2017 Kennesaw State Owls football team

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
ConferenceBig South Conference
Ranking
STATSNo. 8
FCS CoachesNo. 9
Record12–2 (5–0 Big South)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorGrant Chesnut (3rd season)
Offensive schemePistol option
Defensive coordinatorBrian Newberry (3rd season)
Base defense4–2–5
Home stadiumFifth Third Bank Stadium
Seasons
← 2016
2018 →
2017 Big South Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 8 Kennesaw State $^ 50  122 
Monmouth ^ 41  93 
Charleston Southern 32  65 
Liberty * 23  65 
Presbyterian 14  47 
Gardner–Webb 05  110 
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – FCS playoff participant
  • * Liberty ineligible for postseason due to FBS transition
Rankings from STATS Poll

On January 9, 2018, head coach Brian Bohannon was named the American Football Coaches Association's Coach of the Year.[8][9]

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
August 317:00 p.m.at No. 19 Samford*ESPN3
WPCH
L 23–284,908
September 97:00 p.m.Tennessee Tech*BSN
WPCH
W 27–148,418
September 168:00 p.m.at Alabama State*ASAAW 20–1411,000
September 303:30 p.m.North Greenville*
  • Fifth Third Bank Stadium
  • Kennesaw, GA
WPCHW 38–346,161
October 77:00 p.m.Texas Southern*
  • Fifth Third Bank Stadium
  • Kennesaw, GA
WPCHW 48–36,743
October 146:00 p.m.at LibertyESPN3W 42–2817,726
October 217:00 p.m.Gardner–Webb
  • Fifth Third Bank Stadium
  • Kennesaw, GA
ESPN3W 17–36,954
October 282:00 p.m.at PresbyterianWPCHW 28–02,804
November 42:00 p.m.at Montana State*No. 25WPCHW 16–1416,337
November 113:30 p.m.Charleston SouthernNo. 23
  • Fifth Third Bank Stadium
  • Kennesaw, GA
ESPN3W 38–06,224
November 182:00 p.m.MonmouthNo. 22
  • Fifth Third Bank Stadium
  • Kennesaw, GA
ESPN3W 52–216,808
November 252:00 p.m.No. 14 Samford*No. 18
ESPN3W 28–175,516
December 22:00 p.m.at No. 2 Jacksonville State*No. 18ESPN3W 17–717,412
December 98:30 p.m.at No. 5 Sam Houston State*No. 18ESPN3L 27–345,725
  • *Non-conference game
  • Homecoming
  • Rankings from STATS Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Eastern time

Game summaries

@ Samford

Kennesaw State @ Samford
1234Total
Owls01001323
No. 19 Bulldogs0714728

Tennessee Tech

Tennessee Tech @ Kennesaw State
1234Total
Golden Eagles0001414
Owls10143027
  • 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
1234Total
Owls0173020
Hornets077014
  • 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
1234Total
Crusaders7971134
Owls14771038
  • 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
1234Total
Tigers03003
Owls10247748
  • 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
1234Total
Owls7217742
Flames7071428
  • 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
1234Total
Runnin' Bulldogs00303
Owls0170017
  • 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
1234Total
Owls01414028
Blue Hose00000
  • 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
1234Total
No. 25 Owls733316
Bobcats707014
  • 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
1234Total
Buccaneers00000
No. 23 Owls71431438
  • 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
1234Total
Hawks7140021
No. 22 Owls142110752
  • 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
1234Total
No. 14 Bulldogs370717
No. 18 Owls0217028
  • 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
1234Total
No. 18 Owls077317
No. 2 Gamecocks00033
  • 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
1234Total
No. 18 Owls7331427
No. 5 Bearkats14103734

Ranking movements

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
RV = Received votes
Week
PollPre123456789101112Final
STATS FCSRVRVRVRVRVRVRVRVRV252322188
CoachesRVRVRVRVRVRVRVRVRV252321169

References