#2 Amari Odom celebrates with punter #91 Josh Huiet on Nov. 22 at Fifth Third Stadium at Walens Family Field. Photo by Jackson Lounenounbonh
Amari Odom’s continued dominance helped lead Kennesaw State football to a 48-42 double-overtime win over Liberty, locking up a spot in the Conference USA Championship game on Saturday at Williams Stadium.
Shortly before the beginning of the second half, Jacksonville State’s 37-34 win over Western Kentucky went final, solidifying the Owls a second-place finish and spot in the CUSA title game on Friday, Dec. 5.
Despite a second-place regular season finish awaiting regardless, KSU did not let up on the gas.
With five seconds remaining on the clock, Liberty kicker Jay Billingsley trotted onto the field to attempt what could have been a routine 32-yard field goal.
Kicking from the left hash, Billingsley pushed the kick far right and sent the game to overtime at 35-35.
The Owls had used big days on offense from Coleman Bennett and Gabriel Benyard, who scored three of KSU’s five touchdowns in regulation.
It took Liberty just one play to jump ahead in overtime, when Evan Dickens, who torched the Owls for 271 yards and four touchdowns, rumbled 25 yards for a touchdown to put the Flames ahead 42-35.
Odom and the KSU offense needed just one play themselves, as the redshirt sophomore found Benyard for his ninth touchdown catch of the season from 25 yards out, tying the game at 42-42.
Opting not to go for two and take the game down to a single play, the Owls took possession first in the second overtime and took a 48-42 lead after Odom found Christian Moss for a 25-yard touchdown connection.
KSU held the Flames on the ensuing possession, escaping Lynchburg with a 48-42 win.
Odom, who set nearly every single game passing record for the Owls in last week’s win over Missouri State, finished 14-of-23 passing for 240 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions.
Bennett led the Owls on the ground with 92 yards on 14 carries and two total touchdowns, while Odom followed right behind with 72 yards and a rushing touchdown on 13 carries.
Baron Hopson led both teams with 16 total tackles, 12 of which were solo, and a pass breakup to lead an Owls team that struggled against the run defensively.
Michael Merdinger performed well in place of usual Liberty starter Ethan Vasko, who missed Saturday’s contest, completing 12-of-21 passes for 212 yards and a touchdown.
The win improves the Owls to 3-2 against the Flames all-time, and serves as KSU’s third straight against an opponent the university has shared three different conferences with across athletics.
The Owls are set for a rematch in the CUSA title game against perhaps the only school that holds more distaste among the die-hard Owls’ fans, Jacksonville State.
The Gamecocks defeated the Owls just a few weeks ago at home in Jacksonville, 35-26 in a game which has determined the game’s host.
Despite three titles won in the Big South under former coach Brian Bohannon, the game will be the program’s first formal conference championship game and is set to kick off at 7 p.m. on Dec. 5.
