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Kennesaw State vs. Middle Tennessee Prediction, Week 9 2026

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Data updatedOct 31, 2026
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Picks two teams at random. Any FBS team can come up.

How we picked it

How we picked it

Three ratings look at a team in three different ways. The numbers' pick is the team at least two of them favor.

Where the game is won

Where the game is won

Each row puts one team's unit against the unit it faces, by national rank out of all FBS teams. An edge is a gap of 25 spots or more.

Ratings: SP+ via CFB Update; PRIME via primecfb.com. Box and play stats computed from CollegeFootballData.com play data (via the public cfbfastR files), FBS games only for scoring. Rushing yards here exclude sacks, so they run higher than official totals. Ranks are out of 138 FBS teams.

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Kennesaw State at Middle Tennessee

Week 9, Wed, Oct 28, 7:00 PM ET, Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium.

The numbers say: Kennesaw State, 52% to win.

The game

KickoffWed, Oct 28, 7:00 PM ET
TVCBSSN
WhereJohnny "Red" Floyd Stadium
Weather70°, clear, wind 2 mph
LineKennesaw State −1.5, total 49.5
Line movementOpened Middle Tennessee −2.5; moved 4 points toward Kennesaw State.
SeriesTied 1–1
Last meetingKennesaw State 24–16 in 2025

The ratings and the line

MarginWin chanceTotal
SP+Middle Tennessee by 1.153%48
PRIMEMiddle Tennessee by 1.053%
EloKennesaw State55%
The lineKennesaw State −1.5, opened Middle Tennessee −2.549.5

Margins include home field. SP+ is Bill Connelly's rating; Sources has PRIME and Elo. Line and total from DraftKings, as of Wed, Oct 28, 2:21 PM ET.

Who wins, Kennesaw State or Middle Tennessee?

The numbers say: Middle Tennessee. 50% chance to win

Which matchups decide Kennesaw State vs. Middle Tennessee?

The ratings split and average out to about 50-50, with Middle Tennessee ahead by a hair. Middle Tennessee's best matchup is its passing game, 74th in EPA per pass, against Kennesaw State's pass defense at 113th. Kennesaw State's way back in is its pass protection, 22nd in sacks allowed per dropback, against Middle Tennessee's pass rush at 124th.

Kennesaw State with the ball

Middle Tennessee with the ball

Who's out for Kennesaw State and Middle Tennessee?

Kennesaw State

Middle Tennessee

How Kennesaw State and Middle Tennessee compare, in charts

Each chart puts all 138 FBS teams on two stats; Kennesaw State and Middle Tennessee are lit. Dashed lines are the FBS averages, and up and right is better. Ranks in parentheses. Games through Oct 24, 2026.

How Kennesaw State's and Middle Tennessee's players compare

The scatter charts show the top 40 FBS players at the position by both stats combined, plus the players lit here. Dashed lines are the averages; up and right is better. Ranks are among every FBS player at the position with enough snaps. Takeaways are interceptions plus fumble recoveries. Games through Oct 24, 2026.

How do SP+, PRIME and Elo rate Kennesaw State and Middle Tennessee?

On a neutral field, SP+ has Kennesaw State 1.4 points better (120th to 125th). PRIME also has Kennesaw State ahead, by 1.5. Elo, which only sees results, also has Kennesaw State ahead (113th to 124th).

Kennesaw StateMiddle Tennessee
SP+ overall-13.8 (120th)-15.2 (125th)
SP+ offense17.4 (121st)18.1 (117th)
SP+ defense30.7 (105th)33.7 (119th)
SP+ special teams-0.5 (124th)0.4 (11th)
PRIME net-12.5 (119th)-14.0 (124th)
PRIME offense-7.21 (118th)-6.73 (115th)
PRIME defense-3.58 (101st)-6.69 (121st)
PRIME SOS-4.3 (87th)-6.5 (106th)
PRIME SOR-2.8 (129th)-1.2 (101st)
Elo1264 (113th)1172 (124th)

Opponent-adjusted power ratings. These drive the projection.

