Khadrice Rollins
krollins@ajc.com
Coming off a tough loss last week, Kennesaw State has a great chance to bounce back when it takes the field Saturday to go against Gardner-Webb.
When the Owls (4-2, 0-1 Big South) travel to Boiling Springs, N.C. to take on the Runnin’ Bulldogs (3-4, 1-0), they will look to remain perfect on the road for the year. But Gardner-Webb does pose a threat to KSU, and there are a few key aspects to the game that if KSU doesn’t control, could easily lead to Gardner-Webb coming away with the win.
1. Red zone execution
The Owls have the highest scoring offense in the conference, but they also have the second-worst red zone scoring percentage. Last week KSU saw first hand how a lackluster red zone offense can correlate with a defeat. A missed field goal and three failed fourth downs — one coming just outside the red zone at the opponent’s 25 — all played key roles in the 15-point loss. Going up against the Runnin’ Bulldogs conference-leading scoring defense, it will be critical for the Owls to finish when they get near the goal line.
When it comes to defense, the Owls have not been stellar at stopping their opponents inside the 20, but their bend-but-don’t-break defense has stepped up at times. Although opponents are perfect in the red zone against KSU, six of the 14 trips the opposition had to settle for field goals. Gardner-Webb comes into the contest with the Big South’s top red zone offense, scoring on 19 of its 22 opportunities. But of the team’s 21 offensive touchdowns, only six have come on plays more than 20 yards, so if the Owls can keep them out of the red zone, that greatly increases their odds to keep them out of the end zone as well.
2. Running game
Both the Gardner-Webb and KSU have high-powered rushing attacks, so expect to see each rely heavily on its ground game to dictate its offense. The Runnin’ Bulldogs’ running back Khalil Lewis is second in the Big South in rushing yards, and their quarterback Tyrell Maxwell ranks fourth in that same category. But the Owls have the conference’s fifth and sixth leading rushers with quarterback Chandler Burks and running back Micah Reed. Reed however will be out for his second consecutive game with an injury, but as the Owls showed against Liberty last week, their ground attack is still reliable even with their second leading rusher on the sidelines.
Gardner-Webb on the other hand will have a tough task in front of it as KSU brings the Big South’s top rushing defense into the game. Giving up just 112.3 yards a game — more than 40 yards better than any other Big South team — the Owls present a challenge for an offense that relies on the run but also struggles with time of possession. If Lewis and Maxwell can’t find the holes in the KSU defense and their offense is held to less than 200 yards on the ground for just the third time this year, there’s little hope they will avenge their 12-7 loss to the Owls from last year.
3. Penalties
Coach Brian Bohannon’s team is no stranger to yellow flags. The Owls have been called for at least six penalties in every game, and have accumulated 155 yards worth of penalties in their two road games. Against Furman on Oct. 1, KSU was penalized nine times for 100 yards and if not for jumping ahead to a 35-point lead, it could have easily been the team’s undoing.
Meanwhile, Gardner-Webb has the fewest penalties in the conference despite playing one more game than everyone besides Monmouth. If the Owls want to return home with an unblemished road record, they will need to be more like the Runnin’ Bulldogs and less like themselves when it comes to penalties.
