BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Kennesaw State football was unable to topple No. 23/21 Indiana on the road at Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium, falling 56-9 on Saturday afternoon.
The Owls' (0-2) offense surged to end the first half, closing the second quarter with drives of 63 yards and 64 yards to record field goals before opening the third quarter with a 44-yard drive that accounted for another three points to close the gap to 21-9.
In the second quarter alone, KSU outgained the nationally ranked Hoosiers (2-0) 126-90.
True freshman kicker Daniel Kinney was sure-footed all day, sinking field goals from 28-, 29- and 50-yards during his second game of his collegiate career. The 50-yarder was just the second in program history and first since 2022.
Offensively, quarterback Amari Odom showed flashes in his first action under center, finishing with 176 yards on 10-of-16 passing. Wideouts Christian Moss (five receptions) and Lyndon Ravare (72 receiving yards) both tallied career highs in the effort, while Gabriel Benyard finished with 51 yards on two catches.
In total, Kennesaw State amassed 271 yards of offense off 182 passing yards and 89 yards of rushing.
Defensively, five Owls recorded five or more tackles on the day with Caleb Offord and Milon Jones both tallying seven stops. Offord also broke up two passes while Jones recorded a tackle for loss. Also finishing with five tackles were Alexander Ford (6), Garland Benyard (5) and Baron Hopson (5).
Kennesaw State returns for its home opener at Walens Family Field at Fifth Third Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 13 against Merrimack – the first of four-straight games at home. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. and will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and the KSU Owls App.
Postgame Notes
Team Notes
- Kennesaw State falls to 0-2
- Kennesaw State moves to 0-1 against Big Ten opponents.
- Kennesaw State moves to 0-1 against Indiana.
- Kennesaw State drops to 0-1 all-time against AP Top 25 opponents.
- Kennesaw State outgained the Hoosiers 126-90 in the second quarter.
Individual Notes
- Fr. K Daniel Kinney has now made a field goal in each of the first two games of his collegiate career, after sinking a 28-yarder in the second quarter. He is 4-for-4 on the season.
- Kinney's 50-yarder on the Owls' opening second-half possession was just the second 50-yard field goal made in program history, the first since Conor Cummins in November 2022 at Eastern Kentucky and the first made by a true freshman.
- R-Sr. WR Christian Moss' four receptions in the first half set a new career high for the Kennesaw, Ga. native in an Owl uniform.
- R-So. QB Amari Odom saw action in an Owl uniform for the first time against the Hoosiers, recording 176 yards on 10-of-16 passing. His yardage total marked a program record by a quarterback making his first appearance at KSU.
- Jr. WR Lyndon Ravare tallied a new career-high with 72 receiving yards Saturday.
- R-Sr. WR Gabriel Benyard set the Kennesaw State record with the most receiving yards through the first two games of a season in program history (154).
The Owls Fund
The Owls Fund is the primary fundraising arm of Kennesaw State Athletics with the goal of supporting our student-athletes, coaches and each of our 18 NCAA Division I programs. Through initiatives such as Legacy Lockers, the Dot Martin Scholarship Golf Classic, sport-specific giving opportunities, general donations and season tickets, The Owls Fund connects fans with KSU's programs and student-athletes. Members receive exclusive benefits such as hospitality seating areas and events at Kennesaw State home games, and more. Joining The Owls Fund here and discover more opportunities on how you can support Kennesaw State Athletics.
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