By: David Beall
KENNESAW, Ga. – The Kennesaw State football team held its team banquet Saturday evening to honor the senior class and celebrate another successful season that ended with an appearance in the FCS Playoffs.
THE BEST EVER
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) during the final two wins of the season. KSU is also 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.
PLAYOFF SUCCESS
Kennesaw State made the FCS Playoffs for the third consecutive season and received its first at-large bid to the 24-team field. The Owls have four playoff wins in the last three years, which is more postseason victories than all other current Big South schools combined. With its victory over Wofford in the opening round, KSU became one of five programs in the nation with a playoff victory in each of the last three seasons.
NATIONAL PROMINENCE
In just five years of competition, Kennesaw State has turned into a perennial top 25 program, earning a Top-25 ranking for 33 consecutive weeks dating back to the 2017 season. Of those 33 weeks, 26 have been in the top-10, including 19 weeks ranked among the top five teams in the land. KSU ended the 2019 season ranked No. 8 in the country in the final AFCA Coaches' Poll.
HEAD BALL COACH
Head Coach
Brian Bohannon has an overall record of 48-15 and is seventh in Big South history in coaching wins. He became the fastest Big South coach to ever win 45 games when he reached the benchmark in KSU's 38-35 victory over Campbell on Nov. 9, 2019. Coach Bohannon's Owls became the first team in Big South Conference history to win 10-plus games in three straight seasons, accumulating 34 victories during the last three years.
WE RUN THE FCS
The Owls ended the year with the best ground attack in the country, totaling 343.4 rushing yards per game and an FCS-best 58 rushing touchdowns. Kennesaw State has led the nation in rushing twice in the last three seasons and has never finished lower than sixth in the country in rushing yards per game during the program's five-year history.
BEST OF THE BEST
Ranked among the top five defensive units throughout the 2019 season, Kennesaw State ended the year as the No. 3 total defense in the nation, allowing just 278.7 yards per game. The Owls played their best game of the year in the opening round of the FCS Playoffs, holding Wofford's triple option attack to just 111 yards on the ground and dominating the Terriers as KSU captured another playoff victory. Kennesaw State ended the season ranked No. 5 in the country in rushing defense, giving up just 88.9 yards per game on the ground.
ALL-AMERICA STATUS
Junior
Bryson Armstrong brought home plenty of postseason hardware and joined former Owl
CJ Collins as the only players in program history to earn consensus All-America honors. Armstrong led Kennesaw State with 95 tackles and picked up Big South Defensive Player of the Year honors. He recorded 12.0 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and one interception and saved his best games for the playoffs with back-to-back double-digit tackle performances. Armstrong was joined by
Bronson Rechsteiner who turned in a monster senior campaign and was named Third Team All-America by HERO Sports.
THE SENIOR CLASS
• 92
Kyle Arrasmith
• 36 BJ Bobby
• 58
Andrew Butcher
• 02
Daniel David
• 22
Kevin Ficklin
• 40
Troy Henderson
• 59
Desmond Johnson, Jr.
• 08
Monte Jones
• 47
Tanner Jones
• 23
Le'Vonte Larry
• 28
Sam Outlaw
• 32
Bronson Rechsteiner
• 06
TJ Reed
• 01
Dorian Walker
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