KENNESAW, Ga. — Kennesaw State football racked up over 500 yards of offense as it rolled to a 47-0 season-opening win over West Georgia on Thursday night at Walens Family Field at Fifth Third Stadium.
After weathering a rain delay of over an hour before kickoff, the Owls came out of the locker room and struck quickly, with the first of six first-half rushing touchdowns coming less than two minutes in.
The KSU ground attack ruled the night with 297 yards at 6.3 yards per carry. Four different Owls recorded 40 or more rush yards.
Boogie Woods III led the team with 11 carries for 49 yards and a touchdown.
Latrelle Murrell added two rushing scores on nine carries for 88 yards while
Triston Morgan turned in five carries for 76 yards and a touchdown.
Quarterback
Rickie Collins' first KSU start featured 171 passing yards on 18-of-23 with a touchdown. Collins complemented his passing game with seven rushes for 51 yards and two scores.
The Owls totaled 508 yards of offense to just 160, including 49 on the ground, for West Georgia. KSU picked up 31 first downs to the Wolves' seven and went 4-for-4 on red zone trips. Thursday's shutout is the first pitched by the Owls since a 14-0 blanking of North Carolina A&T in 2021.
Murrell, a transfer from UWG, opened the scoring against his former team with a 45-yard touchdown run to put the Owls up 6-0 early.
Morgan scored from 60 yards out with 2:07 to play in the first. KSU's 12-0 lead quickly became 19-0 as linebacker
Zay Wilson pounced on a fumbled UWG kickoff return, giving the Owls the ball at the Wolves' 14-yard line. Collins made the most of the prime field position with a 3-yard touchdown scamper three plays later.
KSU tacked on three more touchdown drives in the second quarter.
Murrell capped the quarter's first scoring drive with a 17-yard rushing touchdown. Another Collins' keeper, this one from 24 yards out, put KSU up 33-0 with 3:22 before the half. Woods toted the ball on four straight plays on the Owls' final drive of the half and found paydirt with a 1-yard plunge for the 40-0 lead at the break.
Collins used his arm to tack on a final KSU score of the night. The eight-play, 73-yard drive ended in a nine-yard touchdown pass from Collins to
Dylan Gary.
KSU is back in action at home versus Georgia State on Sept. 12 at 7 p.m. Join Owl Nation at Walens Family Field at Fifth Third Stadium for a special commemoration of the 2025 Conference USA Championship team or tune in on ESPN+.
Postgame Notes
Team Notes
Individual Notes
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