Owls overcome slow start to power past Hawks, defend Big South crown
WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. — Icy, gusty winds relentlessly starched the flags and the officials’ pants legs at Kessler Stadium all Saturday afternoon.
That turned out to be a big problem for Monmouth — but not so much for Kennesaw State.
Propelled by a ruthless offensive line, the No. 2 Owls amassed 412 rushing yards against a veteran defense to roll to a 51-14 victory and clinch the team’s second straight Big South Conference championship.
Senior Darnell Holland rushed for a team-record 195 yards and scored three touchdowns on nine carries for the Owls (9-1, 5-0). Monmouth (7-3, 3-1), which had won 10 straight home games, came in having allowed a Big South-best 106 rushing yards per game.
“We felt like, if we could go high-execution and play at a high level, we could move the football,” said Kennesaw State coach Brian Bohannon, whose team also earned an automatic berth in the 24-team Football Championship Subdivision tournament.
Holland polished off Kennesaw State’s opening drive with a 9-yard touchdown run, but Monmouth grabbed a 14-7 lead early in the second quarter after the Owls stalled on one drive and punted after another. Kennesaw State then held tight, forcing a 19-yard punt.
Before he ended an 11-play, 61-yard drive with a 1-yard run for his 24th touchdown of the season, quarterback Chandler Burks threaded a 25-yard sideline pass to fellow senior Trey Chivers.
The game was tied, but the Owls were on rhythm.
“The kind of style we play beats down on defenses a little bit,” said Burks, who rushed for 54 yards and three touchdowns, while passed for 90 yards.
Kennesaw State wore out Monmouth, then frustrated the Hawks, who were hit with two second-half unsportsmanlike-conduct penalties. In the second half, the Owls gained 253 rushing yards and scored five touchdowns, sending most of the crowd of 2,332 to their cars early.
“Once we play as a team, there are very few teams that can stop us other than ourselves,” Holland said.
After giving up touchdowns to Monmouth’s up-tempo offense on its first two drives of the game, the Kennesaw State defense clamped down, too. Hawks quarterback Kenji Behar completed only 12 passes for 84 yards — but just 32 yards after Monmouth’s first two drives.
Behar entered Saturday with 2,135 passing yards, ninth-best in team history. The Hawks had averaged 32.8 points per game, second only to the Owls in the conference. Reggie White Jr., who had 57 catches entering the game, had a mere four catches for 48 yards.
“Once we settled down, we did what we were supposed to do,” Kennesaw State linebacker Charlie Patrick. “We just had to calm down.”
The Owls, who finish the regular season next Saturday against Jacksonville State at SunTrust Park, can still earn a first-round bye in the playoffs and are set on accomplishing much more this season, but they were delighted with their Big South title, hoisting the trophy high.
“They’re pretty good on offense, and they got us on our heels a little bit,” Bohannon said of Monmouth, “but I think our kids settled down.”