{"id":425943,"date":"2025-12-05T07:22:22","date_gmt":"2025-12-05T07:22:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/425943\/"},"modified":"2025-12-05T07:22:22","modified_gmt":"2025-12-05T07:22:22","slug":"2025-cusa-championship-preview-kennesaw-state-owls-jacksonville-state-gamecocks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/425943\/","title":{"rendered":"2025 CUSA Championship Preview: Kennesaw State Owls @ Jacksonville State Gamecocks"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul class=\"duet--article--unordered-list _1nfb3k4i feuejx0 ls9zuh1\">\n<li class=\"feuejx1\"><strong>Time and date: <\/strong>Friday, December 5 at 7:00 p.m. ET<\/li>\n<li class=\"feuejx1\"><strong>Network:<\/strong> CBS Sports Network<\/li>\n<li class=\"feuejx1\"><strong>Location:<\/strong> AmFirst Stadium \u2014 Jacksonville, AL<\/li>\n<li class=\"feuejx1\"><strong>Spread:<\/strong> Kennesaw State (-2.5)<\/li>\n<li class=\"feuejx1\"><strong>Over\/under:<\/strong> 60.5<\/li>\n<li class=\"feuejx1\"><strong>All-time series:<\/strong> Series tied, 3-3<\/li>\n<li class=\"feuejx1\"><strong>Last meeting:<\/strong> Jacksonville State 35, Kennesaw State 26 \u2014 November 15, 2025<\/li>\n<li class=\"feuejx1\"><strong>Current streak:<\/strong> Jacksonville State, 3 (2022-25)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Jacksonville State joined the FBS in 2023. This is the program\u2019s second year eligible for a conference championship. In their first season of eligibility in 2024, the Gamecocks sat on the throne of Conference USA, throttling WKU 52-12 behind the backdrop of AmFirst Stadium in Jacksonville. However, Jax State lost head coach Rich Rodriguez and the majority of last year\u2019s roster, completely revamping the personnel during the offseason. But the one thing head coach Charles Kelly didn\u2019t change is the team\u2019s winning ways, and it\u2019s back in another title game \u2014 boasting a 16-2 record on its homefield since joining the FBS.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Kennesaw State joined the FBS in 2024. This is the program\u2019s first year eligible for a conference championship. The Owls saw one of the most impressive turnarounds in all of college football in 2025, jumping from 2-10 to 9-3 under first-year head coach Jerry Mack. Owning the CUSA\u2019s best overall record, the Owls are one win away from sweetening an already-memorable season with a championship \u2014 in just their second year as an FBS program.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">It\u2019s the Gamecocks vs. Owls on Friday night. May the best bird win.<\/p>\n<p>Kennesaw State Owls outlook<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"_1eezmj01\" href=\"https:\/\/platform.underdogdynasty.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/172\/2025\/12\/gettyimages-2242746149.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0,0,100,100\" data-pswp-height=\"2240\" data-pswp-width=\"3360\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img alt=\"MIAMI, FL - OCTOBER 21: Kennesaw State Owls wide receiver Gabriel Benyard (1) runs after a catch during the game between the Kennesaw State Owls and the FlIU Panthers on Tuesday, October 21, 2025 at Pitbull Stadium in Miami, FL. (Photo by Peter Joneleit\/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"w91vxg0\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'\/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'\/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'\/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'\/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3C\/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot;)\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/gettyimages-2242746149.jpg\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>MIAMI, FL &#8211; OCTOBER 21: Kennesaw State Owls wide receiver Gabriel Benyard (1) runs after a catch during the game between the Kennesaw State Owls and the FlIU Panthers on Tuesday, October 21, 2025 at Pitbull Stadium in Miami, FL. (Photo by Peter Joneleit\/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Icon Sportswire via Getty Images<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Kennesaw State (9-3, 7-1 CUSA) was the ultimate surprise team this year. The Owls looked vastly improved when they took Wake Forest down to the wire in a 10-9 Week 1 defeat \u2014 falling just short due to a missed extra point. The next week, Kennesaw State lost 56-9 to Indiana, seeing a similar result as nearly every other Indiana opponent this year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Once those difficult matchups were thrown on the backburner, Kennesaw State shifted into a new gear. The Owls made their statement as contenders when throttling Louisiana Tech 35-7 on a Thursday night in October and took things from there. They handled several 7-win CUSA squads like FIU and Missouri State, but not everything went perfect in conference play. On Nov. 15, the Owls lost a road game 35-26 to Jacksonville State, ultimately locating this matchup in Alabama instead of Georgia. Now, Jerry Mack and his squad seek revenge from that game three weeks later.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Kennesaw State shuffled between quarterbacks throughout the year, and Amari Odom emerged as the top option. The redshirt sophomore fired for 2,139 yards, 17 touchdowns, and six interceptions, while also providing a necessary mobility element with 379 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. Odom kept things generally efficient and exploded for video game numbers on several occasions \u2014 posting 300 passing and 100 rushing yards on Arkansas State, and producing 387 passing yards and five touchdowns two weeks ago vs. Missouri State.