KNOXVILLE (Interstat) — Tennessee defeated Kennesaw State 42-9 on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, in an NCAA Football Bowl Division game at Neyland Stadium. The Volunteers improved to 3-0, while the Owls fell to 1-2. A crowd of 101,915 watched Tennessee control the game from the opening possession and pull away after halftime. Tennessee scored on its opening drive and never trailed. The Volunteers scored in every quarter and kept Kennesaw State out of the end zone for the full game.

Tennessee opened the scoring in the first quarter when D. Bishop rushed up the middle for a 3-yard touchdown and Cooper Ranvier added the extra point. Kennesaw State answered later in the quarter with Daniel Kinney’s 35-yard field goal. The Volunteers extended the lead before the end of the period when F. Brandon completed a short pass to the right to Braylon Staley for a 13-yard touchdown, and L. Wolf converted the ensuing two-point rush. Tennessee led 15-3 after one quarter.

In the second quarter, Ranvier made field goals of 40 and 43 yards to push Tennessee’s advantage. The Volunteers took a 21-3 lead into halftime after limiting Kennesaw State’s offense to its early field goal. Kennesaw State moved the ball at times through the air, but Tennessee’s defense kept the Owls out of the end zone before the break.

Tennessee added two more touchdowns in the third quarter. D. Morris broke free for a 42-yard rushing score, and F. Brandon scored on a 5-yard run. Ranvier made both extra points. Kennesaw State’s best chances in the period came through the passing game, but the Owls could not finish drives. Tennessee carried a 35-3 lead into the fourth quarter.

In the fourth, Kinney made a 25-yard field goal for Kennesaw State. Tennessee responded with Hunter Barnes’ 3-yard rushing touchdown and Ranvier’s extra point. Kinney closed the scoring with a 20-yard field goal. The Owls finished with 9 points, all from Kinney’s three field goals, while Tennessee’s offense produced five touchdowns and two field goals overall.

Rickie Collins led Kennesaw State at quarterback, completing 22 of 34 passes for 189 yards. He also ran 14 times for 36 yards. Zion Booker was his top target with 10 receptions for 78 yards. Jamari Harrold caught three passes for 25 yards, Brayden Munroe had two receptions for 34 yards, Dylan Gary added two catches for 27 yards, Javon Rogers had two receptions for 20 yards, and Navelle Dean caught one pass for 9 yards.

Kennesaw State’s rushing attack was led by Latrelle Murrell, who carried six times for 31 yards. Triston Morgan ran four times for 20 yards and returned one kickoff for 20 yards. Boogie Woods III had five carries for 13 yards and one reception for minus-4 yards. Devin Ingram added one carry for 2 yards. Matt McKenzie punted five times for 213 yards.

Defensively for Kennesaw State, Alfred Thomas recorded 10 tackles. Tywon Christopher and Cam Miller each made nine tackles. Perry Fisher and Karson Moss each had eight tackles. Kai Russell finished with seven tackles and one sack. Josh Anglin made six tackles. Tay’vion Lawson and Luke Evans each recorded four tackles. Jaiden Grimes had two tackles. Jaiden Crawford, Jeremy Greaves Jr., Ugonna Nwoha, Zay Wilson, Jordan Holmes, Jackson Cooper, Kody Jones, Marcus Patterson and Isaac Paul each had one tackle. Daniel Kinney made field goals of 35, 25 and 20 yards.

For Tennessee, Mike Matthews caught four passes for 41 yards. Trent Thomas had one reception for 17 yards. TK Keys added two catches for 12 yards, Radarious Jackson had two receptions for 11 yards, Travis Smith Jr. caught one pass for 5 yards, and Luca Wolf had one reception for 9 yards while also converting a two-point rush. Qua Moss returned one punt 24 yards and made three tackles. Jackson Ross punted twice for 92 yards.

Arion Carter led Tennessee’s defense with eight tackles, one sack and one quarterback hurry. Edwin Spillman and Kayin Lee each made five tackles. Xavier Gilliam had four tackles and two quarterback hurries. TJ Metcalf recorded three tackles and one quarterback hurry, while Amare Campbell also made three tackles. Tyree Weathersby had one tackle and one quarterback hurry, Breeze Carter added one quarterback hurry, and Carter Gooden made one tackle. Cooper Ranvier handled the kicking duties and made extra points after four Tennessee touchdowns. The Volunteers added a two-point conversion after their second score.

Kennesaw State entered the game after a 31-17 loss to Georgia State on Sept. 12 and a 47-0 win over West Georgia on Sept. 3. The Owls will next travel to Arkansas State on Saturday, Sept. 26. Tennessee entered after a 45-24 win at Georgia Tech on Sept. 12 and a 56-9 win over Furman on Sept. 5. The Volunteers will host Texas on Saturday, Sept. 26. Both teams return to action next weekend.

The Volunteers’ offense finished with a balanced effort, scoring on the ground and through the air while the defense held Kennesaw State without a touchdown. Kennesaw State’s defense forced Tennessee into two field goals in the second quarter and kept the game from becoming a larger blowout until the second half. Tennessee’s special teams also contributed, with Ross averaging 46 yards on his two punts and Ranvier converting consistently on extra points. The Owls’ Kinney accounted for all of his team’s scoring with three field goals, including two in the fourth quarter.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Tennessee 32, Kennesaw State 27. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Tennessee with a 98.8 percent probability to win. Kennesaw State had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of plus-35.5. The over/under line was 60.5, and the combined total finished at 51.