GAME 4: Kennesaw State (3-0) at Dayton (2-0)
DATE: Saturday, Sept. 26 at 6 p.m.
LOCATION: Welcome Stadium | Dayton, Ohio
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SERIES HISTORY: First Meeting
LAST MEETING: First Meeting







THIS WEEK: Following its most dramatic victory to date, Kennesaw State will head back out on the road this week when it travels to Ohio to take on Dayton at Welcome Stadium on Saturday (Sept. 26). Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m. (ET).
 
Fans not making the trip can log onto KSUOwls.com and listen to Brian Giffin, Tutan Reyes and Art Eckman describe the action. A live video stream will also be available at www.atlantic10.com.
 
The Owls (3-0) are riding the momentum of an 18-10 victory over Shorter at Fifth Third Bank Stadium on Saturday (Sept. 19). It marked their third straight win following victories over East Tennessee State (56-16) and Edward Waters (58-7).
 
This Saturday's contest will mark KSU's second game against a Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) opponent after playing its inaugural game at East Tennessee State on Sept. 3.
 
Previous opponents Edward Waters and Shorter play at the NAIA and NCAA Division II level, respectively.
 
Owls Play at FCS Level: Kennesaw State plays at the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level. KSU joined the Big South Conference as an associate member on Sept. 4, 2013.
 
A Look Ahead: The Owls will have their bye week next (Oct. 3) and will next be in action on Oct. 10 when they host Point and celebrate Homecoming at Fifth Third Bank Stadium. Kickoff is 1 p.m.
 
DEBUT PROGRAMS IN 2015: Kennesaw State is one of four institutions who have debuted football in 2015. Along with the Owls, East Tennessee State (FCS), Finlandia University (Division III), located in Hancock, Mich. and Lyon College (NAIA) in Batesville, Ark. started football programs this fall.
 
The Owls are off to a 3-0 start, while East Tennessee State (0-3), Finlandia (0-3) and Lyon College (0-3) are all seeking their first wins.
 
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING: Kennesaw State is the first team in Big South Conference history to begin a season 3-0 in its first year in the conference and is one of just 14 FCS unbeaten teams.
 
OPENING ACTS: Kennesaw State is one of just three FCS programs since 2008 to begin its history 3-0, joining Mercer (4-0; 2013) and Old Dominion (3-0; 2009).
 
SHORTER HIGHLIGHTS:  
• Owls scored 9 points in final 2 minutes to rally for win and improve to 3-0.
• Freshman PK Justin Thompson made 4 FGs (42, 26,40, 28), including game winner with 1:39 remaining.
• LB Dez Billingslea sealed win with 65-yd fumble return as time expired
• Owls' defense held Shorter to 162 total yards, including 27 rushing yards.
• KSU defense did not allow a second-half first down until final drive.
• WR Justin Sumpter had 5 catches for 121 yards.
• RB Micah Reed rushed 26 times for 100 yards.
• QB Trey White threw for season-high 186 yards and rushed for 77 yards.
 
SCOUTING DAYTON:
• Dayton is currently 2-0 on the season after posting wins over Robert Morris (27-24) and Duquesne (24-13).
• Head coach Rick Chamberlin is in his 8th season and has compiled an overall record of 57-23 (.712).
• Dayton is a member of Pioneer Football League and has posted seven consecutive winning seasons under Chamberlin, including an 8-3 mark in 2014.
• The Flyers are averaging 370.5 yards a game (179.0 rushing; 191.5 passing)
• Redshirt freshman QB Alex Jeske leads the offense, completing 26 of 43 passes for 368 yards with one interception and one touchdown
• Redshirt senior running back Connor Kascor has rushed for 332 yards (158.0 ypg.) and three touchdowns through two games.
• Dayton's defense is allowing 278.0 yards per game (101.5 rushing; 176.5).
• Senior linebacker Chris Beaschler has been a force on defense through two games, totaling 24 tackles, including 3.5 for loss and two sacks.
 
GETTING DEFENSIVE: The Owls defense has made its presence known early in the season, ranking second in the nation in total defense, limiting the opposition to 230.3 yards per game. KSU also ranks seventh nationally in scoring defense (11.0) and turnover margin (+5).
 
