WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Despite 307 yards of offense, including 158 yards on the ground, penalties and miscues proved too much to overcome as Kennesaw State football dropped a 10-9 decision to Wake Forest on Friday night at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium.
The Demon Deacons (1-0) scored their lone touchdown on the opening possession, using a grueling 14-play, 75-yard drive that was capped by a 5-yard scamper by Wake's Robby Ashford.
But the Owls (0-1) would respond with a hard-fought drive of their own, going 75 yards in 10 plays as Coleman Bennett broke multiple tackles to score his first touchdown at KSU from 19 yards out. A missed point-after attempt kept it a one-point deficit.
As both teams settled in, the defenses took over for the next 20 minutes of game time. Kennesaw State stifled seven-straight drives by Wake Forest, including two three-and-outs.
The defense's prowess allowed the Owls to take the lead when true freshman Daniel Kinney connected from 29 yards on his first collegiate field goal attempt with 9:45 left in the third quarter.
Wake, however, would respond three drives later with a 22-yard field goal of their own to retake the lead, 10-9.
In his first start at quarterback for the Owls, Dexter Williams II threw for 149 yards – the most by a KSU quarterback in his first start in program history – and added 44 yards of rushing to amass an impressive 193 yards of offense on the night.
Leading his receiving corps. was Gabriel Benyard, who hauled in five passes for 103 yards – his third 100-yard receiving game of his career. In the backfield, Bennett finished with 66 yards along with his score, while Alexander Diggs took 11 carries for 39 yards.
On the defensive side of the ball, Baron Hopson led the game with 11 tackles, including six solo stops and 0.5 tackles for loss, while Isaac Paul finished with seven for the game.
Showcasing the KSU defense's swarming ability, nine Owls finished with five or more tackles on the night – Hopson, Paul, Caleb Offord (6), Milon Jones (6), Antonio Stevens (5), Garland Benyard (5), Kody Jones (5), Donovan Westmoreland (5) and Five Hamilton (5).
KSU also recorded four sacks (one shy of the program record) and seven tackles for loss as a team. Jones, Westmoreland, Tylon Dunlap and Rod Daniels all recorded a sack in the game.
Kennesaw State remains on the road against Power 4 opponents when it heads to take on Big Ten foe Indiana on Saturday, Sept. 6. Kickoff is slated for 12 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on FS1, the KSU Owls App and SiriusXM 985.
Postgame Notes:
Team Notes
- Kennesaw State falls to 0-1.
- Kennesaw State moves to 0-2 against ACC opponents.
- Kennesaw State moves to 0-1 against Wake Forest
- Kennesaw State drops to 5-6 all-time in season openers and 1-5 on the road.
- Kennesaw State out-gained Wake Forest 200-180 in the first half.
- Kennesaw State held Wake Forest to seven first-half points, its fewest at home since Sept. 14, 2024 vs. then-No. 5 Ole Miss (6).
- R-Sr. RB Coleman Bennett's 19-yard rushing touchdown on the offensive's opening drive marked KSU's first time scoring a touchdown in the first possession of a road game since Nov. 4, 2023 at Sam Houston.
- R-Sr. DL Adam Watkins blocked Wake Forest's first half-closing field goal attempt, marking the first blocked field goal for KSU since Watkins' last block vs. Jacksonville State in 2024.
Individual Notes
- R-Sr. QB Dexter Williams II threw for 149 yards, marking the most by an Owl quarterback in his first start at Kennesaw State.
- R-Sr. WR Gabriel Benyard accrued 103 receiving yards Friday night, his third-career game reaching triple digits and first since Sept. 16, 2023 vs. Furman. Benyard is the first Owl overall to eclipse the century mark since himself on Sept. 16, 2023.
- True freshman K Daniel Kinney gave the Owls the lead on the opening drive of the second half, making his first career field goal attempt from 29 yards.
- Friday marked the first collegiate starts for r-Jr. DL Marcus Patterson, Gr. TE Gerard Bullock Jr., r-Jr. OL Brandon Best and r-So. OL Nikola Milovac.
- R-So. DB Isaac Paul tied a career-high 7 tackles (prev. 7 at UTSA on Aug. 31, 2024).
- R-Sr. DL Rod Daniels recorded the first sack of his career and set a career high with 1.0 tackles for loss (prev. 0.5 vs. Miles on Sept. 3, 2022)*.
- Sr. DB Kody Jones also turned in the first sack of his career and set a career high with 5 tackles (prev. 2, twice – last vs. Hawaii on Sept. 10, 2022)*.
Multimedia:
Head Coach Jerry Mack Postgame Press Conference
Student-Athlete Postgame Press Conference (Coleman Bennett, Isaac Paul)
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