Gap Down Backer.

[Soapy]

Week 2 Preview: at Kennesaw State Owls
Record: 1-0, 1-0 Conference USA
Head Coach: Isaac Thielen
Offensive Scheme: Power Spread
Defensive Scheme: 4-2-5

Team Schedule
vs. Liberty (0-1): W 35-24

Team Leaders
Passing: Davante Breida 63 cmp%, 400 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT, 169.9 passer rating
Rushing: Marquez Falk 48 yards, 2.7 ypc
Receiving: Sean Branson 9 receptions, 165 yards, TD
Defense: Elias Castro 2 tackles, TFL, sack

Injuries
None

Players to Watch
QB Davante Breida (R-Jr) | 6′3″, 200LBS | 84 OVR, 81 SPD, 85 ACC, 86 THP, 95 SAC, 92 MAC, 84 DAC
‣ The Georgia native had some big shoes to fill, replacing Ethan Houck and Skyler Williams who had prolific seasons at Kennesaw State for three straight seasons. Breida bested them both last season, throwing for a school record 4,993 yards and forty five touchdowns. He's off to another great start, throwing for 400 yards in the opener against Liberty and will get a chance to punch his ticket as the greatest Owl ever with a win over Stanford and former head coach Bubba Mack.

WR Sean Brandon (Sr) | 6′2″, 220LBS | 79 OVR, 95 SPD, 95 ACC, 86 COD, 80 CTH
‣ One of the few players left on the team that not only was recruited by Mack but played under him during Mack's final season in Kennesaw. Brandon emerged last year as one of the top receivers in the conference, catching 73 passes for 1,279 yards and ten touchdowns. He's been Breida's top target this season after being the Robin to Hasheem Nwokeji last year, catching nine passes in the opener and will certainly challenge this Stanford secondary.

LB Thomas Durbin (R-Sr) | 6′3″, 234LBS | 82 OVR, 90 SPD, 94 ACC, 77 TKL, 73 BSH
‣ It's been a long and winding road for Durbin who was a star true freshman for Mack in his two seasons under him, recording 153 tackles and 52 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks in his first two seasons. Durbin fell out of favor with the new coaching staff and only played in one game in 2028, redshirting, and was a prime candidate to head to the portal and perhaps reunite with Mack at Stanford. He stuck it out and regained his starting spot in 2029, registering 110 tackles and two interceptions. If the Owls have any chance at slowing down this Stanford running game, it starts with Durbin.

Hard Rock Bet™
Spread: Stanford -14.5
Moneyline: Kennesaw State +425
Over: 54

Place your bets and I'll keep track of your winnings/loss throughout the season. At the end of the year, I'll either name a recruit after you or give your favorite team a ratings' bump or dealers' choice.

The Bookie
Redsox: 1-0
Captain Canada: 2-0
Caesar: 0-1
YaBoyRobRoy 2-0

[Soapy]

Bubba Mack returns to Kennesaw for Stanford matchup, keeps
comments measured
By Lamar O'Neal
September 4, 2030

For Bubba Mack, walking onto the field at Kennesaw State on Saturday will carry a unique mix of nostalgia and professional duty. It was the place where he first built his coaching résumé, led the Owls to consecutive conference titles, and helped built a program that still remains standing and thriving but Mack made it clear that old ties wouldn’t interfere with his focus on Stanford’s game.

Asked about returning to his former program, Mack delivered a tongue-in-cheek response.

“I don’t feel anything towards any of these guys,” Mack said with a smile. “I mean, I wouldn’t want anyone accusing me of tampering. I’m strictly focused on our team and what we need to do to win.”

Mack’s comments drew laughter from reporters in the room, but the message was serious: this is business, not nostalgia. When pressed about his feelings toward Kennesaw’s administration, including longtime friend and former teammate Athletic Director Milton Overton, Mack remained tightly circumspect.

“No comment,” Mack said.

Despite the jest, the return was layered with subtext. Stanford and Kennesaw State have developed an unusual connection over the years — Mack’s tenure at Kennesaw helped elevate the program nationally, and several players who thrived under him have since moved on through the portal or to the NFL, including running back Jamarice Wilder whose transfer to Florida, and then Stanford, led to a year long investigation that resulted in a self-imposed transfer portal ban by Stanford, the first of its kind.

While the roster has changed since Mack left Kennesaw State two years ago, there are still some holdovers in starting running back Marquez Falk, starting receivers Sean Brandon and Juan Snead, starting offensive linemen Jalen Maddox and Josh Kilgo, starting defensive ends Elias Castro and Rudy Starks, starting linebackers Thomas Durbin and Paul Gado and cornerback Quentin Firkser were all recruited by Mack.

[redsox907]

Stanford and the under.

Gonna be like 49-7

[Soapy]

Stanford and the under.

