2018 Kennesaw State Owls football team

Last updated

2018 Kennesaw State Owls football
Kennesaw State Owls logo.svg
Big South champion
FCS Playoffs Quarterfinals, L 17–27 vs. South Dakota State
Conference Big South Conference
Ranking
STATSNo. 5
FCS CoachesNo. 4
Record11–2 (5–0 Big South)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorGrant Chesnut (4th season)
Defensive coordinator Brian Newberry (4th season)
Home stadium Fifth Third Bank Stadium
Seasons
  2017
2019  
2018 Big South Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 5 Kennesaw State $^  5 0   11 2  
Monmouth  4 1   8 3  
Charleston Southern  3 2   5 6  
Gardner–Webb  2 3   3 8  
Campbell  1 4   6 5  
Presbyterian  0 5   2 8  
  • $ Conference champion
  • ^ FCS playoff participant
Rankings from STATS Poll

The 2018 Kennesaw State Owls football team represented Kennesaw State University in the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by fourth-year head coach Brian Bohannon and played their home games at Fifth Third Bank Stadium in Kennesaw, Georgia as fourth-year members of the Big South Conference. They finished the season 11–2, 5–0 in Big South play to win the Big South conference championship for the second consecutive year. The Owls received the Big South's automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs. The Owls earned a No. 4 seed and a first round bye. They defeated Wofford in the second round before losing in the quarterfinals to No. 5 South Dakota State.

Contents

Preseason

Big South poll

In the Big South preseason poll released on July 23, 2018, the Owls were predicted to finish as Big South champions. [1]

Predicted finishTeamVotes (1st place)
1Kennesaw State107 (17)
2Monmouth82 (1)
3Charleston Southern75
4Gardner–Webb52
5Campbell36
6Presbyterian26

Preseason All-Big South team

The Big South released their preseason all-Big South team on July 23, 2018, with the Owls having fourteen players selected along with two more at three positions on the honorable mention list. [2] Quarterback Chandler Burks was named preseason offensive player of the year and linebacker Bryson Armstrong was named the preseason defensive player of the year.

Award watch lists

AwardPlayerPositionYear
Walter Payton Award [3] Chandler BurksQBSR
Buck Buchanan Award [4] Bryson ArmstrongLBSO

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
August 307:00 p.m.at Georgia State *No. 5 ESPN+ L 20–2423,088
September 67:00 p.m.at Tennessee Tech *No. 7 ESPNU W 49–104,118
September 156:45 p.m. Alabama State *No. 7ESPN+W 62–138,799
September 226:00 p.m. Clark Atlanta *No. 5
  • Fifth Third Bank Stadium
  • Kennesaw, GA
ESPN+W 70–136,009
September 296:00 p.m. Samford *No. 4
  • Fifth Third Bank Stadium
  • Kennesaw, GA
ESPN3 W 24–106,304
October 62:00 p.m. Presbyterian No. 4
  • Fifth Third Bank Stadium
  • Kennesaw, GA
ESPN3W 56–06,414
October 131:30 p.m.at Gardner–Webb No. 3ESPN3W 56–174,150
October 276:00 p.m.at Charleston Southern No. 2ESPN+W 38–101,242
November 32:00 p.m. Campbell No. 2
  • Fifth Third Bank Stadium
  • Kennesaw, GA
ESPN+W 49–06,012
November 1012:00 p.m.at Monmouth No. 2ESPN3W 51–142,332
November 173:00 p.m.vs. No. 6 Jacksonville State *No. 2
FSS W 60–52 5OT16,949
December 12:00 p.m.No. 13 Wofford *No. 2
  • Fifth Third Bank Stadium
  • Kennesaw, GA (FCS Playoffs Second Round)
ESPN3W 13–103,515
December 82:00 p.m.No. 5 South Dakota State *No. 2
  • Fifth Third Bank Stadium
  • Kennesaw, GA (FCS Playoffs Quarterfinals)
ESPN3L 17–273,242

Game summaries

At Georgia State

Kennesaw State at Georgia State
1234Total
No. 5 Owls776020
Panthers01401024
  • Date:August 30
  • Location: Georgia State Stadium
    Atlanta, GA
  • Game start: 7:00 p.m. EDT
  • Elapsed time: 3:16
  • Game attendance: 23,088
  • Game weather: 83°F • S 6 • Mostly sunny
  • Referee: Marshall Lewis
  • TV announcers (ESPN+): Matt Stewart, Wayne Gandy, Jael Rucker

