By: Michael Goss
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KENNESAW, Ga. – The 2021 Big South Conference champions are staying home to host Davidson College in the first round of the NCAA Division I FCS playoffs on Saturday, Nov. 27. Kickoff is set for 2:00 p.m. inside Fifth Third Bank Stadium.
The Kennesaw State Owls (10-1, 7-0 Big South Conference) received an automatic playoff berth after they defeated No. 24 Monmouth, 49-17, on Saturday afternoon in the Big South Conference Championship. The win marked the third conference title in the last five years for the program. Kennesaw State compiled 571 yards of total offense which ranked second in program history. The team also rushed for a season-high 471 yards.
Head coach
Brian Bohannon and his team viewed the FCS Selection Show at the football facility on Sunday morning. Players, along with support staff, gathered to await the NCAA Committee's announcement.
"We are excited to keep playing this season and will hopefully garner a respectable level of recognition for our program here at Kennesaw State," Bohannon said. "We finished the season how we wanted. All year we wanted to leave [the conference] the right way and that's what we did. We controlled what we could and were one of the few teams that went undefeated against FCS competition and aim to keep that going Saturday. It's time for us to have a great week of practice and get ready to play a good football team."
Davidson (8-2, 7-1 Pioneer Football League) finished the regular season as the Pioneer League champions. The opening round matchup will be the first meeting in series history between the Owls and the Wildcats.
The Owls are led by sophomore quarterback
Xavier Shepherd. Shepherd finished the regular season ranked first in the FCS in rushing touchdowns with 19. The quarterback also has 14 passing touchdowns which set a new single-season school record.
Defensively, Kennesaw State finished the regular season ranked first in the Big South in total defense as it held opponents to 315 yards per game.
Evan Thompson led the team in tackles with 92 total (49 solo) and finished third in the Big South.
Travis Bell also made an impact and was first on the defense in sacks with four total.
Tickets to the opening round of the FCS playoffs are available for purchase. Fans interested can
click here to purchase or call the KSU ticket office at (470) 578-4849.
For more information on Kennesaw State athletics, follow @KennesawStFB on Twitter or like Kennesaw State Football on Facebook and Instagram.