WINNING RETURNS: Through its three first games, Kennesaw State has four touchdown returns by its defense and special teams. When redshirt freshman linebacker Dez Billingslea returned a fumble 65 yards for a touchdown on the final play of the game against Shorter (Sept. 19), it was the third of the season for the Owls and tied a Big South Conference single-season record. 
 
ON THE OFFENSIVE: Kennesaw State is fourth nationally in rushing with 318.0 yards per game and and sixth in scoring, averaging 44 points a game. The Owls also lead the nation in passing yards per completion with 27.08 yards per pass play.
 
PROTECTING THE NEST (QUARTERBACK): Kennesaw State has begun its program with the mantra of "Protect the Nest". Through two games, the Owls have accomplished that objective after winning both its home games. KSU has also done a good job of protecting the quarterback and is one of eight FCS teams to not allow a sack.  
 
JUST FOR KICKS: Freshman placekicker Justin Thompson tied a Big South Conference single-game record with four (42, 26, 40, 28) made field goals versus Shorter on Saturday (Sept. 12), including the game-winner with under two minutes remaining. His 12 points gave him 30 for the season that tie him for fifth nationally.
 
BIG SOUTH CONFERENCE HONORS: Kennesaw State junior defensive back Derrick Farrow became the first Owl to earn a Big South Conference honor when was named the conference's Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 14 following an impressive performance versus Edward Waters on Sept. 12. Farrow was a disruptive and dominating force during the Owls' 58-7 victory as he recorded a team-high five tackles and three forced fumbles, including one that led directly to a touchdown and one that prevented a score.
 
A NIGHT OF FIRSTS: The Owl's 56-16 win over East Tennessee State on Sept. 3 marked a night of firsts in the history of the Kennesaw State football program. Here is a list of a few of the firsts:
 
• First Offensive Play: Trey White 4-yard rush
• First Touchdown: Trey White 6-yard run (1st quarter)
• First Passing Touchdown: White 69 yards to Justin Sumpter (3rd quarter)
• First Defensive Tackle: Taylor Henkle (1st quarter)
• First Defensive Touchdown: Nick Perrotta 19-yard INT return (2nd quarter)
 
OFFENSIVE NOTES:
• Kennesaw State's 417 yards of offense versus Shorter marked the third straight game of totaling more than 375 yards of offense.
• The Owls are the only FCS team since 2008 to score 50-plus points in each of its first two games (56 at East Tennessee State, 58 versus Edward Waters)
• Kennesaw State tops the Big South Conference in scoring offense (44.0), touchdowns scored (17), rushing offense (318.0), yards per rush (5.9), rushing TDs (11), pass efficiency (181.4) and pass per completion (27.1)
• The Owls were held without a touchdown in the first half for the first time this season versus Shorter. Justin Thompson made two field goals to account for all six KSU points.
 
INDIVIDUAL OFFENSIVE NOTES:
• Wide receiver Justin Sumpter ranks fourth in the FCS in yards per catch (34.0 ypc.)
• RBs Jae Bowen (2-41) and Chaston Bennett (1-14) had their first career receptions.
• Justin Thompson's 42-yard field on the opening drive marked the third straight game the Owls have scored on their first possession of the game. Thompson also tied a single-game Big South Conference record with four made field goals (42,26,40,28).
• For the second game in a row, Trey White and Justin Sumpter connected for a pass completion on KSU's first offensive play (25 yards) against Shorter. The tandem struck for a 55-yard scoring play against Edward Waters on Sept. 12.
• Justin Sumpter's 114 yards receiving on four carries in the first half represented the first 100-yard receiving day for a KSU receiver. He finished the game with 5 catches for 121 yards.
• Micah Reed rushed 26 times for 100 yards to become the first KSU player to gain 100 yards rushing.
• Quarterback Trey White established season-highs for pass completions (9), attempts (16) and yards (186).
 
