Stat Attack - Kennesaw State

When we last saw Kennesaw State and Louisiana Tech square off, the two programs were headed in very different places.

Kennesaw, in its first year of FBS play, was limping toward the finish line of a brutal 2–10 season. Meanwhile, Tech had just been eliminated from bowl “eligibility” after a loss to Arkansas, but still managed to salvage a bit of pride with a dominant 33–0 shutout win over the Owls.

Fast forward to this season, and once again, Tech is searching for its fifth win, although much earlier in the year. And while the Bulldogs are in a better spot this October than they were last November, so are the Owls. In fact, Kennesaw has already exceeded its 2024 win total halfway through the current campaign.

With a win over Tech, Kennesaw wouldn’t just add a statement victory to their resume; they could realistically start dreaming about entering the conference title conversation.

If there’s one reason to believe in a Kennesaw upset, it’s this: the Owls can stretch the field with their passing game:

Kennesaw ranks 44th nationally in passing explosiveness, and a big part of that is thanks to WR Gabriel Benyard. Think a (former Bulldog) Smoke Harris type – a fast, shifty playmaker who’s a threat to score any time he touches the ball.

And this just so happens to be a potential Achilles’ heel for the Tech defense. Despite boasting a defense that ranks top 50 in most categories, Tech sits just inside the bottom 50 nationally in defending explosive pass plays.

Of course, a deep ball threat only matters if the quarterback can get the ball to his playmaker and not to the other team.

And whether it’s Amari Odom or Dexter Williams II under center, the Owls have done a great job of taking care of the ball this season:

Of course, they’ll be going up against a Tech defense that leads the entire country in interceptions per game.

The real issue for Kennesaw isn’t moving the ball – it’s finishing drives. When those deep shots don’t end up in the end zone, the offense can drag to a halt.

Inside the opponent’s 40-yard line, the Owls’ offense drops off a cliff:

Kennesaw ranks 7th-worst in the country in scoring efficiency once inside the 40. Meanwhile, the Tech defense allows the 2nd-fewest points per trip in that same area. That’s not good news if you’re an Owl fan.

And things don’t get much better when Kennesaw does crack the red zone. The Owls have reached the 20-yard line 16 times this season but have only found the end zone eight times:

Tech’s defense has been built to withstand long drives by holding strong where it matters most: on its own side of the field and especially in the red zone. That puts the pressure on Kennesaw to strike fast and strike deep.

And if those pass plays are explosive enough, the Owls might score a touchdown or two without even needing to take a red zone snap.

But if those big plays fail to reach paydirt? Tech’s defense will be more than happy to watch Kennesaw march down the field, only to walk away with nothing.

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Nathan is also a contributor to gtpdd.dog, a lighthearted Louisiana Tech blog. Be sure to check out @gotechplsdntdie on Twitter.