Overview
- Kickoff is 7 p.m. ET at AmFirst Stadium in Jacksonville, Ala., with TV coverage on CBS Sports Network; Jacksonville State hosts by virtue of the head‑to‑head win.
- In the Nov. 15 meeting, Jacksonville State won 35-26 despite Kennesaw State piling up 579 of the game’s 1,030 yards, as four Owls interceptions and a halftime Hail Mary swung momentum.
- Kennesaw State, in its second FBS season, has rebounded from 2-10 to 9-3 under first-year coach Jerry Mack, with QB Amari Odom accounting for 17 TD passes and seven rushing scores and surging after the first matchup.
- Defending champion Jacksonville State leans on FBS rushing leader Cam Cook (1,581 yards) and dual-threat QB Caden Creel, and the Gamecocks carry an 11-game home winning streak.
- Sportsbooks list Kennesaw State around -2.5 with a total near 60, reflecting expectations of offense as Jax State’s run game tests the Owls’ No. 96 rush defense; both teams enter off tight wins over Western Kentucky and Liberty (2OT).