Earlier this month, the Kennesaw State Owls fell to Weber State in the second round of the FCS playoffs. And while it was a disappointing end to the year, it was not a disappointing season by any means.
KSU finished the year with an 11-3 record and became the first startup program to record three consecutive 11-win seasons during its first five years of competition. The Owls also set the record for most wins by a startup program in five years with 48.
And one of the big reasons the Owls were able to record 11 wins in 2019 is how they were able to run the football. They finished the year with the No. 1 rushing offense in the FCS, registering 346.8 yards per game. The rushing attack also led to the Owls finishing fifth in the country in scoring, averaging 39.2 points per contest.
But as good as the Owls were on offense, the defense was a big key to their success in 2019. Anchored by linebacker Bryson Armstong, the Owls finished fourth in the country in total defense (278.1 yards per game) and ninth in the country in scoring defense (18.1 points per game). They were one of three teams in the country to finish in the top 5 in scoring offense and total defense with the other teams being North Dakota State and James Madison.
When it comes to the players who stood out, the quarterbacks took center stage. Daniel David was able to get things going for the Owls to start the season and he finished the year with 14 rushing touchdowns. But when he suffered an injury towards the end of the year, Tommy Bryant took over and he helped KSU secure a playoff spot. In 11 games, Bryant rushed for 16 touchdowns and threw for seven touchdowns. In the playoffs, Bryant went down with an injury against the Wofford and Jonathan Murphy showed the country what he can do. He rushed for 206 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Owls to a playoff win.
Running back Bronson Rechsteiner was another standout player on offense, rushing for 909 yards and seven touchdowns while averaging 8.1 yards per carry. Running back Shaquil Terry also had a productive year, tallying 753 total yards and nine total touchdowns.
On defense, Armstrong finished the year with 95 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and one interception. His production led to him being named Big South Defensive Player of the Year as well as being named a consensus All-American. Defensive lineman Desmond Johnson led the team in sacks with seven and linebacker Kareem Taylor notched 56 tackles and 10 tackles for loss.
So what can we expect the Owls in 2020? With players like Armstrong, Bryant, Murphy and Terry returning, they will be the favorites to win the Big South conference and make a run in the playoffs. So as fun as 2019 was for the players, coaches and fans, 2020 has a chance to be a very special year in Kennesaw.
