Kennesaw State University(4-1) continues its winning streak, making it now 3 games in a row, as they faced Hampton University(2-3). KSU came into the game ranked No. 17 in FCS and No. 5 in the nation for rushing yards per game, with an average of 275.8 yards . The Owls exceeded that average with 339 rushing yards, 179 of those coming from the quarterback, Xavier Shepherd. For the second week in a row, Shepherd was a huge contributor in the Owls victory over the Hampton Pirates. Shepherd beat his career-high rushing yards record for the second week in a row. Also, tying his record for scoring on the ground with three rushing touchdowns. The Owl’s starting quarterback also completed 8 of 11 passes for 109 yards.
Early in the game, rain broke out over Armstrong Stadium. This rain may have caused some miscues for the KSU offense, as there were three fumbles in the first quarter. Possibly the most impactful, occurred on second and goal with three yards to go. The Owls saw an opportunity slip away when a fumble rolled out the back of the end zone. The touchback would give the ball back to the Pirates. The defense on both sides were effective at holding the other’s offense early, as the first touchdown of the game was scored in the second quarter. The first touchdown came on Shepherd’s three-yard run for KSU.
Kennesaw’s coaching staff made a smart call on fourth down with one yard to go, when Shepherd pitched to Iaan Cousin. The sophomore running back from Carrollton, GA., raced 36-yards for a touchdown. It put Kennesaw State up 17-0 for what most thought would be the
final points of the first half, before Hampton quarterback, Jett Duffey, threw a 41-yard touchdown to Hezekiah Grimsley n the final two minutes. Afterwards, KSU powered down the field with only 68 seconds left in the half to the 32 yard line and made a field goal. The score ended up being 20-6 before the end of the half.
The game ended with two more rushing touchdowns for the Owls by Xavier Shepherd. Also, a short field goal and one more touchdown for the Pirates put the final score to 34-15, and another win for the Kennesaw State Owls, who are now 1-0 in their conference.
Next week, the Owls will be hosting the North Carolina A&T Aggies in their homecoming game. This game is expected to be a large one on both sides, as it is homecoming for the Owls, and the Aggies have a huge alumni population in the metro-Atlanta area. The match is set for 5 p.m. on October 16th, 2021 at Fifth Third Bank Stadium.
