TLDR: Kennesaw State just survived an 8-lead-change shootout with Delaware. Sam Houston just played its first game under co-interim coaches and lost by 33. Saturday in Huntsville is about whether the Owls can keep their offense rolling and whether the Bearkats have anything left to play for.
Kennesaw State comes to Huntsville on a 2-game winning streak, with an offense that scored 44 and 42 in those wins and a defense that just allowed 40 to Delaware. Sam Houston is 1-8, has lost 5 straight, has been held to 3 points 3 times in that run, and is playing its first home game under co-interim head coaches. The game likely depends on whether the Bearkats' offense can take advantage of the Owls' defense, and the board has Kennesaw State as a road favorite by more than a touchdown.
+Held Jax State scoreless for a quarter and a half
+First home game for the new interim staff
−Lost 5 straight, held to 3 points 3 times
−Coaching change in the middle of the season
−Unclear QB split between Locke and Bailey
Start with the quarterbacks, because that's where these 2 teams look the most different right now. Landon Varnes threw the 63-yard touchdown to Reed Jesiolowski that put Kennesaw State ahead for good against Delaware. Boogie Woods III added 90 rushing yards and 2 scores in the 42-40 win. Sam Houston has more questions. Landyn Locke missed a game hurt, came back against Jacksonville State and threw a 64-yard touchdown to Chris Reed. DJ Bailey also threw a second-half touchdown in that game, so the Bearkats had 2 quarterbacks on the field and no settled answer at the position.
The bigger story in Huntsville is on the sideline. The 47-14 loss in Jacksonville was the Bearkats' first game under co-interim head coaches Freddie Aughtry-Lindsay and Eric Raisbeck, after a midseason change. The game started well enough. Sam Houston held Jax State scoreless for a quarter and a half, then gave up 17 straight points before halftime. Saturday is the new staff's first home game and their second week in charge. The board has Kennesaw State as a road favorite by more than a touchdown over a 1-8 team.
Sam Houston's offense has been the problem. The Bearkats scored 3 points in 3 of their last 5 games: at Liberty, at home against Western Kentucky, and at Missouri State. The 24 they put up against New Mexico State is the outlier. Getting 14 against Jacksonville State counts as progress, and both of those touchdowns came after the game was already out of reach.
Kennesaw State's season has been rough in a different way. The Owls lost 3 straight in October, including 1-point and 3-point losses to Jacksonville State and Missouri State and a 34-6 loss at home to Liberty. Then the offense took off: 44 at Middle Tennessee and 42 against Delaware. The defense hasn't kept up. Delaware scored 40, scored again with 24 seconds left, and only a missed 2-point try and a recovered onside kick saved the win.
So the matchup is a hot Kennesaw State offense with a leaky defense against a Sam Houston offense that has barely scored all month. The forecast is mild, cloudy and calm, so weather shouldn't get in the way. At 2-3 in conference play, Kennesaw State is still playing for something. At 0-5, Sam Houston is mostly playing to see how the interim staff handles a full week of practice and what Locke looks like at full strength.
