The Kennesaw State Owls completed an epic comeback with a Conference USA Championship win

The Kennesaw State Owls won the USA Air National Guard Conference Championship with a 19-15 victory over the Jacksonville State Gamecocks on Friday night at AmFirst Stadium. In just one year under head coach Jerry Mack, Kennesaw State transformed a 2–10 record into a major league championship, completing a seven-game turnaround.

The Owls (10–3) controlled most of the game, building a 12–0 lead behind a methodical 11-play, 80-yard touchdown march that ended with Coleman Bennett’s 3-yard run and Britton Williams’ 38-yard field goal. Their defense produced the second-longest shutout in CUSA championship history, holding Jacksonville State (8-5) scoreless until 10:20 into the fourth quarter. Kennesaw State also made its first safety in the title game since 2007 when defensive lineman Marcus Patterson tackled a Gamecocks player in the end zone.

With 12:39 remaining, Jacksonville State capitalized on a free kick attempt, turning a lucky fumble into a 1-yard touchdown run by national rushing leader Cam Cook, who entered the game with 1,581 yards. Quarterback Caden Creel added a 19-yard run to set up Deondre Johnson’s two-point pass to give JSU a 15–12 lead with 4:04 to play. Creel finished with 112 yards rushing and 96 passing (12 of 21) with one interception, while Cook gained 78 yards on 19 attempts.

Running late, championship MVP Amari Odom orchestrated the decisive 75-yard drive. He converted a third-and-27 with a 26-yard completion to Christian Moss, who led KSU with five catches for 75 yards, and Bennett followed with a 3-yard run to move the chains. Odom then gained 14 yards on fourth-and-14, thanks to a personal foul penalty that moved the ball to the JSU 11. On the very next play, Odom found Navelle Dean in the end zone for an 11-yard touchdown, Dean’s first of his college career. Odom finished the game, completing 26 of 32 passes for 246 yards.

Between them, Owls linebackers Tyvon Christopher and Baron Hopson had 13 tackles, and Mylon Jones grabbed an interception in the end zone. Freshman Elijah Hill made a big play with his second sack of the night, and KSU’s defense did the rest, as two incomplete passes later, the championship was theirs.

Kennesaw State now awaits its destination for its first appearance in the program.