Who's better once you adjust for the schedule?

Kennesaw State's offense ranks 100th in adjusted EPA per play, and the Middle Tennessee defense it faces ranks 113th in EPA per play allowed. Middle Tennessee's offense ranks 74th against Kennesaw State's 111th-ranked defense. The matchup that decides it is Middle Tennessee's offense against Kennesaw State's defense. The biggest edge on the board is Kennesaw State's offensive line in the run game: 87th in adjusted line yards per carry, against Middle Tennessee's 137th-ranked defense. Adjust for opponents and Kennesaw State's defense falls from 73rd to 111th in EPA per play allowed: a lot of that came against soft offenses.

Kennesaw StateMiddle Tennessee
EPA per play (adjusted)+0.06 (100th)+0.10 (74th)
EPA per pass (adjusted)+0.16 (91st)+0.18 (74th)
EPA per rush (adjusted)+0.03 (100th)+0.04 (92nd)
Success rate (adjusted)39.8% (91st)39.6% (94th)
Success rate, standard downs (adjusted)45.3% (94th)45.4% (92nd)
Success rate, passing downs (adjusted)29.8% (82nd)29.7% (87th)
Explosiveness (adjusted)0.93 (82nd)0.94 (54th)
Line yards per carry (adjusted)2.92 (87th)2.95 (68th)
Open-field yards per carry (adjusted)0.86 (136th)1.14 (65th)
EPA per play allowed (adjusted)+0.17 (111th)+0.17 (113th)
EPA per pass allowed (adjusted)+0.27 (113th)+0.21 (76th)
EPA per rush allowed (adjusted)+0.09 (91st)+0.14 (120th)
Success rate allowed (adjusted)43.9% (99th)47.6% (132nd)
Explosiveness allowed (adjusted)0.94 (78th)0.95 (99th)
Line yards allowed per carry (adjusted)3.05 (96th)3.34 (137th)
Open-field yards allowed per carry (adjusted)0.99 (30th)1.16 (82nd)

The same efficiency numbers, adjusted for the offenses and defenses each team has faced (CollegeFootballData.com). A good number against a soft schedule shrinks; one against a hard schedule grows.

Who's more efficient, Kennesaw State or Middle Tennessee?

Kennesaw State is better running (80th in EPA per rush) than throwing (100th). Middle Tennessee's run defense ranks 100th. Middle Tennessee is better running (66th in EPA per rush) than throwing (106th). Kennesaw State's run defense ranks 70th.

Kennesaw StateMiddle Tennessee
EPA per play+0.07 (100th)+0.09 (88th)
EPA per pass+0.11 (100th)+0.10 (106th)
EPA per rush+0.08 (80th)+0.10 (66th)
EPA per 3rd-down play+0.26 (113th)+0.23 (118th)
EPA per play allowed+0.10 (73rd)+0.14 (94th)
EPA per pass allowed+0.19 (75th)+0.19 (75th)
EPA per rush allowed+0.07 (70th)+0.13 (100th)
EPA per 3rd-down play allowed+0.48 (97th)+0.46 (94th)

Expected points added per play, from CollegeFootballData.com. EPA measures how much each play changes the points a team can expect from the drive. Zero is break-even; +0.20 is very good. Not adjusted for opponents.

Who scores more, Kennesaw State or Middle Tennessee?

Kennesaw State is outscored by 5.0 a game, and Middle Tennessee is outscored by 4.3. Kennesaw State's offense ranks 124th in scoring, and the Middle Tennessee defense it faces ranks 100th in points allowed. Middle Tennessee's offense ranks 103rd against Kennesaw State's 77th-ranked defense. Neither side of the ball has a clear edge.

Kennesaw StateMiddle Tennessee
Points scored20.0 (124th)23.3 (103rd)
Points allowed25.0 (77th)27.6 (100th)

Per game, FBS opponents only.

Which offense has the edge?

