Kennesaw State scored on its first two possessions Saturday and went to a dominating 31-6 victory against Jacksonville State at Fifth Third Bank Stadium.
“I was proud of our kids today. I thought we came out ready to play,” Owls coach Brian Bohannon said. “We’re not where we want to be yet, but I’m proud of where we’re at.”
The Owls (3-1) started fast against the Gamecocks (2-3), taking a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. Bohannon emphasized the importance of his team starting strong and fast.
“We always want to get off to a fast start,” Bohannon said. “I told my team that it would be a four-quarter game. Sure enough, we were up 17-0. Anytime we can get off to a fast start, it’s huge.”
Kennesaw State finished non-conference play Saturday. The Owls previously defeated Wofford and Reinhardt, and their lone loss came against Georgia Tech, 45-17 at Bobby Dodd Stadium on Sept. 11.
The defense was a big X-factor for the Owls entering Saturday. They intercepted quarterback Zerrick Cooper twice while holding the Gamecocks to 81 yards rushing. The Owls also stopped the Gamecocks twice on fourth-down plays.
“The bottom line is we kept them out of the end zone; we got them off the field,” Bohannon said. “We could have got them off the field a lot sooner. We missed some tackles, but getting some turnovers were huge.”
On offense, the Owls finished with 247 rushing yards and scored four touchdowns. Owls quarterback Xavier Shepherd finished as the game’s leading rusher, with 124 yards on 32 carries and three touchdowns.
Bohannon was proud of Shepherd’s performance.
“He made some good plays today,” Bohannon said. “The big thing was taking care of the ball. Shepherd had no turnovers in the game.”
A dominant first half by the Owls put them in control early. Running back Adeolu Adeleke scored on a 32-yard touchdown run on the opening drive for the Owls. Shepherd added a score on a 16-yard run on the next drive.
The Owls’ defense had their way as well. They made the Gamecocks turn the ball over on downs with 8:22 to go in the second quarter with a fourth-down stop by linebacker Evan Thompson. The Owls offense cashed in with a 52-yard field goal on their ensuing offensive drive to go up 17-0.
Defensive back Java’n Singletary intercepted Cooper late in the second half. A missed field-goal attempt as time expired kept the Owls lead at 17.
The second half resulted in the Owls maintaining their lead while allowing one touchdown.
Shepherd added another touchdown on a 2-yard run to put the Owls up 24-0.
Cooper, who played at Jonesboro High School, found receiver P.J. Wells for a 16-yard touchdown pass with 6:53 remaining in the third quarter.
Shepherd scored early in the fourth quarter with a 1-yard touchdown run to put the Owls ahead 31-6.
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