By: Aury St. Germain
KENNESAW, Ga.- On a quest to win it's third-straight Big South Championship, Kennesaw State plays host to conference opponent Charleston Southern on Saturday (Oct. 12) for homecoming. Fans are encouraged to wear gold to participate in the "Gold Out".
The Rundown
Opponent: Charleston Southern (1-4, 0-0)
Date: Saturday, October 12
Site: Kennesaw, Ga. (Fifth Third Bank Stadium)
Kickoff: 3 p.m. (ET)
TV: ESPN3
Live Stats: Click Here
Radio: Atlanta Sports X - 1230 AM; 106.3 FM
TuneIn App: Click Here
Game Notes: KSU | Charleston Southern
Top Storylines
• Kennesaw State opens Big South play Saturday on a 10-game conference winning streak, with the last loss in league play coming against Charleston Southern on Nov. 19, 2016.
• The Owls are 3-1 in Big South openers and have won two in a row. KSU is also 4-0 when coming off a bye week, scoring at least 36 points in all four games.
• Kennesaw State starts a journey Saturday looking to become the first team in Big South history to win three straight outright conference championships.
• Last season, the Owls became the third Big South member to win consecutive conference championships with an undefeated record, posting back-to-back 5-0 league records.
• A win Saturday would give the Owls 11 straight conference victories and tie the second-longest win-streak in league history.
• Charleston Southern has proven to be the Owls' toughest foe in program history, as CSU is the only team to knock off Kennesaw State multiple times.
• The two losses against the Bucs came in 2015 and 2016. In the last two meetings, Kennesaw State has handled CSU, outscoring the Bucs 76-10, including a 38-0 victory in 2017.
• The Owls currently lead all FCS teams in total defense, surrendering just 230.4 yards per game. The mark ranks third among all Division I football teams (FBS & FCS) and only behind Wisconsin and Missouri.
• Kennesaw State ranks No. 1 in all of Division I football in rushing yards per game, averaging 369.8 yards per contest. The Owls are on pace to break their own Big South record of 352.9 yards per game set last season.
• Against its last two FCS opponents, Kennesaw State combined to rush for 960 yards against Alabama State and Missouri State. With rushing performances of 479 and 481 yards, the Owls hold two of the top three single-game rushing performances this year in all of FCS.
• Dating back to Week 2 of the 2017 season, KSU has won 27 of its last 31 games, including going 5-2 against FCS ranked teams.
Noting Charleston
• The Bucs are led by the first-year head coach Autry Denson, who collected his first win of his coaching career Saturday against Savannah State.
• Charleston Southern's offense has struggled in 2019 and has scored 15-plus points in just two contests this season (21 vs. North Carolina A&T, 24 vs. Savannah State).
• Jack Chambers leads the Charleston Southern offense, pacing the Bucs in passing and ranking second in rushing. On the ground, he has carried the ball 42 times for 121 yards and three scores, while throwing the pigskin 128 times. He has completed 78 of his attempts for four touchdowns but has thrown a conference-most seven interceptions.
• Running back Ronnie Harris is the most familiar face out of the backfield for Charleston Southern. He has carried the ball 73 times for 354 yards, but has yet to find the endzone. Terrence Wilson is also dangerous carrying the ball, as he leads the Bucs in rushing yards per carry (5.8).
• J.D. Sosebee and Cody Cline lead the Buc defense, as the only two players with 30-plus tackles on the defense. Sosebee leads the team with 36, while Cline has recorded 35.
• Nick Salley has lived in opponents' backfield, as he leads the team with 7.0 tackles for loss. When he has played, Anton Williams has been effective, as he has 6.5 TFLs in just three games.
• CSU has been outmatched on special teams through the first five games of the season. The Bucs are just 4-7 on field goal attempts, while their opponents are 8-8. On kickoffs, CSU has just two touchbacks, while surrendering 22.
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