By : Ramsey Rowell
(Photo/Ramsey Rowell- The Mojo Network)
Kennesaw State delivered one of the wildest finishes of championship weekend, scoring in the final minute to steal a 19 to 15 win over Jacksonville State and secure the Conference USA title. The victory capped a remarkable first season under coach Jerry Mack, transforming a program that went 2 and 10 a year ago into league champions.
Quarterback Amari Odom authored the winning moment, threading an 11-yard touchdown pass to Navelle Dean with just over a minute remaining. The strike capped a dramatic response after the Owls surrendered a 12-point fourth-quarter lead and suddenly found themselves trailing 15 to 12.
Dean, a sophomore who entered the night with only two receptions on the season, delivered the biggest catch of his young career. He finished with two grabs for 19 yards, the second of which will live in program history.
Kennesaw State took possession at its own 25-yard line moments after Jacksonville State surged ahead on touchdown runs by Caden Creel and Cam Cook. Odom then went to work, keeping the Owls alive with a 26-yard completion to Christian Moss on third and 27 and following it with a 14-yard scramble on fourth and 14. A late-hit penalty moved the ball to the Jacksonville State 11, setting up the decisive throw to Dean.
The Owls had controlled most of the evening, building a 10 to 0 advantage behind a three-yard touchdown run from Coleman Bennett and a 38-yard field goal from Britton Williams. The game swung abruptly in the fourth quarter after Davis Bryson mishandled a free kick following a safety. Cook, the nation’s leading rusher entering the game, punched in a one-yard score that cut the lead to five. Creel followed with a 19-yard touchdown run and a successful conversion pass to Deondre Johnson to put Jacksonville State on top.
Odom closed the night completing 26 of 32 passes for 246 yards. Bennett added 82 rushing yards on 17 carries. For Jacksonville State, Creel threw for 96 yards and ran for 112 more, while Cook carried 19 times for 78 yards.
The win allowed Kennesaw State to avenge a November loss to Jacksonville State and finish its debut season in Conference USA at 10 and 3. How the Owls plan to celebrate the championship is still unknown, but their turnaround will stand as one of the most impressive stories of the year.