THIS WEEK: Coming off an emotional win in its inaugural home game last week, the Kennesaw State football team will be back in action on Saturday (Sept. 19) when it hosts Division II opponent Shorter at Fifth Third Bank Stadium.
Kickoff for the sold out game is slated for 1 p.m. and will be streamed live at Bigsouthsports.com with Jon Nelson calling the action. Fans can also listen to the game on the Internet with Brian Giffin providing play-by-play, Tutan Reyes handling analyst duties and
Art Eckman reporting from the sideline.
GAME DAY CENTRAL: A Game Day Central page has been created at www.KSUOwls.com/gameday where fans and media can find all information pertaining to game day.
SATURDAY AT THE PARK: Saturday's game against Shorter has been designated as Youth Day and is sponsored by Otter's Chicken.
BOHANNON MAKES SUCCESSFUL HEAD COACHING DEBUT: Brian Bohannon has made a successful head coaching debut as his Owls have been impressive in their first two games, outscoring their opponents 114-23. KSU won its inaugural game 56-16 over East Tennessee State in its inaugural game on Sept. 3 before defeating Edward Waters, 58-7, last Saturday (Sept. 12).
OWLS PLAY AT FCS LEVEL: Kennesaw State will play at the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level. KSU joined the Big South Conference as an associate member on Sept. 4, 2013.
A LOOK AHEAD: The Owls will be back in action Saturday, Sept.26, when they travel to Dayton, Ohio, to take on Dayton at Welcome Stadium.
DEBUT PROGRAMS IN 2015: Kennesaw State is one of four institutions who have debuted football in 2015. Along with the Owls, East Tennessee State (FCS), Finlandia University (Division III), located in Hancock, Mich. and Lyon College (NAIA) in Batesville, Ark. started football programs this fall.
The Owls are off to a 2-0 start, while East Tennessee State (0-2), Finlandia (0-2) and Lyon College (0-3) are all seeking their first wins.
FARROW NAMED BIG SOUTH DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Kennesaw State junior defensive back
Derrick Farrow was named the Big South Conference Defensive Player of the Week following an impressive performance on Saturday. Farrow was a disruptive and dominating force during the Owls' 58-7 victory over Edward Waters. The Cochran, Ga. native recorded a team-high five tackles and three forced fumbles, including one that led directly to a touchdown and one that prevented a score.
EDWARD WATERS HIGHLIGHTS: • The defense (
Izzy Sam and
McKenzie Billingslea) returned two fumble recoveries for TDs
• The Owls scored 35 first-quarter points and 58 unanswered
• KSU scored 5 rushing TDs, including 3 by
Trey White• White and WR
Justin Sumpter connected on 55-Yd. TD on 1st play of game
• Owls' defense held EWC without a 1st down until the 4th quarter
• A sellout crowd of 9,056 witnessed KSU's first home game
A NIGHT OF FIRSTS: The Owl's 56-16 win over East Tennessee State on Sept. 3 marked a night of firsts in the history of the Kennesaw State football program. Here is a list of a few of the firsts:
•
First Offensive Play: Trey White 4-yard rush
•
First Touchdown: Trey White 6-yard run (1st quarter)
•
First Passing Touchdown: White 69 yards to
Justin Sumpter (3rd quarter)
•
First Defensive Tackle: Taylor Henkle (1st quarter)
•
First Defensive Touchdown: Nick Perrotta 19-yard INT return (2nd quarter)
THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT: • Shorter competes at the Division II level and is a member of the Gulf South Conference
• The Hawks opened their season last Saturday (Sept. 12) and fell 20-7 to
Carson-Newman
• Head coach Phil Jones is in his 12th season and has a 54-53 record in 12 seasons
• Sophomore quarterback DeVante James leads Shorter's triple option
• Junior fullback B.J. McCoy rushed for 147 yards on 18 carries and had a 77-yard touchdown
HISTORICAL BEGINNING:• Opened the year and program history 2-0, becoming the fourth FCS program since 2008 to begin with two straight wins, joining Charlotte (2013), Mercer (2013) and Old Dominion (2009)
• Only FCS program since 2008 to score 50-plus points in each of its first two games (56 at East Tennessee State, 58 versus Edward Waters)
• First Big South member since Gardner-Webb in 2005, and second overall, to
open the season with consecutive 50-point games. No team has scored 50 points in each of its first three games during the Big South's football history.
OFFENSIVE NOTES:• In first two games, the Owls have scored 49 straight (at East Tennessee State) and 58 consecutive (vs. Edward Waters) points
• Through two games, Kennesaw State leads the FCS in scoring offense, averaging 57 points a game. Old Dominion (55 ppg.) is second
• The Owls rank second nationally with 361.5 rushing yards a game. The Citadel is No. 1 with 438 yards rushing a contest
• Kennesaw State tops the Big South Conference in scoring offense (57.0), touchdowns scored (16), points (114), rushing offense (361.5), rushing touchdowns (11)
• Behind redshirt junior quarterback
Trey White, Kennesaw State tops all FCS programs in passing efficiency with 272.71 mark. White has completed 4 of 9 passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns. Northern Arizona is second with a rating of 216.65.
