Owls advance to 2nd round
Kennesaw State shined from start to finish in the opening round of the FCS playoffs with a commanding 48-21 win over the Davidson Wildcats.
The Owls totaled 417 yards of total offense en route to the largest margin of victory during a playoff game in school history.
Head coach Brian Bohannon recorded his 63rd career victory, tying the Big South Conference career wins record. The win also marked Bohannon’s fifth career playoff victory and broke the conference record for most playoff wins by a head coach.
Kyle Glover led the Owls’ rushing attack with 71 yards on nine carries. Following Glover was Nykeem Farrow who added 53 yards on three attempts.
Quarterback Xavier Shepherd earned his 11th win in his 12th career start. The sophomore went 4-for-5 passing with 115 yards. He also added 13 carries for 15 yards. With his four rushing touchdowns, Shepherd set the school record for rushing touchdowns in a postseason game. The quarterback has ran for 11 touchdowns in the Owls’ last three games.
Junior Markeith Montgomery made a big impact in his sixth start of the season for the Kennesaw State secondary. Montgomery finished second on the team in tackles with eight (three solo) and added one interception with a return of 43 yards. The eight tackles mark a career high for the junior.
The Owls (11-1) scored touchdowns on all five of their offensive drives in the first half of the game against Davidson (8-3). The 41 points are also the most the team has scored through two quarters against a Division 1 opponent in school history.
The KSU defense wasted no time breaking out the turnover plank. On the second play of the game, Evan Thompson fell on a Wildcat pitch to give the Kennesaw State offense great field position at the Davidson 29-yard line. Seven plays later, Shepherd found the end zone on six-yard rushing touchdown. The score marked the sixth time this season the Owls scored points on their opening drive.
The stout KSU defense forced a threeand-out to give the team the ball back immediately on its second possession. Big runs from Iaan Cousin and Gabriel Benyard put the offense in great position to strike again. On the seventh play of the drive, Shepherd kept the ball on the option and forced his way into the back of the end zone to give KSU a 14-0 lead.