2017 Kennesaw State Owls football team
American college football season
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The 2017 Kennesaw State Owls football team represented Kennesaw State University in the 2017 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by third-year head coach Brian Bohannon and played their home games at Fifth Third Bank Stadium in Kennesaw, Georgia as third-year members of the Big South Conference.[1] They finished the season 12–2, 5–0 in Big South play to win the Big South conference championship.[2] The Owls received the Big South's automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs, their first trip to the playoffs in school history.[3][4] In the first round of the playoffs, the Owls defeated Samford in a rematch of their only regular season loss and marked the school's first ever playoff win.[5] In the second round, the Owls upset No. 3 seed Jacksonville State to advance to the quarterfinals.[6] In the quarterfinals, despite a furious second half comeback, they lost to Sam Houston State.[7]
| 2017 Kennesaw State Owls football | |
|---|---|
 | |
Big South champion | |
FCS Playoffs Quarterfinals, L 27–34 vs. Sam Houston State | |
| Conference | Big South Conference |
| Ranking | |
| STATS | No. 8 |
| FCS Coaches | No. 9 |
| Record | 12–2 (5–0 Big South) |
| Head coach |
|
| Offensive coordinator | Grant Chesnut (3rd season) |
| Offensive scheme | Flexbone option |
| Defensive coordinator | Brian Newberry (3rd season) |
| Base defense | 4–2–5 |
| Home stadium | Fifth Third Bank Stadium |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 8 Kennesaw State $^ | 5 | – | 0 | 12 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Monmouth ^ | 4 | – | 1 | 9 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Charleston Southern | 3 | – | 2 | 6 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Liberty * | 2 | – | 3 | 6 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Presbyterian | 1 | – | 4 | 4 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gardner–Webb | 0 | – | 5 | 1 | – | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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On January 9, 2018, head coach Brian Bohannon was named the American Football Coaches Association's Coach of the Year.[8][9]
Schedule
| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 31 | 7:00 p.m. | at No. 19 Samford* | ESPN3 WPCH | L 23–28 | 4,908 | ||
| September 9 | 7:00 p.m. | Tennessee Tech* | BSN WPCH | W 27–14 | 8,418 | ||
| September 16 | 8:00 p.m. | at Alabama State* | ASAA | W 20–14 | 11,000 | ||
| September 30 | 3:30 p.m. | North Greenville* |
| WPCH | W 38–34 | 6,161 | |
| October 7 | 7:00 p.m. | Texas Southern* |
| WPCH | W 48–3 | 6,743 | |
| October 14 | 6:00 p.m. | at Liberty | ESPN3 | W 42–28 | 17,726 | ||
| October 21 | 7:00 p.m. | Gardner–Webb |
| ESPN3 | W 17–3 | 6,954 | |
| October 28 | 2:00 p.m. | at Presbyterian | WPCH | W 28–0 | 2,804 | ||
| November 4 | 2:00 p.m. | at Montana State* | No. 25 | WPCH | W 16–14 | 16,337 | |
| November 11 | 3:30 p.m. | Charleston Southern | No. 23 |
| ESPN3 | W 38–0 | 6,224 |
| November 18 | 2:00 p.m. | Monmouth | No. 22 |
| ESPN3 | W 52–21 | 6,808 |
| November 25 | 2:00 p.m. | No. 14 Samford* | No. 18 |
| ESPN3 | W 28–17 | 5,516 |
| December 2 | 2:00 p.m. | at No. 2 Jacksonville State* | No. 18 | ESPN3 | W 17–7 | 17,412 | |
| December 9 | 8:30 p.m. | at No. 5 Sam Houston State* | No. 18 | ESPN3 | L 27–34 | 5,725 | |
| |||||||
- Source: Schedule
Game summaries
@ Samford
Kennesaw State @ Samford
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owls | 0 | 10 | 0 | 13 | 23 |
| • No. 19 Bulldogs | 0 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 28 |
- Date: September 2
- Location: Seibert Stadium
Homewood, AL - Game start: 7:00 p.m. EDT
- Elapsed time: 3:29
- Game attendance: 4,908
- Game weather: 78°F • S 18 • Overcast and windy
- Referee: Edwin Lee
- TV announcers (ESPN3/WPCH): Brian Katrek, Tutan Reyes, and Nathan McCreary
Tennessee Tech
Tennessee Tech @ Kennesaw State
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Eagles | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14 |
| • Owls | 10 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 27 |
- Date: September 9
- Location: Fifth Third Bank Stadium
Kennesaw, GA - Game start: 7:00 p.m. EDT
- Elapsed time: 2:57
- Game attendance: 8,418
- Game weather: 74°F • ENE 8 • Sunny and clear
- Referee: Tra Blake
- TV announcers (BSN/WCPH): Brian Katrek, Tutan Reyes, and Chris Mooneyham
@ Alabama State
Kennesaw State @ Alabama State
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Owls | 0 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 20 |
| Hornets | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
- Date: September 16
- Location: The New ASU Stadium
Montgomery, AL - Game start: 8:00 p.m. EDT
- Elapsed time: 2:54
- Game attendance: 11,000
- Game weather: 78°F • E 4 • Partly cloudy
- Referee: Ron Turner
- TV announcers (ASAA): Jonathan Spells, Machion Sanders, Rob Taylor
North Greenville
North Greenville @ Kennesaw State
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crusaders | 7 | 9 | 7 | 11 | 34 |
