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Soapy
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Post by Soapy » 26 Jul 2025, 07:16

Image
(3-2, 1-0 C-USA) Image Image (2-3, 0-1 C-USA)
CFB 2025 Regular Season, Week 5 - Fifth Third Stadium, Kennesaw, Georgia

MTSU | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 28
KENN | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14
Image
‣ Kennesaw State linebacker Donelius Johnson had a standout performance despite the defense's struggles, recording eight tackles in the first half.

Scoring Summary
Quarter 1
Image Christian Moss 17 Yd pass from Dexter Williams II (5:02)

Quarter 2
Image Myles Butler 23 Yd pass from Nicholas Vattiato (11:39)

Quarter 3
Image Rickey Hunt Jr, 32 Yd run (0:19)

Quarter 4
Image Joseph Habinowski, returned fumble 1 Yds (11:27)
Image Cam'ron Lacy 1 Yd pass from Nicholas Vattiato (2:51)
Image Alexander Diggs, 1 Yd run (0:31)


Player Stats
Image QB Nicholas Vattiato (Sr): 33-50, 341 yards, 2 TD, fumble (recovered)
Image QB Dexter Williams II (Sr): 14-25, 168 yards, TD

Image HB Rickey Hunt Jr (So): 14 carries, 95 yards, TD
Image HB Coleman Bennett (Sr): 19 carries, 82 yards

Image WR Myles Butler (Sr): 9 receptions, 114 yards, TD
Image WR Cam'ron Lacy (So): 8 receptions, 83 yards, TD
Image WR Christian Moss (Sr): 4 receptions, 67 yards, TD
Image WR Javon Rogers (So): 3 receptions, 38 yards

Image DT Shakai Woods (So): 6 tackles, 3 TFL, sack
Image EDGE Brandon Buckner (Sr): 4 tackles, TFL, sack
Image LB Donelius Johnson (Jr): 14 tackles, TFL
Image CB Jerico Washington Jr (So): 9 tackles, TFL

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Soapy
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Post by Soapy » 26 Jul 2025, 07:36

Image
Image

Owls on the Prowl: Kennesaw State takes a step back in conference opener against Middle Tennessee State
Kennesaw State's two game winning streak, which already matched last year's win total, has come to an end with the Owls falling 28-14 to the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders as the Bubba Mack era is still in pursuit of its first conference win.

There are plenty of areas ripe for improvement, some of which Coach Mack touched upon in his post-game interview with 107.5 The Fan.

  • The Good
    After a few quieter games, junior linebacker Donelius Johnson reminded folks why he's one of the top linebackers in the country. He finished the game with fourteen tackles and a tackle for loss, one of the few players that night that won his one-on-one matchups with MTSU running back Rickey Hunter Jr. (more on that later).

    Coach Mack was effusive in his praise for Johnson, who has a year of eligibility remaining and thinks he can be an NFL player down the road.

    "That's an NFL player," Mack said of Johnson, "He can go be on someone's special teams unit right now, he's that talented of a player and I'm excited about his growth. Those are the kind of Georgia boys we want to bring her, foster here and develop here and get them to the next level to show them that it can be done at Kennesaw State."

    Johnson will be a key piece of Kennesaw State's success this season and beyond, should the Owls be able to retain him.
    -
  • The Bad
    It felt like the game broke open on fourth and one from the Middle Tennessee State 41-yard line when Coach Mack had the offense on the field with 4:35 left, the game tied up at seven. Coach Mack confirmed after the game that the intention was to go for it but running back Coleman Bennett false started and the Owls ended up punting the ball.

    The Blue Raiders would miss their field goal on the ensuing possession so it wasn't that directly costly of a blunder but the Owls offense never got going again after that, crossing the 50-yard line just once in the second half prior to the final two minutes of the game.
    -
  • The Bleep That Gets You Beat
    The reason Kennesaw State lost is because of their poor tackling, Coach Mack said after the game, highlighting two of the Blue Raiders touchdowns.

    The first one came on third and seven from the 23-yard line where a simple screen pass to Myles Butler turned into a touchdown as Butler broke through three tackles to get into the endzone. The second one was in the third quarter when Vattiato kept it on a read option and seemed like he was going to be bottled up pretty quickly but bounced off two tacklers and then dragged a defender into the endzone before fumbling, which was recovered by a MTSU offensive lineman.

    MTSU running back Rickey Hunt Jr. broke four tackles on the day and picked up sixty-three yards after contact. Even in the passing game, the Owls surrendered 132 yards after the catch and didn't force a single drop.

Owls extend scholarship offer to 3-star QB Isaiah Ladd
Kennesaw State's contingency plan at quarterback seems to be taking shape with 3-star quarterback Isaiah Ladd posting on his social media page that he has received an offer from the Owls, the second FBS program to offer him along with Northern Illinois.

