Season with a whopping 9.0 sacks – leading all freshmen nationally.
