Both of these teams survived close games last week to earn berths in the Conference USA Championship.
Kennesaw State outlasted Liberty in double-overtime on the road while Jacksonville State got a 28-yard walk-off field goal from Garrison Rippa to defeat Western Kentucky.
This will be the second meeting between these programs in the past three weeks, where Jax State won and earned home-field advantage for this matchup.
The Gamecocks are seeking their second consecutive CUSA title while the Owls will be playing in their first CUSA championship. Both squads are under first-year head coaches.
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Kennesaw State vs. Jacksonville State Spread & Betting Odds
Kennesaw State is a 2.5-point college football betting odds favorite against Jax State, as of this writing. The Over/Under is at 59.5 and the moneyline is -140 for KSU and +120 for Jax State.
Kennesaw State vs. Jacksonville State On TV
The CUSA Championship between Kennesaw State and Jacksonville State will be televised on CBS Sports Network. The game will kick off at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Dec. 5 at AmFirst Stadium in Jacksonville, Alabama.
Kennesaw State vs. Jacksonville State Coaches & Records
KSU: Jerry Mack (40-18 overall, 9-3 at KSU)
JSU: Charles Kelly (8-4 overall/at JSU)
Last meeting: Jax State won 35-26 at home in Week 11. The series is tied 3-3.
Kennesaw State Preview
A run to the CUSA Championship wasn’t what many were anticipating from the Owls this season.
Entering the year, they had the longest odds to win the league at +4000. However, their first and only conference loss came to Jax State as they finished the regular season 9-3 overall and 7-1 in CUSA play. The Owls’ other two losses came to Wake Forest and Indiana.
Mack did an excellent job of bringing in transfers while retraining key players who have been with the program for a few years. The most notable of those transfers is redshirt sophomore quarterback Amari Odom, who previously played for Wofford.
Odom has been one the best playmakers in the league this season and consistently makes timely, game-changing throws. He averages 251.8 total yards per game and has 24 total touchdowns this year. He has 11 total TDs and zero interceptions in the past two weeks, but his worst game of the season came against the Gamecocks where he tossed three picks.
While redshirt senior Gabriel Benyard has been with the program his entire career, it often looks like he’s been on the other side of Odom’s passes for years. He leads the conference with 877 yards while his nine receiving TDs are tied for the most. Christian Moss is second on the roster with 602 yards on 38 catches.
Running back Coleman Bennett’s 634 rushing yards leads the Owls, who are averaging 411.5 YPG and 29.1 points per game.
The Owls’ defense was more consistent earlier in the season than it has been recently. In their last three games, they are allowing 37 PPG. On the year, they’re allowing 25.1 points and 411.3 yards per contest.
In its last three outings, KSU is allowing 244.6 YPG on the ground. The Owls will likely need to buckle down against the run as Jax State has one of the best rushing offenses in the FBS. In the previous meeting, the Gamecocks rushed for 252 yards.
Linebacker Baron Hopson leads the Owls and is second in the league with 120 total tackles. He finished with a career-high 16 tackles last week and will be key in stopping the run, along with defensive linemen Tyson Dunlap and Elijah Hill, who are forces on the inside. Hill leads the league with seven sacks, and Dunlap has five.
Jacksonville State Preview
Even though defenses know Jax State prefers to run the ball, the Gamecocks still struggle to stop it.
At 262 rushing YPG, Jax State has the third-best rushing offense in the country. Junior running back Cam Cook is the nation’s leading rusher with 1,581 rushing yards and 131.8 YPG. His 15 rushing scores are tied for sixth-most.
Quarterback Caden Creel adds 81.1 YPG on the ground but is averaging 126 in his last four games. The redshirt sophomore has also been effective as a passer and continues to gradually improve, keeping defenses honest. He has 1,245 yards and eight TDs through the air. Creel took over starting duties in Week 7.
Freshman wideout Deondre Johnson has now caught a touchdown in five straight games and has six total in that span. He has become a much-needed vertical threat for the Gamecocks and is averaging 28 yards per reception.
A lot of kudos goes to the offensive line, though, which has been consistent despite a few changes throughout the year. It has been the foundation for a run game that features a lot of inside zone and other basic yet effective schemes.
The Gamecocks (8-4, 7-1) have also been great at taking care of the ball and have a league-low 12 turnovers. They are tied with Louisiana Tech for the best turnover margin in the league at .75. Jax State has forced at least one turnover in every game this season.
In the first matchup against KSU, Jax State had four interceptions, two of which led to touchdowns. The Gamecocks will likely need its defense to make some key plays again this week against an offense that can score quickly and push the ball downfield. The Gamecocks are allowing 26.8 PPG and 397 YPG.
Linebacker Walker O’Steen leads Jax State with 69 total tackles while Mac Sanders has registered 66. Defensive end Emmanuel Oyebadejo has 6.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, and five pass breakups.
Much like KSU, the Gamecocks have surprised a lot of people this year. Kelly deserves credit for not wasting any time maintaining the success that his program is accustomed to.
Kennesaw State vs. Jacksonville State Prediction
I predict Jax State wins and claims its second consecutive CUSA Championship.
The Gamecocks’ rushing attack is hard to stop, and I don’t see them losing unless that is contained. They’ve won their last 11 home games and, since 2022, are 29-2 when scoring 30 or more points. I think they score at least 30 points, find a way to get a few more stops down the stretch, and will create more takeaways.
Extra possessions could be critical in this matchup where I expect a lot of points to be scored.
