Kennesaw State Owls at Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

Kennesaw State and Western Kentucky already played once this year. Now they do it again, with a different venue and a lot more on the line for both CUSA clubs.

Bush’s Picks

KENNWKU

KENNWKU

OverUnder

Best BetWestern Kentucky

Western Kentucky gets this one at home after already beating Kennesaw State on the road earlier in the season, and that head-to-head data point matters until the Owls prove otherwise. WKU also has bowl-game momentum and a QB battle that brings in real Power Four experience. Until Kennesaw State's new-look offense shows it travels, the Hilltoppers are the side to lean on.

Kennesaw State

• +Reigning CUSA champions under Jerry Mack
• +Rickie Collins transfer adds power-conference arm talent
• +Massive 2-10 to 9-3 turnaround shows program trajectory
• −Got blown out 41-6 in the Myrtle Beach Bowl
• −Lost the only previous meeting with WKU 31-16
• −New starting QB still unproven in live CUSA action

Western Kentucky

• +Already beat Kennesaw State once this season
• +Won the New Orleans Bowl to close 2025
• +Hosting the rematch with a full season of data on KSU
• −Open QB competition between Glenn and Tisdale unresolved
• −6-2 conference mark still trailed KSU's 7-1 pace
• −Missed the CUSA title game KSU won

This is a rare scheduling quirk: Conference USA slated the Owls and Hilltoppers twice in the same season, first in Kennesaw on November 7 and now in Bowling Green on November 28. WKU took the only previous meeting between these programs last year, 31-16, and it's the only game in the series' short history. A split would mean nothing settled; a sweep would mean the rivalry has a clear owner heading into 2027.

Both teams arrive off statement 2025 seasons. Kennesaw State flipped a 2-10 disaster into a 9-3 regular season under first-year coach Jerry Mack, then beat Jacksonville State 19-15 in the CUSA title game before getting run off the field 41-6 by Western Michigan in the Myrtle Beach Bowl. Western Kentucky went 9-4, finished 6-2 in conference, and closed with a 27-16 win over Southern Miss in the New Orleans Bowl. Neither program is hiding from expectations this time around.

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KENN Kennesaw State

WKU Western Kentucky

The quarterback rooms look different than they did a year ago. Kennesaw State brought in Syracuse transfer Rickie Collins, who took first-team reps in the spring game after Dexter Williams II left for the portal. Western Kentucky has its own competition brewing, with Florida State transfer Brock Glenn pushing returning starter Rodney Tisdale Jr., who threw for 1,432 yards and 9 touchdowns in 2025. How those jobs shake out over the fall will shape how this rematch actually plays.

Kennesaw State Owls

Nov 21?vs Florida International—

Nov 14?@ Sam Houston—

Nov 7?vs Delaware—

Oct 28?@ Middle Tennessee—

Oct 22?vs Liberty—

Oct 14?@ Missouri State—

Oct 7?vs Jacksonville State—

Sep 26?@ Arkansas State—

Sep 19?@ Tennessee—

Sep 12?vs Georgia State—

Sep 3?vs West Georgia—

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

Nov 21?@ Liberty—

Nov 14?vs Jacksonville State—

Nov 7?@ Middle Tennessee—

Oct 27?vs Delaware—

Oct 14?@ Sam Houston—

Oct 8?vs Missouri State—

Oct 1?@ New Mexico State—

Sep 26?vs Mercyhurst—

Sep 19?@ Indiana—

Sep 12?@ Georgia—

Sep 5?@ Nevada—

Kickoff is set for 12:00 PM CT on Saturday, November 28, closing out the regular season for both programs. By then, this game could be about positioning for another CUSA title shot, or it could be a measuring-stick spot for two teams trying to prove last season wasn't a fluke. Either way, expect it to look nothing like the first meeting — new coordinators, new quarterbacks, and a road team this time that already has a receipt to collect.

Kennesaw State Owls

(0)

Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

(0)

Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report