Khadrice Rollins
khadrice.rollins@ajc.com
All week Kennesaw State coach Brian Bohannon warned his team that Furman was going to be playing with its back against the wall. In the first half, the Owls slammed their opponents through that wall.
Thanks to a 49-point scoring outburst in the game’s opening half, KSU (3-1) earned its second consecutive road win to the tune of a 52-42 victory against Furman (0-5) in Greenville, S.C.
“It’s a big win for us,” Bohannon said. “That’s a team that’s made 16 playoff appearances and won a national championship.”
The Owls scored touchdowns on each of their first five possessions to lead 35-0 with eight minutes remaining in the second quarter.
The effort was led by quarterback Chandler Burks, who had three rushing touchdowns and an additional one through the air. The passing touchdown came with just seven seconds left on the clock before halftime.
It happened after KSU cornerback Akebren Ralls snatched an interception and the Owls were gifted an extra 15 yards due to a face-mask penalty on the runback. Burks then connected with wide receiver Justin Sumpter on a 46-yard pass that pushed KSU to a 49-14 advantage.
Sumpter continued to prove to be a reliable target for the Owls, catching all six balls thrown in his direction for 147 yards. This comes just one week after he caught eight receptions for 187 yards and two scores in the Owls’ 36-28 victory against Duquesne.
Running back Darnell Holland also provided a big-play presence as he broke off a 62-yard touchdown run in the second quarter that helped propel him to 123 yards on the ground and a pair of end zone visits.
“Our guys made a lot of plays,” Burks said. “We were executing on all cylinders (in the first half) and I’m proud of our guys. That’s a great team win.”
On the defensive side, safety Dante Blackmon continued to be a nightmare for opposing offenses, getting another interception along with a fumble recovery. This is on the heels of his three-interception performance last Saturday.
The defense forced four turnovers on the day, with three coming before halftime. The Owls held the opposition to 149 yards through the opening two quarters, but things turned a bit sour when the third started.
In the second half, Furman opened up its playbook and started to gain some momentum against a KSU defense that took its foot off the gas.
The Paladins scored touchdowns on their first four possessions of the second half, and put up 28 points in the game’s final 30 minutes. But it was not enough.
The Owls added a field goal late in the fourth on a drive that took six minutes and 30 seconds, to keep the opposition at bay as their lead never dipped below 10.
The Owls have been rolling since their season-opening loss to East Tennessee State, and Saturday was just further proof of what the team can do when everything is clicking. It was the third straight victory for KSU, and in each of those wins the team tallied at least 36 points, twice going for at least 49. In the past two games, the defense has come away with eight turnovers.
“We went on the road last week and beat the Northeast Conference champions, we turned around and come beat a team that’s a perennial power in FCS,” Bohannon said. “I think it says a lot about our kids and our program.”
