Middle Tennessee used to be a power in the Sun Belt, and later in Conference USA, but it’s been a rough run with three straight seasons of four wins or fewer. Now, at 4-3 and on a two-game winning streak, it has to keep the success going against a fallen champion.
Kennesaw State has been one of the biggest disappointments, going from winning the Conference USA title to a 1-6 record without a win over an FBS team. There’s still time to save the season, but it has to be perfect the rest of the way.
Kennesaw State vs Middle Tennessee: Quick Hits
- Kennesaw State has the easier part of the CUSA schedule after this with Delaware and a trip to Western Kentucky up next.
- Middle Tennessee gets Western Kentucky at home next week, with two road games to follow.
- Kennesaw State won 24-16 last year, and Middle Tennessee won 14-5 in 2024.
How To Watch Kennesaw State vs Middle Tennessee
Date: Wednesday, October 28, 2026
Game Time: 7:00 PM ET
TV: CBS Sports Network
Location: Johnny “Red” Floyd Stadium, Murfreesboro, TN
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Why Kennesaw State Will Win
What’s the problem? The downfield passing game isn’t there. The offense can dink and dunk, but the Owls don’t open up the offense enough. That might be okay as long as the yards are there, and the Middle Tennessee defense is allowing over 220 yards per game over the last five.
The Blue Raiders might be scoring, but overall this year they’re having an impossible time moving the chains – they have the nation’s second-worst offense in third-down conversions. If the Owls come up with third-down stops, they’ll stay alive.
Why Middle Tennessee Will Win
It’s an amazing thing when you don’t make a slew of massive mistakes.
Middle Tennessee has turned the ball over just four times on the year, and when it gave it away twice against Delaware, the team was only a -1 in turnover margin in the 33-30 win.
After getting flagged 34 times in the first four games, there have been just 17 in the last three games – seven fewer over those three dates than its opponents. Kennesaw State has been flagged a whopping 30 times over its last three games.
Kennesaw State vs Middle Tennessee Prediction, Betting Lines
Kennesaw State has been brutally close. It lost to Missouri State by three, Jacksonville State by one, and Arkansas State by three before getting rocked by a strong Liberty team.
Middle Tennessee will have to fight at home, but two takeaways will be the difference.
Middle Tennessee 26, Kennesaw State 23
Latest Consensus Line: Middle Tennessee -2.5, o/u: 50.5
ATS Confidence (out of 5): 2
Must See Rating (out of 5): 2
Consensus line based on BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.