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Odom\u2019s primary targets are Gabriel Benyard and Christian Moss, who handle the bulk of the duties in the nation\u2019s 52nd-ranked aerial offense. Benyard reigns supreme in the CUSA with 877 yards and nine touchdowns, while Moss excels as a secondary option \u2014 and both average roughly 16 yards per catch in this big-play offense.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">The run game isn\u2019t too shabby, ranking around the median of the FBS. Odom provides some contributions, but the running back tandem of Coleman Bennett and Chase Belcher does most of the work. Both registered one 100-yard game this season, and Bennett gets the bulk of carries, but Coach Mack \u2014 with extensive background coaching running backs \u2014 isn\u2019t afraid to ride the hot hand on a given gameday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Kennesaw State started the year with a stronger defensive identity, but that shifted as time progressed. The Owls held five of their first six opponents to 21 or below, but each of the final six foes dropped at least 20 on Kennesaw State which has surrendered 34+ in three-straight contests. Overall, the defense ranks 109th in yards allowed, not showing particular strength against the run or pass. The Owls don\u2019t force frequent turnovers either, collecting exactly one per game.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">But the defense has its strengths. Kennesaw State thrives on manufacturing negative plays, ranking 18th in the FBS in tackles for loss and 31st in sacks. Three players \u2014 defensive end Elijah Hill, defensive tackle Tylon Dunlap, and outside linebacker Donovan Westmoreland \u2014 all have at least four sacks, with Hill\u2019s seven ranking atop the CUSA.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Another key defender is inside linebacker Baron Hopson, who checks in at ninth in the FBS with 120 tackles. Hopson produced double-digit tackles in eight games this year, in addition to thriving in coverage with five pass breakups. Cornerbacks Caleb Offord and JeRico Washington have also batted plenty of balls down, combining for 20 deflections in a secondary that can fly around. However, no Owl has more than one interception this year, and due to a lack of defensive contribution to the turnover battle, the team is at a -2 this year \u2014 the primary factor which caused Kennesaw State to lose the first meeting in November.<\/p>\n<p>Jacksonville State Gamecocks outlook<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"_1eezmj01\" href=\"https:\/\/platform.underdogdynasty.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/172\/2025\/12\/gettyimages-2233067904.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0,0,100,100\" data-pswp-height=\"3252\" data-pswp-width=\"4878\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img alt=\"ORLANDO, FLORIDA - AUGUST 28: Gavin Wimsatt #2 fakes a handoff to Caden Creel #12 of the Jacksonville State Gamecocks at FBC Mortgage Stadium on August 28, 2025 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Dustin Markland\/Getty Images)\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"w91vxg0\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'\/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'\/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'\/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'\/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3C\/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot;)\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/gettyimages-2233067904.jpg\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>ORLANDO, FLORIDA &#8211; AUGUST 28: Gavin Wimsatt #2 fakes a handoff to Caden Creel #12 of the Jacksonville State Gamecocks at FBC Mortgage Stadium on August 28, 2025 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Dustin Markland\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Jacksonville State (8-4, 7-1 CUSA) completed a highly-impressive regular season. Bringing in a head coach in Charles Kelly and revamping the roster didn\u2019t faze the Gamecocks, which simply sustained their winning ways en route to their second-straight CUSA Championship Game as hosts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Similar to last season, non-conference play wasn\u2019t kind to Jax State. The Gamecocks opened with a heartbreaking last-minute loss to UCF, before falling to a pair of Sun Belt opponents in Georgia Southern and Southern Miss. But this team overcame three non-conference defeats a year ago as well, and an extremely similar season was witnessed this year \u2014 following the non-conference struggles with an identical 7-1 CUSA record. And once again, the lone loss transpired in November, as FIU snapped Jax State\u2019s 5-game win streak on the penultimate week of the regular season.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Given the immense personnel changes at Jax State, the offense remains quite similar to the system that brought the team a CUSA title in 2024. It\u2019s a run-heavy scheme that significantly relies on zone reads, requiring the quarterback making winning decisions at warp speed. The Gamecocks started the season with former Rutgers quarterback Gavin Wimsatt as the engineer to the offense, but in late September, the team shifted to freshman Caden Creel, and he\u2019s evolved as a player since.