Kennesaw State's best matchup is staying on schedule: its offense ranks 68th in success rate, and Middle Tennessee's defense ranks 96th in success rate allowed.

Kennesaw StateMiddle Tennessee
Pass yards / game232.0 (68th)— ()
Rush yards / game134.1 (108th)— ()
Yards per play5.61 (106th)— ()
Yards per carry4.49 (113th)— ()
Yards per attempt6.77 (102nd)— ()
Completion %67.5% (41st)— ()
Success rate44.0% (68th)— ()
Explosive play rate10.5% (108th)— ()
3rd down conversion40.0% (71st)— ()
Sack rate (taken)3.2% (22nd)— ()
INT rate (thrown)2.5% (77th)— ()
SUPLEX56.0% (76th)— ()

Per game and per play, from play-by-play.

Which defense has the edge?

Middle Tennessee's defense is best placed to get off the field on third down: it ranks 43rd in 3rd down conversions allowed, and Kennesaw State's offense is middle of the pack in 3rd down conversion rate (71st).

Kennesaw StateMiddle Tennessee
Pass yards allowed / game231.0 (102nd)193.0 (37th)
Rush yards allowed / game160.9 (84th)194.4 (119th)
Yards per play allowed6.21 (91st)6.04 (85th)
Yards per carry allowed5.03 (82nd)6.00 (129th)
Yards per attempt allowed7.63 (82nd)6.31 (34th)
Success rate allowed44.6% (97th)44.5% (96th)
Explosive plays allowed12.4% (97th)13.4% (108th)
3rd downs allowed37.8% (61st)35.2% (43rd)
Sack rate (generated)2.8% (134th)3.6% (124th)
INT rate (generated)1.4% (110th)2.3% (72nd)
SUPLEX allowed61.0% (113th)56.4% (84th)

What opponents managed against them.

Who wins up front?

They split these evenly, 6 each. The biggest gap is power success allowed, where Middle Tennessee ranks 48th and Kennesaw State 118th.

Kennesaw StateMiddle Tennessee
Big Uglies: offensive line48.2 (87th)49.0 (82nd)
Big Uglies: defensive front42.3 (119th)37.5 (131st)
Line yards per carry3.03 (80th)3.20 (43rd)
Line yards allowed per carry3.12 (102nd)3.44 (132nd)
Second-level yards per carry1.16 (46th)1.37 (7th)
Open-field yards per carry0.85 (108th)1.06 (83rd)
Stuff rate (runs stopped at or behind the line)23.5% (130th)17.9% (74th)
Stuff rate (defense)19.3% (66th)16.0% (106th)
Power success (short yardage)66.7% (100th)62.1% (124th)
Power success allowed80.0% (118th)67.4% (48th)
Front-seven havoc allowed7.5% (30th)7.6% (31st)
Front-seven havoc7.7% (116th)6.0% (137th)

The lines. Big Uglies is our rating for each offensive line and each defensive front: adjusted line yards (30%), stuff rate (20%), power success (15%), sack rate (20%) and front-seven havoc (15%), against every FBS team. 50 is average, and every 10 points is a standard deviation. Line stats from CollegeFootballData.com, garbage time out.

Who wins the turnover battle?

Kennesaw StateMiddle Tennessee
Interceptions thrown / game0.88 (101st)— ()
Fumbles lost / game0.38 (42nd)— ()
Giveaways / game1.25 (63rd)— ()
Interceptions / game0.63 (78th)0.71 (66th)
Fumbles recovered / game0.63 (42nd)0.00 (131st)
Takeaways / game1.25 (64th)0.71 (118th)
Turnover margin / game0.0 (67th)— ()

Per game, from play-by-play.

Which team has more talent?

Middle Tennessee has the more talented roster (109th in the 247Sports talent composite; Kennesaw State is 133rd). But Kennesaw State plays further above its talent: −3.8 points of SP+ beyond what its roster predicts, to Middle Tennessee's −9.5.

