COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Middle Tennessee enters with a 4-3 record and a two-game winning streak, scoring 23.3 points per game while averaging 339.6 yards per game. The Blue Raiders are more balanced than explosive, but they have been efficient enough at home and get a Kennesaw State defense that has allowed 27.6 points per game and 405.9 yards per game. Kennesaw State sits at 1-6 and has lost six straight, with only 20.0 points per game on offense and a defense allowing 23.5 points per game. The Owls are generating 359.4 yards per game, but their 132.0 rushing yards per game and 5.2 yards per play have not been enough to offset defensive issues, especially on the road.
Middle Tennessee is the better side overall and should use home-field form to control this game. The Blue Raiders have the stronger scoring offense, the better home record, and the more trustworthy recent form, while Kennesaw State has been poor away from home and has not produced enough offense to offset its defensive issues. My projected final score is Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders 31, Kennesaw State Owls 24, which supports a home cover and a game total that lands above the current market level.