Owls shrug off weather delay steamroll Alabama State 62-13

‘I have to execute better. At the end of the day, two turnovers will lose you a game. We’re just fortunate enough it didn’t tonight.’

Kennesaw QB Chandler Burks, on his two lost fumbles

After a delay of one hour and 43 minutes because of lightning in the area, Kennesaw State rolled over Ala- bama State 62-13 in the Owls’ home opener at Fifth Third Bank Stadium on Saturday night. Here are some things to know about the win:

1. Kennesaw State’s offense excels in first half.

Veering from the option only to throw a few long passes, the Owls trampled the Hornets, scoring eight touchdowns.

Quarte r back Chand l er Burks was 4-for-4 passing for 95 yards and one touchdown and rushed for 71 yards and three touchdowns in the first half before he was replaced by Daniel David to start the second half.

David was 1-for-1 for 41 yards and rushed for 77 yards and one touchdown, including a long of 65 yards in the third quarter. Tommy Bryant and Donovan Taitt also took a few snaps at quarterback late in the game.

“A lot of kids got to play tonight,” head football coach Brian Bohannon said. “It’s good for them, and it’s good for them to be on tape . ... I think they can definitely learn from it moving forward.”

While Burks put up the big- gest numbers of the night, running back Darnell Holland impressed, rushing for 136 yards on three carries and one touchdown. Holland’s best play came late in the second quarter when he ran the ball 70 yards to score the Owls’ sixth touchdown of the first half.

The Owls (2-1) finished Saturday with 563 yards of offense, 417 rushing.

2. Owls defense swallows Hornets.

Whenever the Hornets gained some offensive momentum, the Owls shut it down.

The best example of the pressure the Owls applied all night came late in the second quarter when Alabama State quarterback Darryl Pearson threw a 53-yard pass to put the Hornets on the Owls’ 32-yard line. With a quick pass rush and precise coverage in the secondary, the Owls stone- walled two rush attempts then two pass attempts on third and fourth down.

While Kennesaw State’s starters were playing in the first half, the Hornets entered the red zone twice but settled for a field goal on both trips. Alabama State entered the end zone for the first time in the third quarter off a 78-yard pass to Tyrek Allen.

The Hornets totaled 314 yards of offense, including 211 passing yards, and were 3-of-16 on third-down plays.

The Owls also forced three turnovers, with two fumbles in the first half and an inter- ception returned 34 yards by linebacker Demetrius Pettway in the third quarter. Kennesaw State scored 21 points of Alabama State turnovers.

3. Owls fumble three times in first half.

While the Owls’ offense was able to efficiently move the ball downfield, they lost three of four fumbles committed Saturday.

The Owls’ first fumble of the game occurred when rain picked up for about five minutes into the first quarter. Alabama State returned the fum- ble 17 yards down the field and later scored on a 19-yard field goal. The Owls committed two more fumbles in the first half, recovering one — committed on a first-quarter kick return by Holland — and losing the other on a handoff from Burks on the Alabama State 20-yard line.

“I have to execute better,” Burks said of his two lost fumbles. “At the end of the day, two turnovers will lose you a game. We’re just fortunate enough it didn’t tonight.”

“The first quarter wasn’t as sharp as we wanted it to be, but us guys seeing our potential and what this program can be like going into playoffs and finishing this season,” Holland said.

The Owls lost one more fumble in the fourth quarter.

Kennesaw State returns to action at 6 p.m. Saturday for the second of four consecutive home games at Fifth Third Bank Stadium as it hosts Clark Atlanta.