By: Aury St. Germain
KENNESAW, Ga. - After knocking off the Southern Conference Champions last weekend, No. 9 Kennesaw State looks to upend No. 3 Weber State, the Big Sky Conference Champions, on Saturday in Ogden, Utah.
The Rundown
Opponent: Weber State (9-3, 7-1)
Date: December 7, 2019
Site: Ogden, Utah (Stewart 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 |
Weber State
Top Storylines
• Kennesaw State is playing in the second round of the FCS Playoffs for the third consecutive year, taking on No. 3 national seed Weber State in Ogden, Utah.
• No other start-up program in college football history has more wins in its first five seasons than Kennesaw State with 48 victories. The Owls surpassed Georgia Southern (47) and Old Dominion (46) the last two weeks.
• KSU is the first start-up program in college football history to post three consecutive 11-win seasons during its first five years of competition. Kennesaw State and North Dakota State are the only FCS programs to post 11-plus wins in each of the last three seasons.
• The Owls are 4-2 all-time in the FCS Playoffs, including at least one playoff win in three straight seasons. KSU and UNI are the only teams to win a playoff game in each of the last three years, and they can be joined Saturday by North Dakota State, South Dakota State, Weber State and JMU.
• Kennesaw State is 6-2 in its last eight games against ranked opponents, with four of those victories coming in the playoffs. The last time KSU played the No. 3 seed in the FCS Playoffs, the Owls went to No. 3 Jacksonville State and knocked off the Gamecocks 17-7 in 2017.
• The Owls enter the second round of the FCS Playoffs with the No. 1 rushing attack in the country, averaging 346.8 yards per game on the ground, including an FCS-best 57 rushing touchdowns.
• Kennesaw State is one of three teams in the nation to rank in the top-5 in scoring offense and total defense, ranking No. 4 in defense (278.1) and No. 5 in offense (39.2). The Owls are joined by the top two teams in the nation in NDSU and JMU.
• Dating back to Week 2 of the 2017 season, Kennesaw State has won 34 of its last 39 games for an 87.1 winning percentage.
• The Owls are looking to advance to the quarterfinals of the FCS Playoffs for the third straight season with a win at Weber State. Only three other programs have advanced to the quarterfinals each of the last two years.
• Kennesaw State has won 10 consecutive true road games against FCS opponents dating back to a loss in the quarterfinals of the Playoffs at Sam Houston State in 2017.
• In his first significant action of the year, quarterback
Jonathan Murphy was sensational in the opening round of the FCS Playoffs, rushing for 206 yards and three touchdowns to fuel a comeback win for the Owls. His runs of 35, 40 and 61 yards were the three longest runs in conference history by a QB in the playoffs.
Noting Weber State
• Weber State captured its third straight Big Sky conference championship in 2019, posting a 9-3 overall record and 7-1 mark in league play.
• The Wildcats dropped a pair of games to FBS teams, falling at San Diego State 6-0, and at Nevada 19-13. Weber State's only FCS loss came at the hands of No. 5 national seed Montana, a 35-16 defeat on the road.
• Jay Hill is in his sixth season at the helm of the Wildcats, posting an overall record of 45-29. He has led Weber State to three straight appearances in the FCS Playoffs where he has a 3-3 record, including a 2-1 mark at home.
• Weber State has been stellar at home at Stewart Stadium, winning 18 of its last 20 home games, including going undefeated at home in the regular season each of the last two years.
• The Wildcats rank No. 9 in the nation at stopping the run, allowing just 107.3 yards per game on the ground. Weber State will face its toughest test to date this week with the No. 1 rushing attack in the nation.
• Quarterback Jake Constantine has thrown for 1,733 yards and 11 touchdowns but has tossed nine interceptions on the year.
• Running back Josh Davis has 1,015 yards on the ground and has rushed for 10 touchdowns, while Kris Jackson has also added 10 rushing scores.
• Noah Vaea leads the defense with 71 total tackles on the year, while Jared Schiess has a team-high 10.5 tackle for loss and Ja'Kobe Harris has three interceptions.
For more information on Kennesaw State athletics, follow @KSUOwlNation on Twitter or like Kennesaw State Owls on Facebook and Instagram.
