Kennesaw State rallies to become bowl eligible

Getting that all-important sixth victory of the season seemed all but certain for Kennesaw State in its matchup with UTEP Tuesday night at Fifth Third Stadium. But after jumping out to a 14-0 first quarter lead over the Miners, the Owls found themselves trailing 20-16 in the third quarter.

But behind a career-high 113 yards and a touchdown from running back Chase Belcher, the Owls rallied and pulled away from the Miners, coming away with a 33-20 victory. The win, the Owls’ sixth in a row, made them bowl eligible.

Kennesaw State (6-2, 4-0 Conference USA), which has only lost to Wake Forest and No. 2-ranked Indiana, became just the ninth program ever to become bowl eligible in its first season of full-fledged FBS status.

Kennesaw State’s first three scores came on Caleb Offord’s 24-yard fumble return, Gabriel Benyard’s 57-yard punt return and a safety to make it 16-10 at halftime.

The Owls’ first offensive score was late in the third quarter on a 5-yard touchdown run by Amari Odom to take a 23-20 lead. Belcher’s touchdown capped a 11-play, 70-yard drive that was aided by two 15-yard penalties on UTEP.

Odom and Dexter Williams II combined to go 14 of 32 for 154 yards with an interception for Kennesaw State.

Skyler Locklear threw for 160 yards and two touchdowns for UTEP (2-6, 1-3). He also carried it 23 times for 77 yards.