Seven straight weeks of football, and the Owls still haven't caught a break. Three of Kennesaw State's last four losses came by three points or fewer, and according to KSU's game notes, no team in FBS has more narrow defeats this year. Wednesday night in Murfreesboro is a chance to finally flip one.
Kennesaw State (1-6, 0-3 Conference USA) visits Middle Tennessee (4-3, 2-1 CUSA) on Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 7 p.m. ET at Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium. It's on CBS Sports Network, with radio on the KSU Owl Network and SiriusXM 261. MTSU is billing it as "Halloween at Floyd," so expect costumes in the stands.
The setup
The Blue Raiders have won two straight, both by three points: 33-30 over Delaware and 26-23 at FIU. They're 3-0 at Floyd this season, with home wins over Murray State, Nevada and Delaware, but they've also been blown out 55-0 at Kansas. The one common opponent tells you how tight this could be. MTSU lost 23-13 at Jacksonville State, while KSU fell 27-26 to the Gamecocks at home.
The series is tied 1-1. MTSU won a 14-5 slugfest in Murfreesboro in 2024, and KSU answered with a 24-16 win last season. This is only the Owls' second trip to Floyd Stadium. The early line has MTSU as a 2.5-point favorite, so the oddsmakers see a coin flip too.
Scouting the Blue Raiders
What they do well: QB Roman Gagliano protects the ball. He has thrown 12 touchdowns and just two interceptions on 215 attempts, and he has gone five games this season without a turnover. Kicker Dominic Bourgeois is red-hot. He went 4-for-4 at FIU, including two kicks from 50-plus, a first in school history, and MTSU is 10-for-11 on field goals overall. If this one is close late, that leg matters.
Where they struggle: The run defense. MTSU allows 194.7 rushing yards per game, 5.4 yards a carry, and has given up 15 rushing touchdowns in seven games. Opponents have scored on 23 of 25 red-zone trips against them. The Blue Raiders have also managed only eight sacks all season. On offense, they've converted just 20 of 78 third downs, about 26 percent.
Keys to the game
- Run it until they stop it. KSU's ground game has stalled lately, with 77 yards at Missouri State and 62 against Liberty. This is the defense to get it going against. Expect a heavy dose of Boogie Woods III and QB Rickie Collins on designed runs.
- Win on third down. MTSU's offense lives in third-and-long trouble. If KSU's defense holds on first and second down, the Owls should get off the field and avoid another time-of-possession beating like Liberty's 37 minutes.
- Finish drives with touchdowns. KSU leads CUSA in red zone offense, scoring on 22 of 24 trips, but only 14 of those were touchdowns. Against a bend-and-break defense, field goals won't be enough with Bourgeois on the other sideline.
- Take the ball away. Gagliano doesn't give it up, but KSU's defense has forced nine fumbles this year. One strip could swing a game this tight.
Players to watch
Kennesaw State
- QB Rickie Collins: 1,426 passing yards and a 68.6 percent completion rate, plus a team-high 295 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns.
- WRs Brayden Munroe and Javon Rogers: Both average about 50 receiving yards a game, top 10 in CUSA. Munroe had 159 yards and a 70-yard catch against Jacksonville State.
- LB Tywon Christopher: Team-leading 55 tackles, with 33 tackles and 4.0 tackles for loss over his last three games.
- LB Baron Hopson: 12 stops against Liberty, his 11th double-digit tackle game since 2025, second-most nationally over that span.
- DL Ugonna Nwoha: Team-best three sacks, six tackles for loss and five QB hurries. KSU needs him in the backfield on obvious passing downs.
Middle Tennessee
- QB Roman Gagliano: 1,404 passing yards, 12 TDs, two INTs.
- WR Cam'ron Lacy: 41 catches, 437 yards and four TDs, with a catch in 15 straight games. He made the 4th-and-10 grab that sealed the FIU win.
- RBs Antonio Martin Jr. and Terrence Brown Jr.: Martin leads the team with 480 rushing yards. Brown ran for a career-high 158 at FIU, including a 54-yard touchdown.
- LB Korey Smith: 66 tackles, the Blue Raiders' leader by a wide margin.
The bottom line
On paper, these teams are close. KSU outgains MTSU 359.4 yards per game to 339.6 and allows fewer points, 25.0 to 27.6. The difference has been the final minutes. If the Owls run the ball against a soft front and cash in their red-zone trips, this is the night the close-loss streak ends.
Our pick: Kennesaw State 24, Middle Tennessee 23. Hooty Hoo.
Catch up on the Liberty game recap, check the full 2026 Kennesaw State schedule, and grab some game-day gear before kickoff.
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