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KENNESAW, Ga. – Junior QB Chandler Burks threw a pair of touchdown passes to Justin Sumpter, and the Kennesaw State offense rolled up 383 yards of total offense to lead the 16th-ranked Owls to a 28-17 victory over No. 14 Samford in the opening round of the NCAA Division I FCS Playoffs Saturday at Fifth Third Bank Stadium.
 
The win was the 11th straight for Kennesaw State (11-1) and advances the Owls to the second round where they will meet No. 3 overall seed Jacksonville State (10-1) in Jacksonville, Ala. next Saturday. Kickoff is 2 p.m. (ET).
 
"When you get to the playoffs everyone is good and Samford is an awfully good football team and we have a lot of respect for them," head coach Brian Bohannon said. "For our kids to come out and find a way to win our first time in the playoffs is special, and it was a team win.
 
"When you get in the playoffs, it's survive and advance, that's really it. All you are doing is finding a way and advance to the next round," Bohannon said. "I'm awfully proud of our football team. It was a great win for us."   
 
Burks, who also ran for a score, hooked up with Sumpter twice in the first half, connecting on scoring plays of 7 and 6 yards. The duo opened the second quarter with a 7-yard pass play and closed out the half with a 6-yard connection with :05 remaining. Both scores came on identical plays.
 
KSU totaled 321 yards of offense, including 267 on the ground in the first half.
 
Akebren Ralls' 55-yard interception return for a touchdown at the end of the third quarter gave Kennesaw State a 28-10 lead and put the game out of reach. The redshirt junior's pick kept alive the Owls' streak of at least one interception in every game this season.
 
Redshirt freshman RB Shaquil Terry, who rushed four times for a 109 yards in the first half, finished with a game and career-high 120 yards on eight carries. He had an 84-yard run in the first half that tied Darnell Holland for the longest rush in program history. Holland set the school mark earlier this season against Tennessee Tech (Sept. 9).
 
Defensively, redshirt freshman LB Bryson Armstrong broke the team record with 16 tackles, including 11 solos.

Tickets are currently on salle for the the Owls' second-game at Jacksonville State, Tickets are $20 plus fees and can be purchased here.
 
NOTES

• The victory extends the Owls' school-record winning streak to 11.
• The 11-1 overall record is the best in program history.
• The 11 wins mark a KSU single-season program record – previous, 8-3 in 2016 - are the most by third-year program, eclipsing the mark of 10 set by Old Dominion in 2011.
• The 11 
• The victory is the first FCS Playoff win in program history and Kennesaw State matches Old Dominion (2011) as the only FCS programs to win a first-round playoff game. ODU went on to lose to Georgia Southern in the second round. 
• The Owls improved to 7-0 at Fifth Third Bank Stadium this season.
• Kennesaw State's victory over No. 14 Samford, marked the Owls' second straight over a ranked opponent. The Bulldogs also represent the highest-ranked opponent KSU has beaten
• The Owls joined Old Dominion as the only two Division-I programs (since 2008) to secure winning seasons in each of the programs' first three years. KSU's 25 wins over its first three seasons are second most by a start-up D-I FCS team since 2008 – Old Dominion went 27-8.
• Junior DB Akebren Ralls' third quarter interception extended the Owls' streak of at least one pick to 12 games. KSU has recorded an interception in every game this season.
• The nation's top rushing team, KSU rushed 50 times for 329 yards, marking the ninth straight game and 10th time this season the Owls have surpassed 300 yards on the ground. 
• Junior WR Justin Sumpter caught a pair of touchdown passes for the third time in his career, tying a personal single-game high last accomplished at Duquesne in 2016.
• With 72 yards rushing against Samford, QB Chandler Burks increased his season total to 984 to become KSU's single-season rushing leader. He broke the previous mark of 964 set by Trey White in 2015.
• Burks, who threw a pair of TDs and ran for another versus Samford, has accounted for 24 touchdowns this year, breaking his previous record of 22 set in 2016.
• Terry rushed eight times for a career-high 120 yards. His 84-yard run in the first half tied teammate Darnell Holland for the longest rush from scrimmage in program history. Holland set the record versus Tennessee Tech earlier this season.

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.
 
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