KENNESAW, Ga. — Georgia’s Kennesaw State gets a midweek national television stage Wednesday night to turn its season around. The Owls play Missouri State at 7:30 p.m. at Robert W. Plaster Stadium in Springfield, Mo., in a nationally televised Conference USA game.
Both teams enter with identical 1-4 records and 0-1 marks in conference play. The Owls are coming off back-to-back heartbreaking one-score losses, falling 17-14 to Arkansas State and 27-26 to Jax State.
The Jax State loss still showed real progress on offense. Kennesaw State recorded the eighth-most FBS offensive yards in program history with 411 and the seventh-most passing yards in a single game with 293. After averaging just 87 rushing yards against Georgia State and Tennessee, the Owls have averaged 157 yards per game on the ground over their last two weeks.
Senior receiver Brayden Munroe hauled in seven catches for 159 yards against Jax State, the second-most receiving yards in program history, and leads the team with 299 receiving yards. Linebacker Tywon Christopher had 15 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss and a forced fumble in the same game.
Missouri State has lost three straight, to Marshall, SMU and Western Kentucky, including a 34-13 defeat at WKU. The Bears face uncertainty at quarterback after fifth-year starter Skyler Locklear, who has thrown for 788 yards, left last week’s game with cramping and minor injuries, and head coach Casey Woods has said every option is on the table.
The Bears’ defense is led by linebacker Jared Lloyd, who leads the nation at 12 tackles per game. Missouri State has struggled against mobile quarterbacks, and Kennesaw State is the only CUSA team with four players who have rushed for at least 100 yards and a score this season.
The Owls, the defending Conference USA champions, have scored at least 24 points in nine straight regular-season conference games. They return home to face Liberty on Oct. 22.