At Tennessee Tech

Kennesaw State at Tennessee Tech
1234Total
No. 7 Owls71421749
Golden Eagles300710
  • Date:September 6
  • Location: Tucker Stadium
    Cookeville, TN
  • Game start: 7:00 p.m. EDT
  • Elapsed time: 3:02
  • Game attendance: 4,118
  • Game weather: 74°F • 10 mph • Early rain
  • Referee: D. Whitehead
  • TV announcers (ESPNU): Tiffany Greene, Jay Walker

Alabama State

Alabama State at Kennesaw State
1234Total
Hornets337013
No. 7 Owls142820062
  • Date: September 15
  • Location: Fifth Third Bank Stadium
    Kennesaw, GA
  • Game start: 6:45 p.m. EDT
  • Elapsed time: 3:06
  • Game attendance: 8,799
  • Game weather: 78°F • 6 mph • Light rain
  • Referee: Jeff Page
  • TV announcers (ESPN+): Brian Katrek, Tutan Reyes, Chris Mooneyham

Clark Atlanta

Clark Atlanta at Kennesaw State
1234Total
Panthers1300013
No. 5 Owls1421211470
  • Date: September 22
  • Location: Fifth Third Bank Stadium
    Kennesaw, GA
  • Game start: 6:00 p.m. EDT
  • Elapsed time: 3:03
  • Game attendance: 6,009
  • Game weather: 88°F • 6 mph • A few clouds
  • Referee: Douglas Mercer
  • TV announcers (ESPN+): Brian Katrek, Tutan Reyes, Chris Mooneyham, Lauren Hoffman

Samford

Samford at Kennesaw State
1234Total
Bulldogs300710
No. 4 Owls777324
  • Date: September 29
  • Location: Fifth Third Bank Stadium
    Kennesaw, GA
  • Game start: 6:00 p.m. EDT
  • Elapsed time: 2:41
  • Game attendance: 6,304
  • Game weather: 83°F • 6 mph • Partly Cloudy
  • Referee: Stephen Hazle
  • TV announcers (ESPN3): Brian Giffin, Brandon Joseph, Nathan McCreary

Presbyterian

Presbyterian at Kennesaw State
1234Total
Blue Hose00000
No. 4 Owls141421756
  • Date: October 6
  • Location: Fifth Third Bank Stadium
    Kennesaw, GA
  • Game start: 2:00 p.m. EDT
  • Elapsed time: 2:51
  • Game attendance: 6,414
  • Referee: Marcus Woods
  • TV announcers (ESPN3): Brian Katrek, Tutan Reyes, Chris Mooneyham, Lauren Hoffman

At Gardner–Webb

Kennesaw State at Gardner–Webb
1234Total
No. 3 Owls721141456
Runnin' Bulldogs3001417
  • Date: October 13
  • Location: Ernest W. Spangler Stadium
    Boiling Springs, NC
  • Game start: 1:30 p.m. EDT
  • Elapsed time: 2:45
  • Game attendance: 4,150
  • Game weather: 65°F • 7 mph • Sunny
  • Referee: Duane Heydt
  • TV announcers (ESPN3): Fabian Fuentes, Renaldo Wynn, Brendan Boylan

At Charleston Southern

Kennesaw State at Charleston Southern
1234Total
No. 2 Owls7177738
Buccaneers370010
  • Date: October 27
  • Location: Buccaneer Field
    North Charleston, SC
  • Game start: 6:00 p.m. EDT
  • Elapsed time: 2:57
  • Game attendance: 1,242
  • Referee: Thomas Graham
  • TV announcers (ESPN+): Kevin O’Rourke, Danny Croghan III, Danielle Hensley

Campbell

Campbell at Kennesaw State
1234Total
Fighting Camels00000
No. 2 Owls02121749
  • Date: November 3
  • Location: Fifth Third Bank Stadium
    Kennesaw, GA
  • Game start: 2:00 p.m. EDT
  • Elapsed time: 2:40
  • Game attendance: 6,012
  • Game weather: 62°F • NW 1 • Sunny
  • Referee: Todd LaPenta
  • TV announcers (ESPN+): Brian Katrek, Tutan Reyes, Chris Mooneyham, Lauren Hoffman

At Monmouth

Kennesaw State at Monmouth
1234Total
No. 2 Owls710142051
Hawks770014
  • Date: November 10
  • Location: Kessler Stadium
    West Long Branch, NJ
  • Game start: 12:00 p.m. EDT
  • Elapsed time: 2:56
  • Game attendance: 2,332
  • Game weather: 44°F • Sunny
  • Referee: David Epperley
  • TV announcers (ESPN3): Matt Harmon, Eddy Occhipinti, Suzi Mellano