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Creel immediately took the league by storm with 293 combined rushing yards in his first two substantial data points. Now the quarterback rides a 4-game streak of 100-yard games, ranking fifth in the FBS at his position with 973 on the year. Creel will likely surpass 1,000 yards in the championship game, yet he\u2019s only the second-leading rusher in the nation\u2019s third best ground attack (262 yards per game).<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">The focal point is Cam Cook, who is the FBS standalone leader in rushing yards. Cook, who transferred in from TCU last offseason, has 1,581 yards and 15 touchdowns, and he\u2019s been remarkably consistent on a weekly basis. Cook rattled off 75+ yards in all 12 games and attained the century mark in 10. An underrated portion of his game is receiving, and he is quietly third on the team with 26 receptions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">The other frequented receivers in this offense are wideout Deondre Johnson and tight end Brock Rechsteiner \u2014 the latter whom missed the season finale due to injury and is progressing to play Friday. Jax State uses the threat of the run game to get Johnson home run plays, and his 28.2 yards per reception rank first in the FBS among all players with 20 catches. Meanwhile, Rechsteiner is situated at second on the team in receptions (33), receiving yards (356), and touchdowns (4). Even if he isn\u2019t 100 percent, Pearson Baldwin also enjoys substantial utilization in this offense.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">From the second Jax State joined the FBS, it created a brand for itself on defense as a takeaway machine. This year\u2019s Gamecocks rank 15th nationally with 21 turnovers forced \u2014 marking a third-straight year in the top 20. Safeties Caleb Nix and Walker O\u2019Steen combine for seven of the unit\u2019s 12 picks, and both got involved when the Gamecocks intercepted Kennesaw State four times in mid-November.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">However, the aerial defense could use improvement as Jacksonville State is 107th in the FBS in passing yards allowed. Kennesaw State threw for 362 in the first meeting and attained 579 total yards, as turnovers masked a lot of things for this defense. Key players looking to prevent that offensive explosion include outside linebacker Mac Sanders (66 tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss) and cornerback Tre\u2019Quon Fegans (29 tackles, 9 pass breakups).<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Another player essential to Jax State\u2019s success, especially when the clock approaches zero, is kicker Garrison Rippa. He sunk three game-winners this year \u2014 a 52-yarder vs. Sam Houston, a 44-yarder vs. UTEP, and a 28-yarder vs. WKU to seal a spot in the title game.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Kennesaw State lost the previous matchup 35-26 in Jacksonville, and that involved a 4-0 deficit in the turnover battle. All four of those turnovers were interceptions the Gamecocks caught within 10 yards of the end zone \u2014 depriving the Owls on the doorstep a multitude of times. That\u2019s Kennesaw State\u2019s only loss since opening against 8-4 Wake Forest and 12-0 Indiana, and the Owls\u2019 offense can inflict serious damage, as evidenced by three 40+ point outbursts in CUSA play.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\">Jacksonville State will get its own in the Cam Cook and Caden Creel run game, as it always does, but the Gamecocks\u2019 107th-ranked pass defense could see some struggles if it can\u2019t rely on takeaways. It will remain close throughout, but the Owls emerge in track meet fashion on a late touchdown, pulling off the road win for their first-ever CUSA title.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1nfb3k4i _16w9vov1 _16w9vov0 ls9zuh1\"><strong>Prediction: Kennesaw State 34, Jacksonville State 31<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Time and date: Friday, December 5 at 7:00 p.m. ET Network: CBS Sports Network Location: AmFirst Stadium \u2014&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":425944,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5136],"tags":[5229,141854,3188,723,7310,103795,198297,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":{"0":"post-425943","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-jacksonville","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-conference-usa","10":"tag-fl","11":"tag-florida","12":"tag-jacksonville","13":"tag-jacksonville-state","14":"tag-kennesaw-state","15":"tag-united-states","16":"tag-united-states-of-america","17":"tag-unitedstates","18":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","19":"tag-us","20":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115665761422915358","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/425943","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=425943"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/425943\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/425944"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=425943"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=425943"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=425943"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}