By: By Jake Dorow
Kennesaw State looks to bounce back Saturday night at Fifth Third Bank Stadium when Point University visits The Nest for the second straight season. The game kicks at 7 p.m., can be seen live on Peachtree TV and heard on ESPN Radio 1230 The Fan 2. The Owls hope to shake off last week's double-overtime setback to East Tennessee State, 20-17, in the season opener.
FIRST & 10
- Saturday's game versus Point is the second straight night game at Fifth Third Bank Stadium, and the second time in as many years the Skyhakws have visited KSU. Last year, the Owls won big, 56-17.
- An overflow crowd of 8,574 saw last Saturday's thriller at Fifth Third Bank Stadium as visiting East Tennessee State escaped with a 20-17 win in double overtime. KSU has sold out all seven home games in program history and looks to make it eight straight versus Point.
- Of the 50 Owls on the two-deep, 33 are redshirt-sophomores or younger. The depth also includes just seven seniors and 10 are juniors for head coach Brian Bohannon's team, which is the youngest team in the Big South Conference.
- Kennesaw State made its debut on Peachtree TV and ESPN Radio 1230AM The Fan 2 last Saturday night. The game was the first of six that will air on Peachtree TV, while every game this season can be heard on ESPN Radio 1230 The Fan 2.
- Saturday's thriller marked the first overtime game in the two-year history of Kennesaw State's program.
- Against ETSU, senior RB Chaston Bennett highlighted what could be a much-improved special-teams unit for the Owls. Bennett averaged 46 yards on his two kickoff returns, which set a new school record.
- Sophomore WR Justin Sumpter picked up last week where he left off in 2015, reeling in a career-high six catches for 75 yards and made a leaping 22-yard TD grab in overtime that forced a second overtime period.
- Three true freshmen played in last Saturday's season opener – Dustin Clabough, Bronson Rechsteiner and Christian Kinsley.
- Senior QB Trey White reached the end zone last Saturday, marking the fifth time he has scored of the last seven games he's played.
- Tonarius Portress' dominanting performance on the defensive line helped earn Big South Defensive Player of the Week honors after Week 1.
A WIN VERSUS POINT WOULD
- Give Kennesaw State its first win of the 2016 season.
- Improve its record to 2-0 all-time versus Point and its record to 1-1 entering the bye week.
- Give the Owls their first home win since Oct. 31, 2015, when KSU defeated Monmouth 23-12.
POINTING OUT THE NUMBERS
- The Owls defeated Point on Oct. 10, 2015 at Fifth Third Bank Stadium, 56-17, in the first matchup between the two programs.
- Kennesaw State put up video-game-like numbers offensively, totaling 699 yards and setting a Big South single-game record for total offense.
- The record of total yards bettered the old mark of 695 set by Charleston Southern vs. West Virginia Wesleyan in 2015.
- The Owls amassed 391 rushing yards and 308 passing yards, which became just the second team in Big South history with 300 rushing yards and 300 passing yards in the same game.
- Now-senior running back Chaston Bennett enjoyed success against Point, totaling a career-high 160 all-purpose yards (70 rushing, 90 receiving) and two rushing TDs in the game. Bennett scored on runs of 13 and 14 yards, and also hauled in a 69-yard touchdown reception.
- Also enjoying success in 2015 against the Skyhawks was QB Trey White, who connected on a career-high 9-for-14 and 239 yards through the air with three first-half touchdowns. White tossed touchdowns to Darnell Holland (43 yards), Bennett (69 yards) and Justin Sumpter (19) for a career day.
OVERTIME THRILLER IN THE NEST
- Sophomore Jordan Genovese's 41-yd field goal capped the scoring in regulation, tying the game at 10-10 with 11:33 remaining in the fourth quarter.
- Genovese's 41-yard kick marked the third-longest in program history, behind Justin Thompson's 43 and 42 yarders last season.
- The double-overtime thriller marked the first OT game for Kennesaw State in program history.
- Sophomore QB Chandler Burks, who entered the game late in the fourth quarter, completed 4-of-7 through the air for 25 yards in overtime. His 22-yard TD pass to Justin Sumpter on fourth-and-18 extended the game to a second overtime period.
- The game duration of 3:38 marked the longest game in program history.
- The longest game in Big South history was a five-OT battle in 2010 (Coastal Carolina).
HIT'EM PORTRESS
- Junior Tonarius Portress had himself a game Saturday night, making the most of his first collegiate start for the Owls.
- Portress totaled a career-high eight tackles, including a program-record five tackles for a loss of 21 yards.
- His five tackles for a loss also tied a single-game Big South record.
- His eight tackles was six clear of his previous best of two tackles, when the defensive end compiled a couple of solo tackles against Point.
- In 2015, only Mason Harris (12), Anthony Gore (7.5), Dez Billingslea (7) and Izzy Sam (7) had more tackles for loss for the entire season than Portress had last Saturday night.
- Portress was tabbed Big South Conference Defensive Player of the Week after his dominanting performance on the defensive line versus ETSU, his first weekly award of his career.
GAMEDAY HASHTAGS/ SOCIAL MEDIA HUBS
Hashtag: #GoKSUOwls
Twitter: @KSUOwlNation; @KennesawStFB; @mikedegeorge; @jdorow19
Facebook: KSUOwlNation
Instagram: KennesawStFB
YouTube: Owl Network
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 became the official home of Owls football team and is also home to Owls soccer and lacrosse.
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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.
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