Kennesaw StateMiddle Tennessee
Talent composite502.9 (133rd)571.5 (109th)
Blue-chip ratio8.9% (75th)3.1% (106th)
Players on roster99 (133rd)107 (94th)
Rated by 247Sports45 (134th)64 (116th)
5-star players0 (37th)0 (37th)
4-star players4 (88th)2 (106th)
3-star players39 (122nd)61 (66th)
Below 3-star2 (68th)1 (86th)
2026 transfers in29 (34th)19 (84th)
Transfer share64.4% (9th)29.7% (63rd)
SP+ vs. talent-3.8 (92nd)-9.5 (122nd)
Returning production6.1% (124th)32.5% (85th)
Returning passing production0.0% (109th)39.2% (67th)
Returning rushing production-3.8% (123rd)60.1% (58th)
Returning receiving production13.2% (116th)26.2% (90th)
2026 recruiting class (national rank)120 (120th)119 (119th)
Recruiting rank, last four classes144.8 (136th)114.0 (119th)

247Sports team talent composite and 2026 transfer portal class. Star counts cover only the players 247Sports rates, not walk-ons, so they add up to less than the full roster. Ranks are out of all 138 FBS teams.

Where did each team's wins come from?

Kennesaw State is −2.5 wins against a .500 team; the biggest piece is luck (−1.6). Middle Tennessee is +0.5 wins against a .500 team; the biggest piece is coaching (−1.6). Kennesaw State's record is 1.6 wins worse than its play on bad luck, so it's better than the record says.

Kennesaw StateMiddle Tennessee
RECEIPTS (total)-2.5 (129th)+0.5 (57th)
Schedule RECEIPTS+0.9 (46th)+1.3 (30th)
Roster RECEIPTS-1.3 (132nd)-0.7 (115th)
Coach RECEIPTS-0.6 (93rd)-1.6 (128th)
Luck RECEIPTS-1.6 (133rd)+1.5 (4th)

Where the wins came from. Every team starts as a .500 team. Then each win (or loss) goes to the schedule, the roster, the coaching or luck, and the four add up to the real record. Wins above or below a .500 team.

Kennesaw State at Middle Tennessee: questions people ask

Kennesaw State vs. Middle Tennessee prediction: who will win?

The numbers pick Middle Tennessee, 50% chance to win. SP+ and PRIME agree; Elo has Kennesaw State. Middle Tennessee's best matchup is its passing game, 74th in EPA per pass, against Kennesaw State's pass defense at 113th.

Where can I watch Kennesaw State vs. Middle Tennessee, and what time is it?

Wed, Oct 28, 7:00 PM ET at Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium. It's on CBSSN.

What's the projected score of Kennesaw State vs. Middle Tennessee?

SP+ projects Middle Tennessee 25–23. That's from this season's SP+ offense, defense and special teams ratings, with home field worth 2.5 points.

What's the line for Kennesaw State at Middle Tennessee?

DraftKings has Kennesaw State −1.5, total 49.5. The numbers pick winners, not bets.

What's the Kennesaw State vs. Middle Tennessee series history?

It's tied 1–1. Last meeting: Kennesaw State won 24–16 in 2025.

Who are the players to watch in Kennesaw State vs. Middle Tennessee?

Kennesaw State: Rickie Collins (1,658 passing yards), Alan Woods III (351 rushing yards) and Javon Rogers (401 receiving yards). Middle Tennessee: Roman Gagliano (1,644 passing yards), Terrence Brown Jr. (326 rushing yards) and Cam'Ron Lacy (514 receiving yards). Season totals through Oct 24, 2026.

Who are the quarterbacks in Kennesaw State at Middle Tennessee?

Kennesaw State's is Rickie Collins (1,658 passing yards this season); Middle Tennessee's is Roman Gagliano (1,644 passing yards this season).

More on this game

Numbers through the games of Oct 24, 2026. SP+ as of Oct 27, 2026. Updated every week.

Kennesaw State and Middle Tennessee: team pages with every stat and national rank. Compare any two teams.