By: By Jake Dorow
Head Coach
Brian Bohannon (AUDIO) |
Chandler Burks &
Anthony Gore, Jr. (AUDIO)
KENNESAW – The Big South Conference Championship is up for grabs as No. 21 Kennesaw State (9-1,4-0) hosts No. 22 Monmouth (9-1, 4-0) at Fifth Third Bank Stadium in a winner take all showdown in The Nest. The Owls enter Saturday with a program-best nine-game winning streak, while the Hawks enter with a seven-game winning streak. The Battle of the Birds is scheduled to kickoff at 2 p.m. on ESPN3. Senior Day at The Bank can also be heard on ESPN Radio 1230 and 106.3.
Head Coach
Brian Bohannon, along with junior QB
Chandler Burks and junior LB
Anthony Gore, Jr., met with the media Wednesday afternoon to preview KSU's matchup with the Hawks.
Below is a transcript of selected questions and answers:
Head Coach Brian Bohannon
Opening Statement
"We're excited where we are, we are excited for the opportunity to have a chance to play for something in the last game of the season. I don't think you can ask for a better situation. Obviously, last year we were in a similar situation. We probably didn't handle it as good as we should have, but hopefully we've learned from that. I sat down and talked to guys immediately in the locker room after the game on Saturday. Hopefully, we can approach this thing the right way."
On Monmouth
"We're playing an awful good football team. Monmouth is playing with so much confidence, energy and enthusiasm. You have to give Coach Callahan and his staff a ton of credit for what they have done from a year-to-year standpoint when you winless in conference to playing for a chance to win the league. When you look at the statistically, it's pretty eye-popping when you're averaging over 36 points, you have one of the top rushers in the league, big playmakers at wide out, four senior offensive linemen. Defensively, they play extremely hard, have some young who bring more athleticism, one of the best players in the league playing safety, and they returned kicks for touchdowns throughout the season on special teams. All around, they are very, very good football team. It is going to be an unbelievable challenge for us to come out and play our game the best way we can play it. I think it is an exciting time to be a part of this."
Acknowledging the OGs (Original Gangsters)
"I had the OGs, the OGs are the original gangsters who were in the very first team meeting. I told them all to stand up at the end of practice yesterday and I said, 'Why did we talk about coming to school here? What did we talk about coming to school here for?' They all had the same answer. We all wanted to win championships. We wanted to build a championship football program. Now we have that opportunity. Now it is just what we do with it. We are going to need to play well I can tell you that. They are extremely talented, they score a lot of points. It's going to be a challenge. But, this where you want to be at this time of year. We're awfully fortunate to have this opportunity and hopefully, we can take advantage of it."
Q: When you got here, did you devise a five-year plan? Are you ahead of schedule?
A: We had a plan. We never said we had to this by this point. We really took the approach of getting better every day and we wanted to lay the foundation the right way. We never tried to quick fix anything. We wanted to make sure the foundation in the right manner, not just for now, but really for 10, 15, 20 years from now. That is the ultimate goal. To say things have been accelerated a little bit, I think everybody would probably agree with that. I didn't know when it was going to happen. I knew we would be older and mature enough in year three to handle things a little better. But, that's redshirt juniors and you have a full complement of scholarships by then. We've just tried to get better each day and learn from the process, embrace the process, but learn from the process. Every moment is a learning moment, every moment is a teaching moment, and that is what we have just tried to do.
Q: Do you see evidence of more focused behavior this year than last year?
A: We are definitely not in the same place we were last year, that's for sure. I thought practice yesterday, the first half was pretty good, I thought the second half wasn't as it good as it needed to be. I know today we will go out and have a much better day from start to finish.
Q: Can you speak to the play of the defense?
A: I think they are playing extremely hard right now. I told our guys on Monday that if you can play with championship effort and limit your missed assignments, you can give yourself a chance. Sometimes we may miss a tackle, but then you see five guys coming from the other side with championship effort and it was a 10-yard gain. If you're not playing with championship effort, it's a touchdown. That's the difference. Our guys believe in what we're doing and they're playing extremely hard. That's been a big part of it. But, let me tell you, they're challenged now for Saturday. The defense has been challenged. Their offense is very good. It's going to be one of the biggest challenges we've had in a while.
Q: Talk about the reaction of the community and student body. Have they grown along with the team?
A: I think it has been positive. The community support has been really good. When our students come to the games, it makes a huge difference. I think maybe some of them trying to catch up to the thing that has accelerated on the field than they realize. It would be huge to have a great crowd on Saturday. Because when you are home, in a big game like this, that can give you an edge to make a big difference.
Fifth Third Bank is the Official Bank of Kennesaw State Athletics. Fifth Third Bank Stadium, the signature athletics landmark on the Kennesaw State University campus, is a world-class facility that has been recognized as one of the premier multi-use outdoor athletics venues in the country. In the fall of 2015, it become the official home of Owls football team and is home to Owls soccer and lacrosse as well.
Keep up with Kennesaw State Athletics by following KSU on Twitter @KSUOwlNation and or by liking Kennesaw State Owls on Facebook. You also can follow Kennesaw State football at @KennesawSTFB and The Owls fund on Twitter at @TheOwlsFund.
--#GoKSUOwls--
