The Kennesaw State Owls triumphed over the Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs in their week 9 matchup. This game was played until the very end as the Owls scored in the last 11 seconds of the game, putting them on top with a score of 34-30.
The Owls came into the game ranked No. 10 with a record of 6-1(3-0). This was the sixth meeting between the two Big South schools, and KSU has never failed to beat GWU. In the first quarter, the Owls possessed the ball for under 4 minutes, and did not manage to score. KSU failed to convert on 3rd down twice in the quarter and gained only 14 total yards.
In the second quarter, the Owls turned things around offensively, managing to score 10 points, Three of which came from a field goal by Nathan Robertson. Xavier Shepherd, KSU’s sophomore quarterback ,connected with sophomore wide receiver Xavier Hill in the end zone with 16 seconds left in the half,. It was Hill’s first career touchdown reception. as the half break started with a tied score of 10-10.
It was another big game for the Owls’ defense. Evan Thompson tied the KSU record of most tackles in one game, 16 total. He is now the only player in KSU history to have 10+ tackles for four consecutive games.
Meanwhile, in the second half , the Owls scored twice more and went into the fourth quarter with a 24-17 lead.
Kennesaw State started off the final quarter with a 47-yard drive down the field, and ended it with a 43-yard field goal by star kicker, Nathan Robertson. The GWU offense took the opportunity to score a touchdown with under 3 minutes left in the game, bringing the score to 27-24.
This game would live up to the expression “It’s not over, until it’s over “.
When Gardner-Webb got possession back over the ball, they marched down the field, on a drive that ended with a 33-yard pass into the end zone. This brought the Bulldogs into the lead with only 43 seconds left in the game. Many believed this would be the final score of the game, but the Owls were not finished as Shepherd completed a pair of passes that got KSU in scoring range . With just 11 seconds remaining , Shepherd found Xavier Hill for the game-winning touchdown . Xavier Shepherd broke the KSU record for most passing touchdowns in one game(4).
The Owls now have a record of 7-1, and are undefeated in the Big South Conference. They hope to extend their 6-game winning streak next week, as they will travel to Pennsylvania to face the Robert Morris University Colonials(3-4). Kickoff is set for November 6th at 12:00 pm at Joe Walton Stadium!