Week 4 Preview: Arkansas State at Kennesaw State

Arkansas State fell to No. 12 Iowa State 24-16 on Saturday. Butch Jones’ team made it a four quarter game, but could not snatch a win away from the Cyclones. The Red Wolves now sit at 1-2 on the season, but perhaps have their toughest tests in the rearview mirror. After back-to-back games against Power Four opponents, Arkansas State does not play a team from those conferences the rest of the season.

The Red Wolves will be looking to get back on track this weekend on the road against Kennesaw State. This will be the first time the two teams meet on the gridiron. Last week, the Owls earned their first win of the season against Merrimack. Quarterback Amari Odom scored a pair of touchdowns in the 27-13 victory.

Arkansas State

The Red Wolves’ standout player in the Week 3 loss to Iowa State was once again Jaylen Raynor. He completed 19 of his 33 passes for 222 yards and an interception. While his passing statistics did not jump off the page, he looked poised in the pocket and was dangerous on the ground. He constantly picked up key first downs, rushing for 96 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries.

At the end of the first quarter, Arkansas State found themselves in a 9-0 hole. They went on to score the next ten points, with Raynor capping off an impressive 17-play drive with a three yard touchdown run. It appeared as if they would go into the locker room up 10-9, but a quick strike from Cyclones quarterback Rocco Becht to Dominic Overby gave Iowa State a 17-10 lead at half.

Arkansas State would get back within one point, but ultimately fell, 24-16. The big play did them in, as Becht and running back Abu Sama were able to consistently find chunk plays. However, after a week two drubbing at the hands of Arkansas, seeing the Red Wolves hang around against a ranked opponent was encouraging. They enter the game against Kennesaw as favorites.

With a win, Arkansas State would enter Sun Belt play with a 2-2 record. In a preseason poll, the Red Wolves were picked to finish third in the Sun Belt West behind Louisiana and Texas State.

Kennesaw State

The Owls won their home opener last weekend against Merrimack. In week one, they lost to Wake Forest, 10-9. They followed that game up with a 56-9 loss at Indiana. The losses prompted a change at quarterback, with Amari Odom making his first career start in the win against Merrimack.

Odom was not the only Owl to notch a first against Merrimack. The win was the first at Kennesaw State for new head coach Jerry Mack. He previously spent time on the staffs of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Volunteers as a running backs coach. He has utilized that acumen to help improve his team’s rushing attack. Last season, the Owls rushed for 114.6 yards per game, ranking in the bottom-25 in the nation. This season, they have brought their average up to 140 yards per game. Arkansas State averages 153.3 yards on the ground.

One of the keys to victory for Kennesaw will be turnovers. They have yet to record a takeaway this season after recording 12 in 2024. Raynor has thrown an interception in each of Arkansas State’s past two games. The secondary, led by defensive back JeRico Washington, will look to get their hands on any errant passes. If the Owls can capitalize on those mistakes, they could pull off an upset.