Kennesaw State football coach Brian Bohannon is proud of how his team played while finishing 6-5 in its inaugural season last season.
But, after watching hours of film, he also knows that they can be much, much better.
“Some of the things we need to do to be successful, we aren’t even close yet,” he said.
The Owls will begin spring practice Monday after another offseason in the strength-and-conditioning program, which is huge for a team composed mostly of underclassmen.
Here are five things to watch for during the 15 practices, which will conclude March 28. The spring game will be held March 26 at Fifth Third Bank Stadium.
Eliminate mental mistakes. Bohannon said the offense and the defense have to improve at executing the simple things.
“Watching cut-ups, we are all over the place,” he said. “We have to get better at doing what we do.”
After winning five of its first six games, the team seemed poised to compete in the Big South Conference. The Owls proceeded to lose four of the next five games. That’s understandable, considering the team was playing its first conference season, facing teams whose rosters were filled with experienced upperclassmen. Its only wins in the season against what could be considered established Division I programs were 12-7 over Gardner-Webb and 23-13 over Monmouth.
“We’re nowhere close to being what we can and will be,” Bohannon said. “We can’t be complacent; we had a little chip on our shoulder last year.
“We won’t sneak up on anybody, that’s for sure. Those days are over.”
Finding an impact player at defensive end. Mason Harris, a transfer from South Carolina, has exhausted his eligibility. He led the Owls with 12 tackles for loss and was tied for third with two of the team's 18 sacks.
Candidates to replace Harris include junior Tonarius Portress, who will move from defensive tackle to end, sophomore Devin Pughsley, and sophomore McKenzie Billingslea can move from defensive tackle to end, which is the position he was recruited to play.
Billingslea had one sack and two tackles for loss as part of 20 tackles. Portress had two tackles and Pughsley 13 tackles, including 1 1/2 for loss.
A possible transfer may boost the position.
Settling on the quarterback. Though Trey White played in 10 games as quarterback and is returning Bohannon said nothing is "etched in stone." Competing with White, who led the team with an average of 96.4 rushing yards per game, will be Jake McKenzie, Chandler Burks and Daniel David, a transfer from Appalachian State.
McKenzie will split time between quarterback and fullback, which Bohannon said will help the team rotate reps at quarterback. McKenzie averaged 36.9 yards per game and made one start that White missed because of an injury. Burks, the team’s first recruit to commit to the program, played in four games last season with no significant stats.
Finding another playmaker at wide receiver. When White dropped back to pass last season, more often than not he was going to throw to wide receiver Justin Sumpter. He led the team with 26 receptions for 525 yards and four touchdowns. His receptions were more than twice as many as the next most-productive receiver, running back Chaston Bennett (9), and the yards almost twice as many (268) as Bennett's. Prentice Stone, who started nine games opposite Sumpter at wide receiver, had nine receptions for 116 yards. He exhausted his eligibility.
Bohannon said Tremayne Trawick, who had nine receptions for 197 yards, is a candidate to start opposite Sumpter, as is Xavier Harper, who had three receptions for 27 yards.
“All those guys bring something to the table,” Bohannon said. “They’ve been here. We will increase their role a little bit. It’s a good group.”
Developing consistency on offense. Because it's a run-first offense, Bohannon said the team must improve at running between the tackles. To do that, he said the players must get bigger and stronger.
The Owls led the Big South Conference with 293 rushing yards per game.
“Big thing for us is the majority of the team has been here,” he said. “It’s all about the offseason, that’s why the strength and conditioning has been big.”
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