Jacksonville State is currently 3-0 in Conference USA play, and it will have something to say about the title chase. But Kennesaw State beat the Gamecocks last year for the CUSA championship, and now Liberty is trying to take it back for the second time in four years.
The Flames have won five straight with four blowouts in a row. On the flip side, the Owls are struggling to find a little luck, with five straight losses and no wins over FBS teams.
And now the reigning Conference USA champs have a shot to turn their season around.
Liberty vs Kennesaw State: Quick Hits
- Liberty gets three of its next four games at home, starting with FIU, before closing out the regular season at Missouri State.
- Kennesaw State has to deal with a tough Middle Tennessee team next on the road before hosting Delaware.
- The Owls beat the Flames 48-42 in the last game of the 2025 regular season and won the first meeting 27-24 in 2024.
How To Watch Liberty vs Kennesaw State
Date: Thursday, October 22, 2026
Game Time: 7:00 PM ET
TV: CBS Sports Network
Location: Walens Family Field at Fifth Third Stadium, Kennesaw, GA
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Why Liberty Will Win
Liberty is hardly perfect, but it’s doing one thing really, really well – it’s running the ball down everyone’s throats.
Averaging well over 200 yards per game on the ground over the five-game winning streak, it’s more about speed and tempo than power, but it’s all working.
Kennesaw State hasn’t been bad against the run, but that’s mostly because everyone is throwing the ball against the Owl defense.
Why Kennesaw State Will Win
Finally, Kennesaw State is playing a team with just as many penalty problems.
Liberty doesn’t turn the ball over, and the Owls don’t, either. However, the Flames were hit with 15 penalties in last week’s win over Sam Houston and were flagged 18 times over the previous two games.
If the Owls can just stop with the little mistakes – 27 penalties over the last two games – the accurate midrange passing game should give the Liberty defense a few problems.
Liberty vs Kennesaw State Prediction, Betting Lines
Yeah, Liberty’s pass defense has been terrific over the last several games, but that’s because it didn’t play anyone who can throw like Kennesaw State’s Rickie Collins can when he’s on.
But once again, Kennesaw State will come up with a good effort, but it won’t be enough in a fourth straight close call loss. The Owls have lost their last three games by a total of seven points.
Liberty 27, Kennesaw State 24
Latest Consensus Line: Liberty -10.5, o/u: 50.5
ATS Confidence (out of 5): 3.5
Must See Rating (out of 5): 2.5
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.