Featured photo: The Kennesaw State defense wraps up a Liberty ball carrier at Fifth Third Stadium. Photo courtesy of Kennesaw State Athletics.
Kennesaw State fell 34-6 to first-place Liberty on Thursday night, Oct. 22, at Walens Family Field at Fifth Third Stadium in Kennesaw. The Conference USA game aired on CBS Sports Network.
The loss drops the Owls to 1-6 and marks six straight defeats, the first such skid for KSU since 2024. Liberty improved to 6-1 and controlled the clock all night, holding the ball for 37:05 to KSU's 22:55 and outgaining the Owls 402-297.
How it happened
Liberty opened with an 11-play, 85-yard touchdown drive and then hit a 56-yard scoring pass to go up 14-0 after one quarter. KSU answered late in the first half with a 12-play drive capped by Daniel Kinney's 37-yard field goal. The Flames pulled away in the second half with two field goals and two more touchdowns before Kinney closed the scoring from 28 yards with 1:11 left, going 2-for-2 on the night.
Standouts
Linebacker Baron Hopson led everyone with a season-high 12 tackles, his 11th game of 10 or more stops since 2025, which ranks second nationally. Josh Anglin added seven and Tywon Christopher six. Defensive back Tay'vion Lawson forced the first fumble of his career.
On offense, Rickie Collins went 15-of-26 for 124 yards with two interceptions, and Landon Varnes sparked the late scoring drive, finishing 9-of-15 for 111 yards. Brayden Munroe had a team-best 53 receiving yards, Dylan Gary and Javon Rogers each caught five passes, and Boogie Woods III led the ground game with 38 yards.
Box score
Liberty 14-0-10-10, 34. Kennesaw State 0-3-0-3, 6. First downs: LIB 21, KSU 15. Rushing: LIB 215, KSU 62. Turnovers: LIB 0, KSU 2.
What's next
The Owls head to Middle Tennessee on Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 7 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network and KSU Owl Network. Look back at our Kennesaw State vs. Liberty preview and check the full 2026 Kennesaw State schedule.
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Source: Kennesaw State Athletics. Photo courtesy of Kennesaw State Athletics.