Kennesaw State defeated Arkansas State 28-21 this weekend after jumping out to a fast start and holding off a late comeback attempt from the Red Wolves.
The Owls raced to a 21-0 lead in the opening quarter, powered by quarterback Amari Odom, who threw a 54-yard touchdown pass to Gabriel Benyard and later scored on a 14-yard run to cap off the first-quarter dominance. Alexander Diggs also added a 7-yard rushing score, finishing three consecutive touchdown drives for KSU.
Arkansas State answered back late in the second quarter, just before halftime, as Hunter Summers connected with Jaylen Raynor for a 28-yard touchdown to cut into the deficit.
The Red Wolves came out of the break strong, marching down the field in just three plays. Raynor capped the drive with a one-yard rushing touchdown, pulling Arkansas State within 21-14 early in the third quarter.
Kennesaw State responded with a steady 56-yard drive, ending with Coleman Bennett’s 10-yard touchdown run to stretch the lead back to 28-14.
Arkansas State narrowed the margin again in the fourth quarter when Raynor found Kenyon Clay for a touchdown pass, trimming the lead to 28-21. But the Owls’ defense held firm, forcing three consecutive punts to close out the win.
Linebacker Baron Hopson led the Kennesaw State defense with a career-high 14 tackles. Odom finished with 308 passing yards, one touchdown, and added 101 rushing yards for a total of 409 yards of offense. Benyard posted his program-record fourth career 100-yard receiving game, hauling in six catches for 114 yards.
For Arkansas State, Javante Mackey paced the defense with 11 tackles.
With the win, Kennesaw State improved to 2-2, defending their home field with a strong showing on both sides of the ball. Arkansas State, despite a spirited second-half push, dropped to 1-3.