Top Storylines:
• After winning back-to-back games to start its homestand, Kennesaw State football will look to ride that momentum into Conference USA play when it hosts Middle Tennessee on Saturday at Walens Family Field at Fifth Third Stadium.
• The Owls are coming off two-straight wins, including last week’s 28-21 victory over Arkansas State that featured complete performances on both sides of the ball.
• r-So. QB Amari Odom made his second start for the Owls and set the program record for most total offense in a single-game with 409 yards (308 passing, 101 rushing), earning Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week honors.
• Odom is one of only two FBS quarterback this season to pass for 300, rush for 100 and have passing and rushing touchdowns.
• Also earning CUSA weekly honors was right guard r-Sr. OL JT Pennington, who was named Offensive Lineman of the Week after helping the Owls roll up 497 yards of offense, including 189 yards on the ground.
• In a conference-topping 85 snaps on Saturday, Pennington allowed zero sacks, QB hits, hurries or pressures and did not incur a penalty all game.
• In addition to three rushing touchdowns on the game, r-Sr. WR Gabriel Benyard became the first CUSA player this season to record multiple 100-yard receiving games with 114 on Saturday and a 54-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter.
• On the defensive side, r-Sr. LB Baron Hopson broke his career high with a team-high 14 tackles last Saturday.
• His 35 tackles for the season rank fourth in Conference USA and are the second-most by an Owl all-time through four games of the season.
• The Owls also forced their first turnover of the season when r-Sr. DB Caleb Offord punched the ball lose and had it recovered by r-Sr. DL Tylon Dunlap - both firsts for their pair.
• Offord had two more pass breakups on Saturday to bring his total to five, ranking him tied for second in Conference USA this season.
• As a unit, the defense was perhaps no more impressive than the final three drives of the game for the Red Wolves in which the KSU defense forced two three-and-outs and a game-securing turnover on downs to clinch the victory.
