Red Wolves and Owls meet at Fifth Third Stadium for the first time ever.
“Data! Data! Data! I can’t make bricks without clay,” said Sherlock Holmes in the Arthur Conan Doyle short story The Adventure of the Copper Beeches, a sick literary reference that applies to the very first meeting between Arkansas State and Kennesaw State. There is so little data generated between the two programs that deducing a prediction of the game’s outcome is far from elementary.
Behold the Owls, 1-2 on the season with an amusing 10-9 loss to Wake Forest (always convert your XPs, kids) and a win against the well-regarded (in exclusive circles) Merrimack Warriors. A 56-9 loss to Indiana tells us very little except 1) Curt Cignetti has no room for mercy in his heart, and 2) the Owls, when necessary, can kick a football between the uprights. Also, Kennesaw State is in year two of its tenure in CUSA, have long been a member of the Big South.
Looks Like the Owls are Double Quarterbacking
Kennesaw State began the season solidly behind senior Dexter Williams, the 6’1″ 218 quarterback who began his career at Indiana and spent some time at Georgia Southern before winding up at Kennesaw. In Week One, Williams was an uninspiring 12 for 33 for 149 yards. Against Indiana, the Owls trotted out sophomore Amari Odom. The one-time Woffard Terrier threw for 176 yards and a pick.
Kennesaw tried something new against FCS Merrimack, giving Williams and Odom an equally beefy number of reps. Williams went 9/17 for 88 yards and a pick while 6’4″ Odom went 12/14 for 108 yards and a touchdown. Both signal callers took one to the house for a score. Though Odom is clearly the better quarterback for now, Arkansas State head coach Butch Jones declared that his team would prepare to see Odom and Williams, noting that both had skills with their feet.
Has Jaylen Raynor Finally Committed to the Run?
Last season, the junior A-State quarterback seemed determined to grow as a pocket passer, appearing to eschew his run ability in exchange for additional passing yards. Losing the run dimension hurt Raynor’s production, but now his legs have magically returned. We saw in the games against Arkansas and Iowa State that Raynor can get you yards on both designed and busted plays. The extra muscle he’s appeared to put on in the off season has helped him shrug off defenders and extend plays.
Jones would likely love to see his talented QB remain safe behind a sturdy pocket, but Raynor is just too good in open space to keep him immobile. Watch to see if we see more WB run plays added to the playbook.
Javante Mackey is Back at Linebacker
After a massive freshman campaign at linebacker, Mackey transferred from A-State to Memphis, where he spent a season on the injury cart. The 6’1″ 245 junior didn’t see much if any on-field action against SEMO and Arkansas, but he made his presence felt during the home game against Iowa State when he tallied six tackles, one for a loss. “Javante is a knock back linebacker,” said Coach Butch Jones, adding that he will need to see more from Mackey if the defense is to become a reliable part of the Red Wolves game.
Owl To Watch: #56 Elijah Hill, Defensive Lineman, Freshman
Kennesaw State is ranked 106th for total defense with plenty of ceiling for improvement, but look out for Freshman Elijah Hill, the lightly recruited defensive lineman from Bryant, Arkansas, where he was named named Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s All-Arkansas Preps Defensive Player of the Year his senior season. The 6’2″ 230 defender recorded his first two sacks of the season last week against Merrimack.
Dial Up Ruck n’ Roll
This was projected to be big year for senior Corey Rucker, but the talented wide receiver has just six receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown. What gives, man? It’s not as if the offense has tried to get Rucker involved – he’s had several end zone passes tossed his way. But opposing defenses has keyed on him, leaving Rucker to fight double coverage. However, the focus on Rucker may be contributing to Chauncy Cobb’s success. In three games, the fun-sized and super speedy receiver has grabbed 16 receptions for 216 yards.
The Threads
Breaking out the chrome.
The Final Analysis
The Owls present two paths for the Red Wolves: defeat Kennesaw State, and the Red Wolves prove themselves contenders; lose to Kennesaw State and the doubts rain down like boos. The Owls are only in Year 2 of FBS play. The Red Wolves have played at this level since 1992. While the transfer portal and NIL has smudged what it means to build a program, Arkansas State should win this game on principle alone.
LEAD IMAGE: An AI Monstrosity
Howlraiser 