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FCS Round 2 - KSU vs JSU
17
Winner Kennesaw State KSU 12-1
7
Jacksonville State JSU 10-2
Winner
Kennesaw State KSU
12-1
17
Final
7
Jacksonville State JSU
10-2
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
KSU Kennesaw State 0 3 7 7 17
JSU Jacksonville State 0 7 0 0 7

Game Recap: Football | | By Jake Dorow

FB: Moving on! Owls Advance to the FCS Quarterfinals

Kennesaw State Defeated Jacksonville State, 17-7, in the Second Round of the FCS Playoffs

Box Score (PDF) | Photo Gallery 

JACKSONVILLE, ALA. – The Kennesaw State defense held No. 3 Jacksonville State to 54 yards of offense in the second half, shutting out the Gamecocks over the final 30 minutes of action to help push past JSU, 17-7, at Burgess-Snow Field Saturday afternoon in the second round of the NCAA Division-I FCS Playoffs.
 
The win was the 12th straight for Kennesaw State (12-1) and advances the Owls to the quarterfinals, where they will meet No. 6-seeded Sam Houston State in Huntsville, Texas. A date and time will be determined by the NCAA.
 
"What a heck of a football game. It wasn't pretty at times but we found a way to win," said head coach Brian Bohannon." I can't say enough good things about our football team. We kept fighting and Jacksonville State is a really, really good football team.
 
"In the first half, it felt like Jacksonville State had 15 guys on the field on defense. Defensively, we were stout all night and played unbelievable on defense. I'm awfully proud to be a part of this and our fan support was incredible."
 
Redshirt freshman Bryson Armstrong led the Owls' defense with 11 tackles (eight solo), one sack and once tackle for loss, while junior DB Jace White tallied five tackles and an interception. Sophomore DL Desmond Johnson, Jr., and senior Justin Marcus each finished with a sack and 1.5 tackles for loss.
 
A physical, hard-fought first half battle between the two defenses forced a combined seven punts, 153 total yards and just 14 first downs over the first 30 minutes of action.
 
Kennesaw State held the Gamecocks to 51 passing yards and seven first downs to take a 7-3 deficit into the lockers. Jacksonville State broke the scoreless tilt on Roc Thomas' 22-yard rush with 4:20 remaining in the first half.
 
The Owls answered on their ensuing drive with a 9-play, 57-yard drive that milked 3:18 before Big South Special Teams Player of the Year Justin Thompson kicked the ball through the uprights from 25-yards out, cutting the deficit to 7-3 at halftime.
 
Kennesaw State wasted no time in the second half, marching down the field for an 8-play, 48 yard drive that soaked up 4:22 on the opening possession. Owls' junior RB Darnell Holland capped off the drive by crossing the goal line from nine yards out to give KSU its first lead of the game at 10-7 with 10:29 remaining in the third.
 
That lead was never surrendered as the Owls' defense allowed just seven first downs and 54 yards in the second half. The Gamecocks' possessions in the second half resulted in an interception, two punts and turnover on downs, totaling just 20 plays over the final 30 minutes.
 
The afternoon was capped when junior QB Chandler Burks, who was named Big South's Offensive Player of the Year, scored on a quarterback keeper from 2-yards out to put the game out of reach at 17-7 with 14:57 remaining in the fourth quarter.
 
Burks finished the ballgame with a game-high 76 rushing yards on 19 carries with a score, and completing 8-of-13 passes for 126 yards. Shaquil Terry totaled 67 yards on seven carries and Holland finished with 25 yards and a TD.
 
NOTES
  • The victory extends the Owls' school-record winning streak to 12.
  • The 12-1 overall record is the best in program history.
  • The 12 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 victory is the second FCS Playoff win in program history.
  • Kennesaw State became the first program in just its third year to advance to the quarterfinals. Old Dominion (2011) went on to lose to Georgia Southern in the second round.
  • The Owls improved to 5-1 on the road this season.
  • Junior QB Chandler Burks became the first Big South quarterback in history to rush for 1,000 yards and pass for 1,000 yards in a single season.
  • Burks also became the first 1,000 yard rusher in Kennesaw State's history for a single season.
  • Junior DB Jace White's third quarter interception extended the Owls' streak of at least one pick to 13 games. KSU has recorded an interception in every game this season.
  • The turnover led to seven points. KSU's 34 takeaways and turnover margin, which ranked first in the nation entering the day, added to its points-off-turnover scoring, which now sits at 131-10 ( 121) margin.
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--
 
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