• Kennesaw State is tied for first nationally in red zone offense, scoring on 10 of 10 possessions inside the opponent's 20-yard line. The Owls have scored nine touchdowns and made one field goal.
INDIVIDUAL OFFENSIVE NOTES:• Quarterback
Trey White ranks second in the FCS with four rushing touchdowns
• White leads the Big South Conference with 6 TDs (4 rushing, 2 passing) and scoring (24 points – 4 TDs)
• Freshman running back
Darnell Holland leads the Big South in yards per rush (30.2 – 5 rushes, 151 yards)
INAUGURAL GAME NOTES:• Kennesaw State had five touchdown drives of 50 or more yards, including four of 65 yards or more
• The 56 points are the most scored by a debuting FCS program dating back to 2008, and the 40-point win is the second largest during that same time period. KSU is one of just two teams to open against another FCS program among 10 institutions that have started a program. Charlotte, which debuted as an FCS program and has since moved to the FBS level, defeated Campbell, 52-7, in 2013.
• The 56 points by the Owls tied for the fifth most scored in FCS play during the opening weekend and led Big South Conference teams
• The 512 total yards gained led Big South Conference teams and KSU's 416 yards rushing were the third-highest total nationally
• After trailing 13-7 in the second quarter, the Owls scored 49 unanswered points. A total of seven players scored touchdowns, including redshirt freshman
Jae Bowen, who scored twice on short runs.
• Freshman placekicker
Justin Thompson was 8-for-8 on extra point attempts
• Redshirt freshman wide receiver
Justin Sumpter caught two passes for 96 yards, including 69-yard TD reception
• Redshirt freshman quarterback
Jake McKenzie saw playing time in the fourth quarter and had a 7-yard touchdown run
DEFENSIVE NOTES• Kennesaw State tops the Big South Conference in scoring defense (11.5), total defense (263.5), pass defense (135.5 ypg.) and turnover margin (+5).
• The Owls' 41 passing yards allowed to Edward Waters ranks as the fifth-fewest surrendered in the FCS this season.
• Junior defensive back
Derrick Farrow's three forced fumbles versus Edward Waters on Saturday is an FCS single-game high in 2015.
• Senior defensive end
Mason Harris is tied for the national lead in tackles for loss with 6.
• The Owls became the first team in league annals to return two fumbles for touchdowns in a game when
Izzy Sam (11 yards) and
McKenzie Billingslea (18 yards) each achieved the feat this past weekend against Edward Waters.
• Through two games, Kennesaw State has three defensive touchdowns as
Nick Perrotta (interception return),
Izzy Sam (fumble) and
McKenzie Billingslea (fumble) have found the end zone for the first time in their football careers.
INAUGURAL GAME NOTES:• Redshirt junior defensive lineman
Nick Perrotta had a game-changing 19-yard interception return for a TD late in the second quarter that gave the Owls a 21-13 lead. He finished with four tackles, including two for loss.
• Kennesaw State limited ETSU to 98 rushing yards (2.6 yards per carry)
• Redshirt senior defensive lineman
Mason Harris tied for the team lead with seven tackles, including three for loss and a sack for 10 yards. He also had two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble.
• Redshirt freshman
Taylor Henkle tied for the team lead with seven tackles, including one for loss, and had a pass breakup. He also recorded the first defensive tackle in program history.
• Redshirt defensive back Dante' Blackmon had four tackles and returned an interception 23 yards.
SMASHING DEBUT: Kennesaw State is the sixth different program to win its first game as members of the Big South Conference, joining Gardner-Webb and Elon in 2002, Coastal Carolina in 2003, Stony Brook in 2008 and Monmouth in 2014. Meanwhile, the Owls' 56 points at East Tennessee State was the most scored by a Big South member in a season opener against an FCS opponent, and the fourth-most points scored overall in an opening game of a season since the league's formation in 2002.
OWLS FLY INTO BIG SOUTH RECORD BOOK: One game into its history, Kennesaw State has already written itself into the Big South Conference record book:
• The Owls' 416 yards and six touchdowns rushing in their debut game against East Tennessee marked just the 10th time in league history that a football member gained at least 415 yards on the ground with six rushing TDs. The last to do it was Presbyterian on Sept. 6, 2014 against Bluefield (523/7). KSU's performance was just the fifth such effort against an FCS opponent.
THE VIEW FROM THE SIDELINE: Head coach
Brian Bohannon, who spent most of his career as an assistant coach in the press box on game day, has moved from the coaches' booth to the sideline in 2015. Prior to the season-opener at East Tennessee State, Bohannon last coached a game from the sideline during his final season at Georgia Southern in 2001.