INAUGURAL GAME OFFENSIVE NOTES:
• Kennesaw State had five touchdown drives of 50 or more yards, including four of 65 yards or more
• The 56 points are the most scored by a debuting FCS program dating back to 2008, and the 40-point win is the second largest during that same time period. KSU is one of just two teams to open against another FCS program among 10 institutions that have started a program. Charlotte, which debuted as an FCS program and has since moved to the FBS level, defeated Campbell, 52-7, in 2013.
• The 56 points by the Owls tied for the fifth most scored in FCS play during the opening weekend and led Big South Conference teams
• The 512 total yards gained led Big South Conference teams and KSU's 416 yards rushing were the third-highest total nationally
• After trailing 13-7 in the second quarter, the Owls scored 49 unanswered points. A total of seven players scored touchdowns, including redshirt freshman Jae Bowen, who scored twice on short runs.
• Freshman placekicker Justin Thompson was 8-for-8 on extra point attempts  
• Redshirt freshman wide receiver Justin Sumpter caught two passes for 96 yards, including 69-yard TD reception
• Redshirt freshman quarterback Jake McKenzie saw playing time in the fourth quarter and had a 7-yard touchdown run
 
DEFENSIVE NOTES:
• Kennesaw State allowed a season-low 27 rushing yards against Shorter
• Kennesaw State tops the Big South Conference in scoring defense (11.0), total defense (230.3) and pass defense (135.3).
• The Owls defense has recorded an interception and fumble recovery in each of its first three games.
• The KSU defense has limited two of its first three opponents to less than 140 yards passing, including a season-low 41 yards versus Edward Waters that ranks as the sixth-fewest allowed in the FCS this year.
• Two of Kennesaw State's three opponents have failed to rush for 100 yards. The Owls limited East Tennessee State (98) and Shorter (27) to under 100 yards. Opponents are averaging just 2.9 yards a rush against the Owls.
• Kennesaw State became the first team in Big South Conference history to return two fumbles for touchdowns in the same game when Izzy Sam (11 yards) and McKenzie Billingslea (18 yards) each achieved the feat against Edward Waters (Sept. 12).
 
INDIVIDUAL DEFENSIVE NOTES:
• Junior defensive back Derrick Farrow's three forced fumbles versus Edward Waters on Sept. 12 is an FCS single-game high in 2015. He ranks second in the country in total forced fumbles.
• Senior DL Mason Harris ranks fourth in the country with 2.2 tackles for loss per game. He has 6.5 tackles for loss through three games.
• DL McKenzie Billingslea had five solo tackles, including one for loss versus Shorter.
• Taylor Henke recorded his first career interception Saturday versus Shorter.
• Senior defensive end Mason Harris is tied for the national lead in tackles for loss with 6.
 
INAUGURAL DEFENSIVE GAME NOTES:
• Redshirt junior defensive lineman Nick Perrotta had a game-changing 19-yard interception return for a TD late in the second quarter that gave the Owls a 21-13 lead. He finished with four tackles, including two for loss.
• Kennesaw State limited ETSU to 98 rushing yards (2.6 yards per carry)
• Redshirt senior defensive lineman Mason Harris tied for the team lead with seven tackles, including three for loss and a sack for 10 yards. He also had two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble.
• Redshirt freshman Taylor Henkle tied for the team lead with seven tackles, including one for loss, and had a pass breakup. He also recorded the first defensive tackle in program history.
• Redshirt defensive back Dante' Blackmon had four tackles and returned an interception 23 yards.
 
SMASHING DEBUT: Kennesaw State is the sixth different program to win its first game as members of the Big South Conference, joining Gardner-Webb and Elon in 2002, Coastal Carolina in 2003, Stony Brook in 2008 and Monmouth in 2014. Meanwhile, the Owls' 56 points at East Tennessee State was the most scored by a Big South member in a season opener against an FCS opponent, and the fourth-most points scored overall in an opening game of a season since the league's formation in 2002.
 
OWLS FLY INTO BIG SOUTH RECORD BOOK: One game into its history, Kennesaw State immediately wrote itself into the Big South Conference record book:
• The Owls' 416 yards and six touchdowns rushing in their debut game against East Tennessee marked just the 10th time in league history that a football member gained at least 415 yards on the ground with six rushing TDs. The last to do it was Presbyterian on Sept. 6, 2014 against Bluefield (523/7). KSU's performance was just the fifth such effort against an FCS opponent.
 
