2024 Week 1 Preview: Kennesaw State Owls @ UTSA Roadrunners (2024)

Game notes

• Time and date: Saturday, August 31 at 3:30 p.m. ET
• Network: ESPN+
• Location: Alamodome — San Antonio, TX
• Spread: UTSA (-25)
• Over/under: 49.5
• All-time series: No previous matchups

Setting the scene

And then there were 134.

Welcome to the FBS! The Kennesaw State Owls, located in Kennesaw, GA, are the only team joining college football’s top division this year. The program was founded as recently as 2015, and it quickly flourished at the FCS level with conference championships in 2017, 2019, and 2021. Throughout the program’s entire history, it’s only operated under the direction of one head coach in Brian Bohannon.

Now Bohannon is watching all his work in building the program materialize as the Owls are initiated in the FBS. Their first challenge won’t be an easy one, facing another program that was founded in the 2010s and won multiple conference championships in recent years. That opponent is UTSA, which looks to defend its home turf of the Alamodome after winning two Conference USA titles and a bowl game in its last three seasons.

In their second season as AAC members, the Roadrunners have their most realistic chance at qualifying for the College Football Playoff. They face four Owls this season (Kennesaw State, Rice, Florida Atlantic, and Temple) and they don’t want to give the new Owl on the block a warm welcome to the FBS.

Kennesaw State Owls outlook

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While Kennesaw State saw rampant success in the late 2010s and captured a conference title as recently as 2021, the last two years haven’t gone the most smoothly for the Owls. They rise to the CUSA after consecutive sub-.500 campaigns — their only two losing seasons since establishing a football program.

Kennesaw State is starting fresh in many areas as the Owls transition to the FBS level. One of these areas is the quarterback position where Davis Bryson takes the starting reins. The 5’9”, 190 pound redshirt sophom*ore only logged one start and threw 11 passes last year, but he emerged as the winner of the position battle in fall camp. With two career completions, more is to be seen from Bryson in the passing game but what’s known is his ability to take off with his legs. He rushed for 206 yards and two touchdowns in 2023, averaging a phenomenal 8.6 yards per carry.

Some FBS risers, like 2023 Jacksonville State, will litter its starting lineup with transfers already familiar with the FBS level. That was not exactly the case at Kennesaw State, however, and the Owls are working mostly with their returning talent from a year ago. Two FBS transfers earned starting status in the initial depth chart — former Coastal Carolina right tackle Mason Bowers and former Georgia State defensive tackle Tylon Dunlap, who is the only one to start an FBS game before.

Another notable revelation in the depth chart was the presence of a true freshman in the lineup. Jaiden Kimble will start the season as at the “spur” outside linebacker position in a challenging matchup against the Roadrunners. He’ll be supported by returning defenders like cornerback JeRico Washington Jr. who collected a team-high three interceptions last season, as well as middle linebacker Donelius Johnson who tied for first on the team in sacks with 2.5 and operates as the leading returning tackler.

Offensively, the Owls may utilize a run-heavy offense considering the skillset of their quarterback. But when dropping back to pass, UTSA must be aware of Coach Bohannon’s son Blake Bohanon who emerged as a full-time starter last year. Deep threat wide receiver Gabriel Benyard (333 receiving yards on 23.8 per reception) and running back Michael Benefield (546 rushing yards on 6.3 yards per carry) are the other key skill position players the newest FBS team will attack with.

UTSA Roadrunners outlook

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Lofty expectations exist when you put on a UTSA Roadrunners uniform now. The Roadrunners moved from the CUSA to the AAC last year after winning consecutive CUSA championships and nearly qualified for a third-straight conference title game — falling one turnover-laden loss vs. Tulane short of doing so.

Still, UTSA concluded the season with a long-awaited bowl victory and sent a highly-respected senior class into the sunset. The graduating members of that class included strong safety Rashad Wisdom and quarterback Frank Harris — longtime wearers of the No. 0 who were also pertinent to building a winning program under head coach Jeff Traylor.

Harris won’t be easy to replace. He’s the best player in UTSA history, atop the leaderboard in virtually every quarterback statistic imaginable. The former CUSA MVP and reigning First Team All-AAC quarterback started nearly every game from 2020 through 2023, throwing for 11,858 yards and rushing for another 2,143. The candidates to replace him both earned starting experience last year, albeit not much. Eddie Lee Marburger started two non-conference matchups while Owen McCown started and won the Frisco Bowl in December during Harris’ injury-riddled 2023 campaign. Both Marburger and McCown provided exactly six quarters of action, and UTSA won’t reveal the starter until taking the field Saturday.

McCown completed 43-of-58 attempts for 442 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions, while Marburger completed 29-of-47 for 300 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Regardless of the quarterback, there are plenty of familiar pieces on offense to assist them. While wide receiver JT Clark and offensive tackle Makai Hart will miss the opener, there are other reliable veterans to rely on.

Each component of the running back trio of Kevorian Barnes, Robert Henry, and Rocko Griffin enters 2024 with ample experience, combining for 23 rushing touchdowns in a solid year of ground production. Barnes was the leader of the pack a year ago and expects to retain that role in 2024. As far as wide receiver, UTSA must replace its No. 1 as Joshua Cephus also departed with an esteemed senior class. Devin McCuin steps in as a potential successor after a breakout 2023 with 546 receiving yards. Expect targets in the direction of tight end Oscar Cardenas as well, one of the new team captains wearing the highly-regarded number of 0.

Defensively, there’s another No. 0 captain to watch in outside linebacker Jamal Ligon. Taking the field since 2020, Ligon has a realistic chance to surpass Wisdom as the program’s all-time leading tackler, currently fielded 285 along with 21.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks.

Although the Roadrunner defense lost a dominant pass rusher in Trey Moore, the defensive line could keep the pass rush potent with the presence of 320+ pound defensive tackles Joe Evans and Brandon Brown. These two command so much attention on the inside, opening up lanes for new starters like defensive end Asyrus Simon.

Elsewhere on the defense, the return of inside linebacker Martavius French is significant. French was suspended from the team for three weeks but was reinstated and listed as a starter on the opening depth chart — ready to make noise with a veteran defense Saturday.

Prediction

Saturday afternoon presents an exciting time for Kennesaw State, watching its program finally take center stage at the FBS level.

This is not an easy welcome party for the Owls at all. Jeff Traylor’s UTSA teams have been a tough out in the 2020s decade, and the Roadrunners return a wealth of experience and plenty of physicality in the trenches to gain a significant advantage. Perhaps the biggest mismatch will be Kennesaw State’s offensive line going against UTSA’s loaded front seven, which should stall the Owls’ run game for the majority of the game.

UTSA’s skill position players aren’t too shabby either. Roadrunner fans are primarily interested in the quarterback battle between Eddie Lee Marburger and Owen McCown, and both will likely play — perhaps in the first half. UTSA breezes to an easy victory to earn its first 1-0 start since 2021.

Prediction: UTSA 45, Kennesaw State 10