Vs. Jacksonville State

Jacksonville State vs Kennesaw State
1234OTTotal
No. 6 Gamecocks771002852
No. 2 Owls010773660
  • Date: November 17
  • Location: SunTrust Park
    Atlanta, GA
  • Game start: 3:00 p.m. EDT
  • Elapsed time: 4:12
  • Game attendance: 16,949
  • Game weather: 64°F • WNW 3 • Partly Cloudy
  • Referee: Larry Adcock
  • TV announcers (FSS): Brian Katrek, Tutan Reyes, Chris Mooneyham

FCS Playoffs

Wofford–Second Round

Wofford vs Kennesaw State
1234Total
No. 13 Terriers0100010
No. 2 Owls0100313
  • Date: December 1
  • Location: Fifth Third Bank Stadium
    Kennesaw, GA
  • Game start: 2:00 p.m. EDT
  • Elapsed time: 2:55
  • Game attendance: 3,515
  • Game weather: 54°F • E 9 • Light Rain/Fog/Mist
  • Referee: Bruce Bondi
  • TV announcers (ESPN3): Jim Barbar, John Gregory

South Dakota State–Quarterfinals

South Dakota State vs Kennesaw State
1234Total
No. 5 Jackrabbits3143727
No. 2 Owls3001417
  • Date: December 8
  • Location: Fifth Third Bank Stadium
    Kennesaw, GA
  • Game start: 2:00 p.m. EDT
  • Elapsed time: 2:47
  • Game attendance: 3,242
  • Game weather: 40°F • E 7 • Light/Heavy Rain
  • Referee: Todd Boyd
  • TV announcers (ESPN3): Robert Lee, Matt Chatham

Ranking movements

Ranking movements
Legend:██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.
Week
PollPre123456789101112Final
STATS FCS 57754433222225
Coaches 58854322222224

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kennesaw State Owls</span> College athletics program of Kennesaw State University

The Kennesaw State Owls fields 16 varsity athletics teams, competing for Kennesaw State University. After spending ten years in Division II's Peach Belt Conference, the university fully transitioned to Division I status in the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the beginning of the 2009–10 season. All of Kennesaw State's sports teams compete in the ASUN Conference through the 2023–24 school year. In July 2023, KSU will start a transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision in advance of its move to Conference USA (C-USA) in July 2024. Of its 18 varsity sports, only women's lacrosse is not sponsored by C-USA. The school mascot is Scrappy the Owl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kennesaw State Owls football</span> NCAA Division I college football team

The Kennesaw State Owls football represents Kennesaw State University in college football. The team began play in 2015 as a member of the Big South Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision level. In 2022, KSU's full-time home of the ASUN Conference launched an FCS football league, with KSU as one of its initial six members. After the 2022 season, KSU will start a transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision in advance of the school's 2024 move to Conference USA.

Brian Bohannon is an American college football coach. He is the head football coach at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia, a position he has held since the inception of the program in 2013. The Kennesaw State Owls began play in 2015.

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The 2019 Kennesaw State Owls football team represented Kennesaw State University in the 2019 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by fifth-year head coach Brian Bohannon and played their home games at Fifth Third Bank Stadium in Kennesaw, Georgia as fifth-year members of the Big South Conference. They finished the season 11–3, 5–1 in Big South play to finish in second place. The Owls received an at-large bid to the FCS Playoffs. They defeated Wofford in the first round before losing to Weber State in the second round.

The 2020 Gardner–Webb Runnin' Bulldogs football team represented Gardner–Webb University as a member of the Big South Conference during the 2020–21 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by first-year head coach Tre Lamb, the Runnin' Bulldogs compiled an overall record of 2–2 with a mark of 0–2 in conference play, tying for fourth place in the Big South. Gardner–Webb played home games at Ernest W. Spangler Stadium in Boiling Springs, North Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Kennesaw State Owls football team</span> American college football season

The 2020 Kennesaw State Owls football team represented Kennesaw State University in the 2020 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by sixth-year head coach Brian Bohannon and played their home games at Fifth Third Bank Stadium in Kennesaw, Georgia as sixth-year members of the Big South Conference.

References

  1. "Kennesaw State Voted 2018 Preseason Football Favorite". bigsouthsports.com. Big South Conference.
  2. "Burks, Armstrong Headline 2018 Preseason All-Conference Team". bigsouthsports.com. Big South Conference.
  3. "FCS football: 2018 Walter Payton Award watch list". August 1, 2018. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  4. "FCS football: 2018 Buck Buchanan Award watch list announced". August 2, 2018. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  5. "2018 Football Schedule". ksuowls.com. Kennesaw State University. Retrieved April 16, 2018.