Kennesaw State Owls

After losing quarterback Amari Odom and receiver Gabe Benyard, the Owls' rebuilt offense looked sharp in a 47-0 season-opening rout of West Georgia. Rickie Collins, the Syracuse transfer, accounted for three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing), while running back Latrelle Murrell added two rushing scores. The ground game was explosive, with Murrell breaking a 45-yard run and fellow transfer Triston Morgan ripping off a 60-yard touchdown. The offensive line, featuring new center Mateo Guevara, held up well, and the unit showed it can score in a variety of ways, though the competition level will rise sharply in conference play.

Kennesaw State's defense, which tied for first in Conference USA with 31 sacks last season, picked up where it left off by posting the program's first shutout since 2021. The front seven, led by Marcus Patterson and Donovan Westmoreland, controlled the line of scrimmage and helped force a fumble that set up an early score. The secondary, with Isaac Paul and Kody Jones back, limited West Georgia to just 93 passing yards. While the opponent was an FCS team, the clean sheet and the pressure applied are encouraging signs for a unit that returns several key pieces.

The Owls got a boost from their special teams in the opener, as Triston Morgan's 47-yard kickoff return set up the first touchdown, and the coverage unit forced a fumble on the ensuing kickoff that led to another score. Kicker Daniel Kinney, healthy after an injury-plagued 2025, missed an extra point but was not called on for a field goal. The Owls also benefited from playing at home with no travel, and they will enjoy that same advantage in Week 2 against Georgia State. Early-season home games should help a team integrating many new starters.

While the 47-0 score was dominant, it came against an FCS opponent that was overmatched. The Owls' passing game was efficient but not heavily tested, and the quarterback competition between Collins and Landon Varnes appears settled for now, but Collins will face much stiffer defenses in Conference USA. The offensive line, though bigger, is still breaking in new starters, and the running back duo of Murrell and Morgan, while impressive, has yet to face a front seven with FBS-level talent. The defense's performance was encouraging, but West Georgia's offense was not a reliable measuring stick.

Kennesaw State's 1-0 start is exactly what they needed, but the real tests begin now. They host Georgia State in Week 2, a fellow FBS program that also won its opener, and then face a Conference USA schedule that includes a home date with Jacksonville State, the regular-season champion last year. The Owls are no longer a surprise after winning 10 games and the CUSA title in 2025, so they will get everyone's best shot. The key will be whether the rebuilt offense can sustain its explosiveness and whether the defense can maintain its pressure against more balanced attacks. If Collins continues to develop and the running game stays productive, this team has the pieces to make another run.