Obeid’s walk-off kick and WKU’s defense decide Wednesday’s CUSA games

Two Conference USA games ended with very different kinds of kicking pressure Wednesday. Missouri State needed Yousef Obeid’s last-play field goal to beat Kennesaw State 24-21. Western Kentucky gave Karl Campbell a lead early and used his three field goals to finish a 16-3 win at Sam Houston.

Both winners moved forward in conference play: Missouri State is 1-1 in CUSA, while WKU is 2-1. Kennesaw State and Sam Houston are both 0-2 after Wednesday’s losses.

Missouri State finishes with the ball

Read the full Missouri State–Kennesaw State recap.

The Bears and Owls traded second-half leads before a 1-yard Boogie Woods touchdown tied the game at 21 with 6:06 remaining. Missouri State then kept possession through the final whistle. Henry Belin IV led the winning drive, with Isaiah Myers providing a 32-yard reception before Obeid delivered the deciding kick.

Belin finished with 300 passing yards and two touchdowns, both to Myers. Myers and Kennesaw State’s Dylan Gary each finished with 135 receiving yards, but the Bears’ control of the final possession separated two productive passing performances.

Conference USA’s official highlights show Missouri State’s late finish and the scores that made the last possession necessary.

WKU wins without an offensive shootout

Read the full WKU–Sam Houston recap.

The Hilltoppers took the opposite route. Brock Glenn’s 23-yard touchdown pass to Coleson Arends on their opening drive gave them a lead they never lost. Sam Houston’s only scoring possession ended in a second-quarter field goal.

Campbell made kicks from 35, 39 and 33 yards. WKU’s defense did the rest, holding the Bearkats to 177 yards and no second-half points. Westen Ard made 10 tackles with 1 1/2 sacks, and Tony Newsome’s fourth-quarter interception set up the last of Campbell’s field goals.

The ESPN College Football highlights capture WKU’s early touchdown and the stops that kept Sam Houston from responding.

The next conference tests

Missouri State visits Delaware on October 20. Sam Houston hosts New Mexico State the following night, and Kennesaw State hosts Liberty on October 22. WKU has a bye before hosting Delaware on October 27.

Wednesday’s games left the winners with contrasting formulas to carry forward: Missouri State’s sustained passing attack and final drive, and WKU’s defense, clean turnover column and reliable kicking.

Sources

• Conference USA: Kennesaw State–Missouri State highlights
• ESPN College Football: WKU–Sam Houston highlights
• Missouri State: CUSA home opener report
• WKU: Road win at Sam Houston
• ESPN: Kennesaw State–Missouri State final
• ESPN: WKU–Sam Houston final

Sources

Bears walk off Kennesaw State · WKU: Hilltoppers claim road win at Sam Houston · ESPN: Kennesaw State–Missouri State final and box score · ESPN: WKU–Sam Houston final and box score