Gonna be like 49-7

locked in.

[Caesar]

Stanford and the over

[Soapy]

(2-0, 0-0 ACC, No. 5 AP) (1-0, 0-0 Conference USA)
CFB 2030 Regular Season, Week 1 - Stanford Stadium, Palo Alto, California

---

STAN | 6 | 28 | 7 | 17 | 58
KENN | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7

Stanford routs Kennesaw State in Bubba Mack's return
Fifth Third Stadium was rocking when Kennesaw State running back DeMarcus Dobbins spun away from a tackler and found the endzone to take the 7-6 lead early in the second quarter against No. 5 Stanford. It was the first time that the Owls had ever hosted a Power 4 program and a top five one at that.

Stanford running back Anthony Masifilo would silence the crowd with a 79-yard touchdown run on the Cardinal's next offensive play and less than two minutes later, Trumaine Lasike opened the flood gates with a long touchdown run of his own to begin the 58-7 rout.

The Cardinal were on upset alert as the matchup had plenty of drama heading into it with Stanford head coach Bubba Mack returning to his former team and the program he helped built as a Kennesaw native. A year after Mack left the program to become Stanford's head coach, the Owls, in a joint filing with the Florida Gators, would accuse Mack of tampering with former Kennesaw State running back Jamarice Wilder who briefly transferred to Florida before following Mack to Kennesaw State. The investigation would reach an impasse when Mack refused to turn over his personal cell phone records, alleging a breach of privacy and an overstep by the NCAA, and Stanford would self-impose a one-year transfer portal ban.

The game would turn out to be more about the future than the storied past between the two programs. Alex Rowe, in his second start, threw for 299 yards and three touchdowns while Anthony Masifilo, who was heavily involved in the first half as Lasike's ankle was being checked out, would have a breakout performance. Former four-star receiver Rodney Cookus who hadn't played much in his first two seasons at Stanford would catch three touchdowns while true freshman cornerback Kentrell Marvin was highlighted by Mack after the game for his bounce back after surrendering an early third down reception.

True freshman running back Rashawn Crouse had a late touchdown with seven seconds left for Stanford on a play that Mack said wasn't intentional to run up the score.

"He got in the endzone when we were trying to run out the clock," Mack said, "It was just one of those things."

---

Scoring Summary
Quarter 1
Ben Hall, 27 Yd FG (7:01)
Ben Hall, 46 Yd FG (4:08)

Quarter 2
DeMarcus Dobbins, 27 Yd run (10:38)
Anthony Masifilo, 79 Yd run (10:25)
Trumaine Lasike, 71 Yd run (8:33)
Rodney Cookus 28 Yd pass from Alex Rowe (1:54)
Rodney Cookus 18 Yd pass from Alex Rowe (0:36)

Quarter 3
Rodney Cookus 57 Yd pass from Alex Rowe (7:13)

Quarter 4
Ben Hall, 23 Yd FG (9:18)
Trumaine Lasike, 40 Yd run (4:49)
Rashawn Crouse, 12 Yd run (0:07)

---

Player Stats
QB Alex Rowe (R-Soph): 22-29, 299 yards, 3 TD, sacked twice
QB Davante Breida (R-Jr): 24-38, 240 yards, INT, sacked once
QB Isaiah Linder (R-Soph): 1-8, 3 yards, INT

HB Trumaine Lasike (R-Sr): 18 carries, 164 yards, 2 TD
HB Anthony Masifilo (R-Soph): 8 carries, 135 yards, TD
HB Rashawn Crouse (Fr): 7 carries, 65 yards, TD
HB Marquez Faulk (R-Jr): 10 carries, 24 yards
HB DeMarcus Dobbins (Soph): 8 carries, 57 yards, TD, fumble (lost)

WR Rodney Cookus (R-Soph): 7 receptions, 141 yards, 3 TD
WR Brent Baker (Fr): 4 receptions, 78 yards
WR Maurice Okuyemi (Jr): 5 receptions, 63 yards
WR Sean Branson (Sr); 4 receptions, 44 yards

CB Kentrell Marvin (Fr): 9 tackles, TFL, INT
DT Cory Jones (R-Sr): 1 tackle, TFL, sack
LB Joe Elliss (Soph): 9 tackles, TFL
EDGE Elias Castro (R-Jr): 1 tackle, TFL, sack

[Soapy]

Stanford and the over

smart man

[redsox907]

I expected Bubba Mack to have some class and not run up the score on the team that gave him a shot.

[Caesar]

Stanford and the over

smart man

I’ve done enough deep dives into the rosters on this game to know Kennesaw’s roster is probably god awful after being AI controlled for a handful of years.

Crouse probably getting some good dev with them big cameo appearances

[Captain Canada]

Fuck, was going to take Stanford and the over. I'll get it next time. Trumaine wants that Heisman.