By: Austin Williams

The Kennesaw State Owls are back on the road for another Conference USA matchup against the Miners of UTEP, scheduled for Saturday, November 9 at 4:00 PM on ESPN+. Scroll below to see what to look out for during today’s match.

Owls rush The game keeps rolling

The Owls’ running attack has become more consistent as the season has progressed, as they have racked up over 130 rushing yards in each of their past four games. Redshirt senior Michael Benefield has remained strong all season and now leads the Owls in rushing yards with 394 and a rushing touchdown of 37 yards last week against Western Kentucky. Sophomore redshirt What Ashley is the lightning in Benefield’s thunderous running style, and both have added great qualities to this Owl running game. Redshirt second quarterback Davis Bryson has also utilized his scrambling ability in the past two games for the Owls, scoring a 20-yard rushing touchdown late in the fourth quarter against the Hilltoppers and a 15-yard scramble that helped seal a victory against the Liberty Flames.

The UTEP Miners rushing defense is middle of the road in CUSA and currently ranks sixth in the conference. They are giving up an average of 177.7 rushing yards per game, have 18 rushing touchdowns against them this season and are allowing an average of 4.4 yards per carry. It is vital for the Owl offense to continue its consistent offense and find ways to put pressure on the Miners’ defense.

Uncertainty offers opportunities for owls

The UTEP offense ranks eighth in total offense in CUSA and has rotated multiple quarterbacks this season. The Owl defense has seemingly become more aggressive as the season has progressed, as the Owls have racked up seven sacks and 23 tackles for loss in their past four games. Although UTEP has an impressive running back in Jevon Jackson, who has 582 rushing yards and averages 4.3 yards rushing, the Owls have an opportunity to make the Miner offense one-dimensional. The Owl rushing defense ranks fifth in the conference. If they can force UTEP into awkward passing situations by controlling the line of scrimmage, KSU can wreak havoc on the Miner quarterback.

Ball control and time of possession

The Owl offense ranks fourth in CUSA in ball possession, averaging just over 30 minutes of ball control per game. This bodes well for a heavy ground attack that the KSU offense uses and will need in its repertoire to keep the UTEP offense waiting on the sidelines. The Miners rank eighth in terms of possession, with an average of 27 minutes of ball control per game, and this will most likely be what the game will come down to.

This match will be decided on the basis of ball possession, field position and defense. The Owls are in a good position to lean on their running attack and control time of possession. KSU still has the statistically best punter in CUSA in redshirt freshman Jacob Ulrichwhich can pin down the Miner attack in awkward situations. If the Owls can control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and keep UTEP out of KSU territory, they have a good chance to pick up another win in their first FBS season.