IN THE BOOTH: Offensive coordinator/offensive line coach
Grant Chesnut, quarterbacks coach
Cody Worley, defensive line coach
Kevin Downing and defensive backs coach
Chris Bland will be positioned in the booth.
A LOOK AT THE ROSTER: As a startup program, Kennesaw State will feature a young team that is dominated by freshmen and redshirt freshmen. Of the 105 players listed on the Owls roster, 73 are either true freshmen (20) or redshirt freshmen (53). The roster also includes 11 sophomores, 16 juniors and five seniors.
THE SENIORS: The five seniors on the Kennesaw State roster include
Chaz Cheeks (DL, Gainesville, Ga. / Georgia Tech),
Brett Gillespie (OL, Kennesaw, Ga. / North Greenville),
Ryan Godhigh (RB, Acworth, Ga. / Harrison HS),
Mason Harris (DL, Fort Oglethorpe, Ga. / South Carolina) and
Prentice Stone (Marietta, Ga. / Eastern Kentucky).
TWO-DEEP BREAKDOWN: Head coach
Brian Bohannon released the Kennesaw State two-deep on Friday (Aug. 28) and 27 players are either freshmen or redshirt freshmen. On offense, there are 15 freshmen or redshirt freshmen listed, including seven as starters. Defensively, 12 players fall into the above categories, with six being starters.
TRYOUT TO THE TWO-DEEP: A handful of players who took part in tryouts over the last year and a half, have made significant impressions on the coaching staff and earned their way onto the two-deep. Redshirt junior defensive lineman
Nick Perrotta, redshirt sophomore linebacker
Izzy Sam and redshirt senior
Ryan Godhigh were part of the initial tryout on March 22, 2014. Additionally, redshirt senior PJ Stone (wide receiver) and redshirt freshman defensive back
Shawn Reynolds have gone from tryout hopefuls to earning spots on the Owls two-deep.
THE QUARTERBACK POSITION: Redshirt junior quarterback
Trey White is listed as the starting quarterback and backed up by redshirt freshman
Jake McKenzie. White, a transfer from The Citadel, prepped at St. Pius X Catholic High School in Atlanta. McKenzie is a former all-state player from Monroe Academy in Monroeville, Ala.
LEADING THE WAY: Redshirt freshman quarterback
Chandler Burks (Douglasville, Ga. / South Paulding HS) became the first recruit to verbally commit to Kennesaw State when he let head coach
Brian Bohannon know of his intentions to attend KSU in the summer of 2013. He also was the first signee after inking his name to a National Letter-of-Intent on Feb. 5, 2014. Burks was one of 29 players who were part of the initial signing class.
RECRUITING GEORGIA: When head coach
Brian Bohannon assumed the challenge of building a program, he said he was committed to recruiting the state of Georgia. He and his staff have stayed true to that plan as 92 of the 105 players on the roster are from Georgia. There are three players each from Alabama and Florida, two from Texas, and one each from California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee.
A GLANCE AT THE SCHEDULE: Kennesaw State will face a challenging schedule during its inaugural season. Six of the Owls' 10 opponents posted winning records in 2014, including five of six Big South Conference teams. Non-conference foe Dayton (8-3), along with Big South rivals Liberty (9-5), Monmouth (6-5), Charleston Southern (8-4), Coastal Carolina (12-2) and Presbyterian (6-5) all were on the plus side of the win-loss ledger a year ago.
SCOUTING THE BIG SOUTH CONFERENCE: The Big South Conference is considered one of the country's top NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) conferences According to HERO Sports, the Big South Conference is ranked second among the 13 conferences, behind only the Missouri Valley Conference, home to four-time defending national champion North Dakota State. STATS FCS has listed the Big South as the fourth-best conference, trailing the Missouri Valley, Colonial Athletic Association and Big Sky Conference. The Big South Conference has had two teams advance to the FCS playoffs in each of the last three seasons.
FLYING HIGH: The inaugural 2015 season can be labeled the "Year of the Bird". In addition to the Kennesaw State Owls, five opponents on KSU's schedule have a type of bird as part of their mascot. Those teams include Shorter (Hawks), Point (Skyhawks), Monmouth (Hawks), Coastal Carolina (Chanticleers) and Liberty. Although Liberty's, nickname is the Flames, it also has "Sparky the Eagle", who was introduced on campus in 2006.
KENNESAW STATE-ALABAMA STATE AGREE TO 4-YEAR SERIES: Kennesaw State and Alabama State jointly announced on Monday (Aug. 31) an agreement on a four-year series that will begin in 2017 and run through 2020. The two teams will meet for the first time on Sept. 16, 2017 at Fifth Third Bank Stadium before switching venues to The New ASU Stadium on Sept. 15, 2018. The remaining two games will be played Sept. 14, 2019 in Kennesaw before wrapping up the current agreement on Sept. 19, 2020 in Montgomery, Ala.
