Kennesaw State has a chance to make a statement Saturday.
The Owls (4-1) open up conference play against Liberty (2-3) at Fifth Third Bank Stadium and with a win, coach Brian Bohannon’s young program could show the entire Big South it is legit.
“Our kids are excited about the challenge,” Bohannon said. “You got a program with a lot of history. We went up there a year ago, and they put some points up on us. … They were excited about this game coming. I’ve honestly had to shield them a little bit from it.”
Last season, KSU traveled to Liberty with a 5-1 record, and lost 45-35. The team then proceeded to drop three of its final four games to close out the year at 6-5 and 2-4 in conference play. Once again the Owls will take on the Flames with just one loss to their name entering the contest, but this year is a bit different.
When the teams first met, it was KSU’s inaugural season. Bohannon said his team understands what it takes to get ready for conference play now and is ready for the task at hand.
But along with just having an adjusted mindset, running back Chaston Bennett said as a whole, this is a new KSU team.
“This team is way different from last year,” Bennett said. “I feel like we really don’t mention (last year’s game) a lot because we are so focused on what we are doing now as opposed to last year.”
One of the key new pieces for KSU is quarterback Chandler Burks who leads the team with 320 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on the ground. As the centerpiece of the Owls’ triple-option attack, Burks has been able to keep opponents guessing who will be carrying the ball as six different running backs have scored for KSU already this year.
But in addition to a diverse ground game, this year's Owls present a much more lethal passing attack than last season. Wide receiver Justin Sumpter was the favorite target in 2015 and he caught 26 passes for 525 yards and four touchdowns while playing in every game. In just four games this year, Sumpter has almost equaled that production with 25 receptions for 468 yards and six touchdowns. With Sumpter expected to return Saturday after a sprained ankle kept him out last week, KSU will once again have one of the conference's best receivers at its disposal.
“We got threats everywhere and it’s a great opportunity to get the ball in those athletic guys hands and having (Sumpter), that just opens up the offense even more,” Burks said. “It’s a great feeling and a great issue to have.”
On the other side of the ball, the Owls get a shot at redemption against a Flames offense that is coming off a 41-point performance and is has a freshman quarterback making his second career start.
Last year KSU intercepted opposing quarterbacks 13 times on the year. The unit already has nine picks through five games this season. Led by safety Dante Blackmon who leads the nations with five interceptions and has gotten one in three straight games.
Although the team is putting in an effort to take everything one week at a time, guys said they are looking forward to getting some revenge and showing Liberty how much things have changed in the past year.
“The fact that we went up there and got beat, so now they can come to our house and we can show them a little something,” linebacker Anthony Gore said.
About the Author
