By: Michael Goss
KENNESAW, Ga. – The No. 20 Kennesaw State football program is set to open the season with a Thursday night showdown vs. Reinhardt at Fifth Third Bank Stadium.
The Rundown
Opponent: Reinhardt University
Date: Thursday, September 2nd
Site: Fifth Third Bank Stadium
Kickoff: 8 p.m.
TV: ESPN+
Radio: KSU Owls App
Live Stats: Click Here
Tickets: Click Here
Parking: Click Here
Game Notes: KSU
Fall 2021 Schedule: Click Here
Top Storylines:
- The game is the first Thursday night home game in KSU's history. The Owls have played four times on Thursday nights in their history, and opened on a Thursday three times prior (2015, 2017, 2018).
- Kennesaw State prepares for its final season in the Big South Conference before joining the ASUN Conference in 2022 for the conference's inaugural full-schedule season.
- The Owls have played as an associate member of the Big South since 2015, which was KSU's first season of competition as a program.
- The Owls have claimed two Big South championships, back-to-back in 2017 and 2018, and have accumulated a conference record of 22-8 over their six seasons.
- KSU welcomes back a considerable amount of experience on both sides of the ball. The Owls return nine starters on offense and eight on defense in total.
- By averaging 268 rushing yards per game, KSU ranked second nationally in rushing offense.
- For the past two seasons, the Owls have led the nation in passing yards per completion. The spring season saw the Owls complete each pass for an average of 21.24 yards, and in 2019 the average was 21.42 yards.
- KSU also led the country in passing efficiency with a mark of 187.96.
- KSU scored twice on defense last spring with a pick-six and scoop-and-score. That mark led the Big South and ranked fourth nationally.
- The Owls led the Big South and ranked 14th nationally in total defense with 281 yards per game.
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.
Dynasty Mode
• Dating back to week two of the 2017 season, Kennesaw State has won 38 of its last 45 games for an .844 winning percentage.
Minute Men
• In their first six seasons, the Owls have 55 scoring drives of one minute or less, including a program-best 17 in 2019. KSU tallied four last spring; one scoring drive less than one minute in the season-opener, two more against Charleston Southern and one against Robert Morris.
Peach State Pride
• Since KSU's inception, the Owls hold the second-highest winning percentage among NCAA Division I football teams in the state of Georgia (2015-pres.). In that six-year span, Kennesaw State is the only Division I program in the state to capture two conference championships.
Ranking Streak Record
• KSU has been ranked in the top 25 for 46 consecutive weeks following the preseason polls by Stats FCS and the AFCA. The streak broke a previous Big South Conference record of 45 weeks held by Coastal Carolina.
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