The Owls were initially trending towards landing Jacksonville's Lynn Landolt but Wake Forest has began building momentum in that recruitment. While the Owls are still in the race with Landolt, who is currently wrapping up an official visit with the Demon Deacons, they at least appear to be expanding their board should Landolt commit to Wake Forest.

Ladd is a similar prospect to Landolt at six-foot but is a bit thicker at 218 pounds with dual threat capabilities at the quarterback position.
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djp73
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Post by djp73 » 26 Jul 2025, 07:46

Yeah, running with a bad OL is hard

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Soapy
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Post by Soapy » 26 Jul 2025, 08:47

Image
(1-4, 0-2 C-USA) Image Image (2-3, 0-1 C-USA)
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at Kennesaw State Owls
Fifth Third Stadium - Thu 10/9/25, 7:00


Image LA Tech Results
DATE OPP RESULT
8/30/2025 Image W 45-10
9/06/2025 Image L 52-27
9/13/2025 Image L 30-24
9/20/2025 Image L 31-10
9/27/2025 Image L 38-21
C-USA Overall Conference
Image 5-0 1-0
Image 4-1 1-0
Image 3-2 1-0
Image 3-2 2-0
Image 3-2 1-0
Image 5-1 2-1
Image 1-4 1-1
Image 2-3 0-2
Image 2-3 0-1
Image 1-4 0-2
Image 1-4 0-1
Image 1-4 0-1
Image 2025 Team Stats Image
27 Pts/G 22.2
287.2 Pass Yds 245.5
71.4 Rush Yds 95.8
32.2 Opp Pts/G 26.2
266.2 Opp Pass Yds 208.4
129.4 Opp Rush Yds 170
Team Player Injury
Image P Patrick Rea (Sophomore) Torn Tricep (9 weeks)
Image EDGE Donovan Rieman (Junior) Dislocated Knee (2 weeks)
Image WR Gabriel Benyard (Senior) Dislocated Elbow (5 weeks)
Image 2025 Team Leaders Image
Evan Bullock
46 cmp%, 1436 Yds, 6 TD, 5 INT
Passing Dexter Williams II
57 cmp%, 1227 Yds, 10 TD, 3 INT
Omiri Wiggins
57 car, 243 Yds, 2 TD
Rushing Coleman Bennett
108 car, 378 Yds, 2 TD
Jay Wilkerson
31 rec, 417 Yds, 3 TD
Receiving Christian Moss
20 rec, 288 Yds, 3 TD
Cedric Woods
30 tkl, 3 INT
Defense Donelius Johnson
45 tkl, 4 TFL, INT
Last Meeting
Louisiana Tech shut out Kennesaw State 33–0 in Ruston, La., with the Bulldogs scoring in every quarter to cruise to victory. LA Tech RB Omiri Wiggins led the charge, rushing for 129 yards on 17 carries and scoring three touchdowns. Kennesaw State managed just 146 total yards and held possession for under 23 minutes as the Louisiana Tech defense dominated throughout.

Players to Watch
Image HB Omiri Wiggins (R-Jr) | 5'10", 202lbs | 88 spd, 91 acc, 82 btk, 84 cod
A standout running back and one of the better ones in conference, Wiggins dominated the Owls in their last matchup. A shifty running back that can things happen at any moment, Wiggins has the wiggle and breakaway speed to turn a simple five-yard outside stretch play into a touchdown.

He's yet to breakout this season, averaging just 48.6 yards per game on 4.3 yards per carry with his longest run being 34 yards but the Owls should be on high alert that this week could potentially be his breakout game.

Image LB Kolbe Fields (R-Sr) | 6'0", 220lbs | 83 ovr, 84 spd, 88 acc, 87 prc, 86 tkl
Fields is the quarterback of the defense—smart, instinctive, and always around the ball. He reads run plays quickly and takes clean angles to the ball carrier, rarely missing tackles in space.

Kennesaw State will likely lean on short passing and outside runs to avoid him in the middle of the field, but Fields is athletic enough to chase down stretch plays and disruptive enough to blitz when asked. He’s the kind of player who could force a turnover or deliver a momentum-shifting stop.

Image CB Cedric Woods (R-Sr) | 5'11", 185 lbs | 80 ovr, 91 spd, 93 acc, 74 mcv, 78 zcv
The Bulldogs' top corner has already racked in three interceptions, living up the pre-season buzz that had him on the Second‑Team All‑CUSA list. It's been a busy year for Woods who had thirty tackles, three pass breakups and has surrendered twenty catches on the year.

Woods is a risk taker, capable of jumping a route and making an aggressive play at the ball which also leaves him exposed at times. If the Owls are able to isolate Woods, it'll be an interesting to see if he's a player they attack or someone they avoid.

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Soapy
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Post by Soapy » 26 Jul 2025, 09:09

Image

Lynn Landolt's recruitment highlights the deep rooted issues
that Kennesaw State, Bubba Mack faces

By Lamar O'Neal
October 5, 2025

The Bolles School quarterback Lynn Landolt was all smiles in his pictures, sporting a Demon Deacons snapback with a black suit that had gold trimmings. His commitment was less of a surprise and more of a celebration as the Jacksonville native announced his intentions to attend Wake Forest, shutting down his recruitment in an effort to focus on leading his team to another state championship.

