Kennesaw State head coach Brian Bohannon kicked off his inaugural CUSA Media Days by riling up the Owls’ fanbase and putting their opponents on notice. What did the FBS’ newest leading man have to say?
Who Gives a Hoot? Kennesaw State’s Brian Bohannon Ready for First Year in FBS
Kennesaw State is now the fifth FBS football program in the state of Georgia, but Bohannon, who has coached the program since its inception, is eager to prove the Owls or more than just the new kid on the block.
“Obviously, we want to win. That’s always been a part of what we do,” Bohannon said at the podium in Arlington, Texas. “I think, more importantly, to go show who we are, what we’re about, and how we play and how we play our brand of Kennesaw State football.”
What exactly is Kennesaw State’s brand of football? Running … a lot.
Here are the Owls’ pass vs. rush attempt splits over the last four years:
- 2023 (nine games): 169 to 362
- 2022 (11): 194 to 635
- 2021 (13): 151 to 728
- 2020 (five): 36 to 284
Located 15 miles outside of Atlanta, GA, Kennesaw State is one of the largest “small” schools in the country, owning a fall 2023 enrollment of 45,152. To put that into perspective, the University of Georgia had an enrollment total of 41,615.
Despite its size and hotbed location, the Owls didn’t have a football team for the first 50 years of their existence. However, the program came out swinging in its first season in 2015, defeating East Tennessee State 56-16.
That victory commenced one of the greatest starts for a program in college football history, as Kennesaw State went 61-18 through its first seven seasons (2015-21), making four FCS Playoffs (2017, 2018, 2019, 2021) and winning three Big South Conference Championships (2017, 2018, 2021).
The Owls have come back down to Earth in the last two years, going 5-6 in 2022 and 3-6 in 2023.
They left the Big South for the ASUN two seasons ago, but after accepting an invitation to join the CUSA, Kennesaw State became the lone independent FCS team last year. Now, the program will begin its two-year transition into the FBS, and it will be ineligible for postseason competition and conference championships until 2026.
Over the last two seasons, the Owls have lost to current CUSA programs: 35-38 in overtime at Jacksonville State (2022) and 24-20 at Sam Houston State (2023). They’ll have a chance at revenge this year, with home bouts against both schools on tap (Oct. 4 vs. the Gamecocks and Nov. 16 vs. the Bearkats).
Bohannon’s squad owns the fourth-easiest strength of schedule in the CUSA, which is already one of the weakest conferences in the country.
KEEP READING: 2024 Conference USA Power Rankings
CUSA final records in 2023:
- Liberty (13-1)
- New Mexico State (10-5)
- Jacksonville State (9-4)
- Western Kentucky (8-5)
- Middle Tennessee (4-8)
- FIU (4-8)
- Sam Houston (3-9)
- Louisiana Tech (3-9)
- UTEP (3-9)
Outside of Liberty, Jacksonville State, and Western Kentucky, every single team in the league has a win total of 4.5 or lower, giving the Owls a larger margin of error in their first year at a new level. Bohannon and Co. will get their first taste of FBS action on Aug. 31, as they open the season on the road at UTSA.
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