It was an early wakeup call Friday morning, as Kennesaw State and Western Michigan were slated for an 11 a.m. ET kickoff at the sixth-annual Myrtle Beach Bowl — the earliest kickoff of the 2025 college
football season.
Western Michigan arrived to the teal “Surf Turf” of Brooks Stadium ready to seize the day, but Kennesaw State got a different type of wakeup call in a lopsided 41-6 finish that was essentially over in the first quarter.
On the first play from scrimmage, Western Michigan running back Jalen Buckley scampered 65 yards to the house. Then four snaps later, Kennesaw State’s fumble was recovered for a 47-yard touchdown by the Broncos’ Kershawn Fisher. Then a three-and-out transpired, paving a pathway for a third Western Michigan touchdown. After another Kennesaw State punt, the Broncos once again capitalized on Broc Lowry’s second passing score of the quarter. When the first quarter subsided, Western Michigan held a commanding 27-0 advantage, already prepping for the trophy presentation.
Buckley also caught a breather after a dominant first quarter. The running back needed 171 yards to hit 1,000 on the season and already totaled 172 less than 10 minutes into the matchup.
While the points kept coming for the Broncos, the punts kept coming from the Owls (eight total) as the offense was unable to gain ground on a relentless Western Michigan front. The Broncos produced five sacks and generated four takeaways, with defensive end Rodney McGraw making his presence felt with 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in the lopsided contest. Seventh-year senior free safety Tate Hallock also shined on the back end for Western Michigan, tallying eight tackles and an interception for a spectacular sendoff.
Western Michigan reached 34 points before the midway point of the second quarter and then elevated its lead to 41-0 on a 75-yard pick-six by Joey Pope right after halftime. Kennesaw State finally ended the shutout bid in the late third quarter on a 94-yard drive, as Amari Odom sailed a deep ball to Javon Rogers for an 82-yard score. However, it was very clearly not Kennesaw State’s day, as the extra point was shanked far left of the uprights, keeping the Owls at six points.
The fourth quarter was just filler time as the teams traded three turnovers before Western Michigan commenced its first bowl trophy presentation since 2021. The MAC champions wholly eviscerated the Conference USA champions in the only bowl game — excluding the playoff — featuring two conference winners.
Western Michigan (10-4, 7-1 MAC) concludes its conference championship season in spectacular fashion, winning 10 of its final 11 games after promoting Broc Lowry to starting quarterback. The Broncos collected their first bowl win under Lance Taylor and their first 10-win season since 2016, picking up the elusive MAC title + bowl victory combo — something only four MAC teams have done since 2012.
Kennesaw State (10-4, 7-1 CUSA) enjoyed the most impressive turnaround in college football this season under first-year head coach Jerry Mack, evolving from 2-10 to a 10-win conference champion in a year. However, the Owls’ dream season ended in bitter fashion. The young program now has one bowl appearance under its belt and waits to collect that first bowl trophy in 2026.