If the livestream wasn't tough enough for Kennesaw State fans to watch as Landolt picked Wake Forest over Kennesaw State, his words afterwards surely were.

"I don't really know what happened with that situation," Landolt told 247Sports of his recruitment to Kennesaw State, "We were trying to get [an official visit] situated but it just never happened and my parents weren't really comfortable with me committing somewhere that they hadn't visited so I just felt more comfortable with [Wake Forest]."

The fact that Kennesaw State was head-to-head with a Power 4 program both on the field and on the recruiting circuit says a lot about head coach Bubba Mack and his coaching staff. The fact that they were unable to close the deal, and why they were unable to, speaks to the challenges that lie ahead of Mack and the program.

"Visits cost money," said a source with knowledge of the situation, "A lot of resources were poured into this current team, keeping the best players and bringing in some talent from the portal. You don't have endless resources, especially at a place like Kennesaw State so tough decisions are being made and one of them is clearly going to be a cutback on official visit with high school recruits."

The Owls don't have a player committed to the 2026 recruiting class yet, one of two teams in the conference that don't. The other is Sam Houston, another recent FCS-to-FBS program. The financial aspect of college football isn't only impacting the top of the sport as programs like Kennesaw State's financial disadvantages are only more pronounced in this NIL era.

Two of Kennesaw State's best players, linebacker Donelius Johnson and cornerback Jerico Washington Jr, could very well be auditioning for their future teams. Why spend money on trying to land a player like Landolt when the Owls will likely need to pony up once again when the transfer portal opens up in the winter and spring, both in trying to keep their good players and bring in more? It's a delicate balance that coaches across the country have to try to manage and perhaps no situation is more dire than Kennesaw State which has one of the lowest athletic budgets in the FBS.

Count
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Post by Count » 26 Jul 2025, 10:17

How’s a punter tear his tricep
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Agent
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Post by Agent » 26 Jul 2025, 10:38

Oh brother this team stinks

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Soapy
Posts: 12792
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Post by Soapy » 26 Jul 2025, 10:42

Count wrote:
26 Jul 2025, 10:17
How’s a punter tear his tricep
ball went over his head
Agent wrote:
26 Jul 2025, 10:38
Oh brother this team stinks
:kamdead:

Topic author
Soapy
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Joined: 27 Nov 2018, 18:42

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Post by Soapy » 26 Jul 2025, 11:32

Image
(1-5, 0-3 C-USA) Image Image (3-3, 1-1 C-USA)
CFB 2025 Regular Season, Week 7 - Fifth Third Stadium, Kennesaw, Georgia

LTU | 3 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 30
KENN | 0 | 3 | 9 | 19 | 31

‣ That One Thursday Night in Kennesaw.

Scoring Summary
Quarter 1
Image Drew Henderson, 43 Yd FG (2:00)

Quarter 2
Image Britton Williams, 50 Yd FG (11:54)
Image Omiri Wiggins, 9 Yd run (3:27)
Image Eli Finley 8 Yd pass from Evan Bullock (1:43)

Quarter 3
Image Britton Williams, 38 Yd FG (9:56)
Image Tykeem Wallace 22 Yd pass from Dexter Williams II -- 2pt failed (7:34)
Image Omiri Wiggins 17 Yd pass from Evan Bullock (2:11)

Quarter 4
Image Ali Joyner 8 Yd pass from Dexter Williams II (9:03)
Image Britton Williams, 23 Yd FG (2:09)
Image Britton Williams, 49 Yd FG (0:30)
Image Jay Wilkerson 69 Yd pass from Evan Bullock -- 2pt failed (0:07)
Image Christian Moss 76 Yd pass from Dexter Williams II (0:00)


Player Stats
Image QB Evan Bullock (So): 19-41, 260 yards, 3 TD, INT
Image QB Dexter Williams II (Sr): 33-54, 448 yards, 3 TD, INT

Image HB Omiri Wiggins (Jr): 28 carries, 110 yards, TD
Image HB Coleman Bennett (Sr): 22 carries, 90 yards, 2 fumbles (lost)

Image WR Jay Wilkerson (Jr): 5 receptions, 124 yards, TD
Image TE Eli Finley (Jr): 5 receptions, 34 yards, TD
Image WR Christian Moss (Sr): 9 receptions, 154 yards, TD
Image WR Tykeem Wallace (Sr): 5 receptions, 89 yards, TD

Image DT Zion Nason (Sr): 7 tackles, 4 TFL, sack, FF, 2 FR
Image S Michael Richard (Jr): 2 tackles, INT
Image CB Caleb Offord (Sr): 15 tackles, INT
Image S Isaac Paul (So): 7 tackles, 3 TFL
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Agent
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Post by Agent » 26 Jul 2025, 11:41

76 yards for the win
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