A LOOK AT THE ROSTER: As a startup program, Kennesaw State will feature a young team that is dominated by freshmen and redshirt freshmen. Of the 105 players listed on the Owls roster, 73 are either true freshmen (20) or redshirt freshmen (53). The roster also includes 11 sophomores, 16 juniors and five seniors.

THE SENIORS: The five seniors on the Kennesaw State roster include Chaz Cheeks (DL, Gainesville, Ga. / Georgia Tech), Brett Gillespie (OL, Kennesaw, Ga. / North Greenville), Ryan Godhigh (RB, Acworth, Ga. / Harrison HS), Mason Harris (DL, Fort Oglethorpe, Ga. / South Carolina) and Prentice Stone (Marietta, Ga. / Eastern Kentucky). 
 
TWO-DEEP BREAKDOWN: Head coach Brian Bohannon released the Kennesaw State two-deep on Friday (Aug. 28) and 27 players are either freshmen or redshirt freshmen. On offense, there are 15 freshmen or redshirt freshmen listed, including seven as starters. Defensively, 12 players fall into the above categories, with six being starters.
 
TRYOUT TO THE TWO-DEEP: A handful of players who took part in tryouts over the last year and a half, have made significant impressions on the coaching staff and earned their way onto the two-deep. Redshirt junior defensive lineman Nick Perrotta, redshirt sophomore linebacker Izzy Sam and redshirt senior Ryan Godhigh were part of the initial tryout on March 22, 2014. Additionally, redshirt senior PJ Stone (wide receiver) and redshirt freshman defensive back Shawn Reynolds have gone from tryout hopefuls to earning spots on the Owls two-deep.
 
THE QUARTERBACK POSITION: Redshirt junior quarterback Trey White is listed as the starting quarterback and backed up by redshirt freshman Jake McKenzie. White, a transfer from The Citadel, prepped at St. Pius X Catholic High School in Atlanta. McKenzie is a former all-state player from Monroe Academy in Monroeville, Ala.
 
LEADING THE WAY: Redshirt freshman quarterback Chandler Burks (Douglasville, Ga. / South Paulding HS) became the first recruit to verbally commit to Kennesaw State when he let head coach Brian Bohannon know of his intentions to attend KSU in the summer of 2013. He also was the first signee after inking his name to a National Letter-of-Intent on Feb. 5, 2014. Burks was one of 29 players who were part of the initial signing class.
 
RECRUITING GEORGIA: When head coach Brian Bohannon assumed the challenge of building a program, he said he was committed to recruiting the state of Georgia. He and his staff have stayed true to that plan as 92 of the 105 players on the roster are from Georgia. There are three players each from Alabama and Florida, two from Texas, and one each from California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee.
 
A GLANCE AT THE SCHEDULE: Kennesaw State will face a challenging schedule during its inaugural season. Six of the Owls' 10 opponents posted winning records in 2014, including five of six Big South Conference teams. Non-conference foe Dayton (8-3), along with Big South rivals Liberty (9-5), Monmouth (6-5), Charleston Southern (8-4), Coastal Carolina (12-2) and Presbyterian (6-5) all were on the plus side of the win-loss ledger a year ago.
 
SCOUTING THE BIG SOUTH CONFERENCE: The Big South Conference is considered one of the country's top NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) conferences According to HERO Sports, the Big South Conference is ranked second among the 13 conferences, behind only the Missouri Valley Conference, home to four-time defending national champion North Dakota State. STATS FCS has listed the Big South as the fourth-best conference, trailing the Missouri Valley, Colonial Athletic Association and Big Sky Conference. The Big South Conference has had two teams advance to the FCS playoffs in each of the last three seasons.
 
KENNESAW STATE-ALABAMA STATE AGREE TO 4-YEAR SERIES:
Kennesaw State and Alabama State jointly announced on Monday (Aug. 31) an agreement on a four-year series that will begin in 2017 and run through 2020. The two teams will meet for the first time on Sept. 16, 2017 at Fifth Third Bank Stadium before switching venues to The New ASU Stadium on Sept. 15, 2018. The remaining two games will be played Sept. 14, 2019 in Kennesaw before wrapping up the current agreement on Sept. 19, 2020 in Montgomery, Ala.