Kennesaw State burst onto the national scene as a new FCS program in the late 2010s, reaching back-to-back quarterfinals in 2017 and 2018. The Owls haven’t reached that point in the postseason since, making the second round in 2019 and last fall.
Ranked the No. 8 team in the Stats Perform Preseason Top 25 media poll, can KSU become a bigger contender for an FCS title? Let’s take a look at the team and discuss.
2022 FCS Preseason Preview Central
Last Season
The Owls finished 11-2 overall and 7-0 in the Big South. They beat Davidson 48-21 in the first round of the playoffs before losing 32-31 at ETSU in the final minute.
KSU ranked No. 23 in FCS scoring offense (32.4 PPG) and No. 18 in scoring defense (19.5 PPG).
2022 Roster
KSU has one of the better-looking rosters in its new ASUN-WAC league.
It all starts with an early favorite for the Walter Payton Award. Quarterback Xavier Shepherd leads the option offense after a fabulous 2021 season. Shepherd rushed 240 times for 867 yards and an FCS-leading 23 touchdowns as the Owls were third in FCS rushing offense (278.6 yards per game). He looks comfortable throwing the ball as well, completing 77-of-123 passes for 1,341 yards, 15 TDs, and three interceptions. The 1,341 yards and 15 TDs were both program records. Shepherd is a HERO Sports Preseason First Team All-American at the all-purpose spot.
The offense returns eight players who started games last season, including two All-Conference-level offensive linemen in Zion Katina and Terrell Paxton to pave the way for the ground game. With Shepherd leading KSU in rushing, the Owls also return No. 3 rusher Iaan Cousin (479 yards, 4 TDs) plus Isaac Foster, who missed most of last season after All-Big South Second Team accolades in the spring. KSU also has the luxury of Jonathan Murphy as an “option” at QB. Murphy has starting experience dating back to 2019, leading the Owls to a first-round playoff win.
Six-foot-2 WR Xavier Hill is a big-play threat, averaging 16.9 yards per catch last year with four TDs, which was second on the team.
Kennesaw always has a strong, tough, and well-coached defense, ranking No. 18 last season in points allowed (19.5). The unit returns eight starters. Travis Bell (6 TFLs, 4 sacks) and Kerick Reese (9 TFLs, 4.5 sacks) lead a starting defensive line that remains intact. KSU will have to replace its top three tacklers from 2021, though, in Evan Thompson, Chance Bates, and Cole Loden.
On special teams, Foster brings plenty of juice as a returner. The Owls also bring back kicker Nathan Robertson, who was the 2021 Big South Special Teams Player of the Year and is a HERO Sports Preseason Second Team All-American.
2022 Schedule
- @ Samford
- @ FBS Cincinnati
- vs. Wofford
- @ Jacksonville State
- vs. North Alabama
- vs. Central Arkansas
- vs. Tennessee Tech
- vs. Charleston Southern
- @ No. 18 UT Martin
- vs. Austin Peay
- @ Eastern Kentucky
The Owls did not get a playoff seed last season despite a 10-1 regular-season record and a 9-0 mark against FCS opponents. The reason was because KSU faced zero teams in the playoff picture by the time Selection Sunday came. Its strength of schedule will be stronger in 2022. Jacksonville State has more than 63 scholarships as it transitions to the FBS, UT Martin won a playoff game last year, and EKU was a playoff-fringe team last year with a lot coming back.
Season Outlook
If not for allowing 15 points in the final minutes of the playoff game at ETSU, Kennesaw would have made its third quarterfinal appearance in its relatively young program history. Perhaps the narrative would be different around the Owls had they reached the quarterfinals and played North Dakota State for the first time. Not that they would have given NDSU a legit scare, but a decently-competitive game coupled with returning standouts would have put the Owls in a better spot when it comes to the national conversation this offseason.
It wasn’t long ago when the Owls were in the national title discussion. HERO Sports ranked them No. 3 in our 2018 Preseason Top 25. Since then, it seems like the national narrative on Kennesaw is it’s a solid program that can challenge for a quarterfinal spot, but that’s the ceiling.
Ranked right at No. 8 in this preseason’s media poll, the quarterfinals seem to be the outside expectation again. When you hear conversations about who can make the 2022 semifinals, the first programs most people say are North Dakota State, South Dakota State, Montana, and Montana State with some Missouri State or Stephen F. Austin sprinkled in there.
Can Kennesaw make the semis? You probably won’t hear many FCS observers say that confidently. But it’s not out of the question. Kennesaw always plays solid, fundamental football on defense. And the offense is led by Shepherd, who is a star. A manageable schedule could result in a solid seed. And there’s a chance KSU gets a favorable quarterfinal matchup. If KSU is the No. 7 or No. 8 seed and NDSU, SDSU, or Montana are the No. 1 and 2 seeds, a semifinal run probably isn’t likely. If KSU and SFA or Missouri State are the No. 4 and 5 seeds, that’s a more winnable game.
Kennesaw has major potential to be an FCS power in the south. The track to doing so seemed to be a fast one in the late 2010s, but it has slowed done some the last three seasons. Then again, beating ETSU flips that narrative. But that’s how offseasons work. The Owls have a chance to change the national narrative behind a talented and experienced team in 2022 eyeing a signature playoff win.
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