By: Michael Pitts
Five years ago, a three-year start-up program traveled to a perennial FCS powerhouse that was coming off a trip to the national championship game just two seasons prior. With the odds-makers and country doubting them, that young program - determined and riding an 11-game winning streak - shocked the world.
Led by quarterback
Chandler Burks, the Kennesaw State offense soared, accruing 213 rushing yards against a Jacksonville State team that was only allowing 63 rushing yards per game in 2017.
Burks tallied 202 yards of total offense and one rushing touchdown in the victory.
"That team in 2017 was one of the more motivated teams and games that I've ever been a part of," head coach
Brian Bohannon said in his weekly press conference Tuesday. "They wanted that thing bad; I didn't have to say a word to them."
The defense rose to the occasion, holding the JSU offense to only 187 yards in the game and an astounding 54 yards in the final half of play.
Linebacker Bryson Armstrong posted 11 tackles and one sack while Jace White intercepted the JSU quarterback for the team's lone takeaway.
"Defensively, it's as hard as I've ever seen us play," Bohannon explained. "It was 11 guys flying to the football as good as I've seen."
Jacksonville State scored first, jumping out to a 7-0 lead in the second quarter. But the third-ranked team in the country would not see the end zone again. The unseeded Big South Champion Kennesaw State Owls shut out the Gamecocks for the final 34:20, sealing the 17-7 upset.
"They were not going to be denied," Bohannon added. "They wanted it."
And now, five seasons removed from that day in Jacksonville, Ala., the two teams meet again this Saturday.
A lot has changed since the two squads last met at Burgess-Snow Field. Both are now in the ASUN Conference, and two more meetings have taken place in the series. The 2018 FCS Game of the Year at SunTrust Park (now Truist Park) and last season's contest at Fifth Third Bank Stadium both went in favor of the Black and Gold.
Saturday's game marks the first ASUN Conference contest for the Owls, who won their final seven games in the Big South.
Jacksonville State is facing its first conference game of 2022 before the program moves up to Conference USA and FBS classification next year.
"We're similar schools and there's a lot of things that have been positive about Kennesaw State playing Jacksonville State," Bohannon said about the series. "Hopefully there's some way that it continues."
While this is the last scheduled game between the two, Bohannon knows what the team has to do to end it with a victory.
"You've got to love what you do, you've got to be passionate about it and practice with some passion," Bohannon remarked about this Saturday. "This is what we have to do to go be successful."
The Owls and Gamecocks meet this Saturday, Oct. 1 at 2:00 p.m. EDT inside JSU Stadium. Follow the action with the KSU Owl Network crew on the
KSU Owls App and watch live on
ESPN+.
Fans can watch the Owls five more times this season inside Fifth Third Bank Stadium. Season tickets are still on sale and highlight the most affordable purchasing options in KSU football history. New benefits include the first football concessions discount and the option to purchase a season-long parking pass. Click
here to purchase today!
For more information on Kennesaw State athletics, follow @KennesawStFB on Twitter or like Kennesaw State Football on Facebook and Instagram.