| • Owls | 14 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 38 |
- Date: September 30
- Location: Fifth Third Bank Stadium
Kennesaw, GA - Game start: 3:30 p.m. EDT
- Elapsed time: 3:19
- Game attendance: 6,161
- Game weather: 78°F • WNW 5 • Sunny
- Referee: Andy Faust
- TV announcers (WCPH): Brian Katrek, Tutan Reyes, and Chris Mooneyham
Texas Southern
Texas Southern @ Kennesaw State
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tigers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| • Owls | 10 | 24 | 7 | 7 | 48 |
- Date: October 7
- Location: Fifth Third Bank Stadium
Kennesaw, GA - Game start: 7:00 p.m. EDT
- Elapsed time: 2:39
- Game attendance: 6,743
- Game weather: 78°F • SE 8 • Overcast
- Referee: Jeff Flanagan
- TV announcers (WCPH): Brian Giffin, Brandon Joseph, Nathan McCreary
@ Liberty
Kennesaw State @ Liberty
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Owls | 7 | 21 | 7 | 7 | 42 |
| Flames | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 28 |
- Date: October 14
- Location: Williams Stadium
Lynchburg, VA - Game start: 6:00 p.m. EDT
- Elapsed time: 2:54
- Game attendance: 17,726
- Game weather: 73°F • SSE 3 • Sunny
- Referee: Stuart Mullins
- TV announcers (ESPN3): Brian Giffin, Tutan Reyes, Nathan McCreary
Gardner–Webb
Gardner–Webb @ Kennesaw State
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runnin' Bulldogs | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| • Owls | 0 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
- Date: October 21
- Location: Fifth Third Bank Stadium
Kennesaw, GA - Game start: 7:00 p.m. EDT
- Elapsed time: 2:52
- Game attendance: 6,954
- Game weather: 71°F • ESE 5 • Clear
- Referee: Terrance Lamar
- TV announcers (ESPN3): Mike Hogewood, Renaldo Wynn
@ Presbyterian
Kennesaw State @ Presbyterian
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Owls | 0 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 28 |
| Blue Hose | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
- Date: October 28
- Location: Bailey Memorial Stadium
Clinton, SC - Game start: 2:30 p.m. EDT
- Elapsed time: 2:41
- Game attendance: 2,804
- Game weather: 68°F • SSE 9 • Partly Cloudy
- Referee: Jeff Heaser
- TV announcers (WPCH): Mark Bryant, John Orck
@ Montana State
Kennesaw State @ Montana State
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • No. 25 Owls | 7 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 16 |
| Bobcats | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
- Date: November 4
- Location: Bobcat Stadium
Bozeman, MT - Game start: 2:00 p.m. EST
- Elapsed time: 2:50
- Game attendance: 16,337
- Game weather: 20°F • NNW 0–8 • Mild, 14" snow
- Referee: Greg Wilson
- TV announcers (WPCH): Chris Byers, Mike Callaghan, Kyle Sherman
Charleston Southern
Charleston Southern @ Kennesaw State
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buccaneers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| • No. 23 Owls | 7 | 14 | 3 | 14 | 38 |
- Date: November 11
- Location: Fifth Third Bank Stadium
Kennesaw, GA - Game start: 3:30 p.m. EST
- Elapsed time: 2:49
- Game attendance: 6,224
- Game weather: 55°F • Sunny
- Referee: Riley Johnson
- TV announcers (ESPN3): Mike Hogewood, Jay Sonnhalter
Monmouth
Monmouth @ Kennesaw State
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawks | 7 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
| • No. 22 Owls | 14 | 21 | 10 | 7 | 52 |
- Date: November 18
- Location: Fifth Third Bank Stadium
Kennesaw, GA - Game start: 2:00 p.m. EST
- Elapsed time: 2:50
- Game attendance: 6,808
- Game weather: 65°F • Partly Cloudy
- Referee: Jerry Magallane
- TV announcers (ESPN3): Mike Hogewood, Jay Sonnhalter
This victory clinched the Owls' first ever postseason bid.
FCS Playoffs
Samford–First Round
Samford @ Kennesaw State
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 14 Bulldogs | 3 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| • No. 18 Owls | 0 | 21 | 7 | 0 | 28 |
- Date: November 25
- Location: Fifth Third Bank Stadium
Kennesaw, GA - Game start: 2:00 p.m. EST
- Elapsed time: 3:13
- Game attendance: 5,566
- Game weather: 62°F • Partly Cloudy
- Referee: Steve Cadorette
- TV announcers (ESPN3): Dan Gutowsky, Marcus Ray
@ Jacksonville State–Second Round
Kennesaw State @ Jacksonville State
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • No. 18 Owls | 0 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 17 |
| No. 2 Gamecocks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
- Date: December 2
- Location: JSU Stadium
Jacksonville, AL - Game start: 2:00 p.m. EST
- Elapsed time: 2:44
- Game attendance: 17,412
- Game weather: 65°F • Partly Cloudy
- Referee: Warren Gillis
- TV announcers (ESPN3): Matt Stewart, Forrest Conoly
@ Sam Houston State–Quarterfinals
Kennesaw State @ Sam Houston State
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 18 Owls | 7 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 27 |
| • No. 5 Bearkats | 14 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 34 |
- Date: December 9
- Location: Bowers Stadium
Huntsville, TX - Game start: 8:30 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 5,725
- Television network: ESPN3