Sean Wright is a HERO Sports campus correspondent who specializes in coverage of FCS teams in the southeast. Residing in the Greater Atlanta area, he knows the talent that courses through that area of the country, and he writes about it. You can follow Sean on Twitter @SeanWright82.
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Kennesaw State sophomore Jonathan Murphy started the season as the third quarterback on the roster. In the biggest game of the year, his number was called. He answered, big time.
In the second quarter of the Kennesaw State/Wofford FCS Playoff game, Tommy Bryant went down with an apparent leg injury. Murphy was called into the game. In his first possession, he ran it three times for -5 yards and fumbled. Fortunately for the Owls, they recovered. It was a slow start, to say the least.
“Took a minute to get adjusted. I just needed to get my feet wet," Bryant said.
He answered. On his second possession, right before halftime, he had a 19-yard run and a 35-yard run. After halftime, the Owls never looked back. The Owls seemed to not miss a beat with the insertion of Murphy. That could be attributed to his preparation.
“Preparing as if I’m the starter. I’m there early. I get my film. We call it competitive focus around here," Murphy told HERO Sports.
He ended the game with 23 rushes for 206 yards and three touchdowns along with the win for the Owls.
It’s still uncertain if Bryant will be able to go, or if Murphy will have to step in again this Saturday at No. 3 seed Weber State.
“More reps with the 1s. I have to become more of a leader in practice, make sure we’re urgent. I’m not just a guy on the sideline anymore. I’m out there," Murphy replied when asked how has preparation changed for him this week. Murphy stated “coaches always tell us we’re one play away. Always be ready you’re one play away.”
The coaches were obviously right, and it came to fruition for Murphy and he took it head-on.
We shouldn’t expect anything less from him this weekend as Kennesaw State travels to Utah to take on Weber State this Saturday.
“Getting the W. They have a good team. We want to go out there and shock them. Get the respect we deserve," he said.
If Murphy is running like he ran last Saturday, look out the Owls.
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