Wednesday night in Conference USA: Kennesaw State's pick-six and a Jacksonville State shutout

Conference USA played two games Wednesday night, and both road teams won.

Kennesaw State 44, Middle Tennessee 28. Rickie Collins threw for 206 yards and three touchdowns, and Tywon Christopher returned an interception 59 yards for a score as the Owls pulled away in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, the Associated Press reported. Kennesaw State (2-6, 1-3) led 19-17 at halftime, and Christopher's pick-six early in the third quarter made it 27-17. The Owls scored 25 straight points after Middle Tennessee got within two.

Collins completed 16 of 19 passes with one interception. Dylan Gary caught two passes for 59 yards, and both were touchdowns, from 31 and 28 yards. Davis Bryson caught a 23-yard touchdown, the first of his career, and Boogie Woods III ran for 67 yards and scores of 12 and 2 yards.

Antonio Martin ran for 106 yards and a touchdown for Middle Tennessee (4-4, 2-2). Roman Gagliano threw for 183 yards with two interceptions and ran for a score, and Santana Fleming returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter. Kennesaw State hosts Delaware on Nov. 7, and Middle Tennessee hosts Western Kentucky that day.

Jacksonville State 24, New Mexico State 0. Caden Creel ran for a career-high 211 yards, the first 200-yard rushing game by a Jacksonville State quarterback, and the Gamecocks shut out the Aggies in Las Cruces, New Mexico, according to the AP. Jacksonville State (6-2, 4-0) has won five straight and clinched bowl eligibility for the fourth straight season at the FBS level.

Creel opened the scoring on a 3-yard run in the second quarter, and Garrison Rippa kicked a 49-yard field goal in the third. Late in the third, Creel broke an 84-yard run, the longest of his career, to set up Jalen Likely's 1-yard touchdown for a 17-0 lead. He threw a 29-yard touchdown to Luke Gilbert in the fourth. The Gamecocks ran for a season-high 324 yards.

New Mexico State ran for 192 yards, 112 of them by James Jones, but threw for 29. Marc Woods intercepted Adam Damante in the second half. Jacksonville State hosts Sam Houston on Nov. 7, and New Mexico State hosts Liberty.