KSU’s club football team was not able to take advantage of big scoring opportunities as they lost their season opener to North Georgia Sports Academy, 34-13.
In the first quarter, NGSA got on the board first with a touchdown after a KSU three and out to start the game. The Owls quickly responded with a 76-yard touchdown strike to receiver Derrick Butts. After a two-point conversion, the Owls had an 8-6 lead. That quickly changed with another Mountaineers touchdown and a conversion, giving NGSA a 14-8 lead heading into the second quarter.
The Owls’ defense kept NGSA’s offense at bay in the second quarter, but the offense never really took advantage of their opportunities. In the second quarter, the Owls had drives end on an interception and two punts. KSU only came away with a field goal in the period, cutting the Mountaineers’ lead to 14-11.
In the third quarter, the Mountaineers started on their own 4-yard line. They began to drive down the field, in the process converting on fourth down with a deep pass to KSU’s 25-yard line. When faced with another fourth down conversion, the Owls defense would rise up to the occasion with a sack. KSU’s next two possessions of the quarter resulted in punts, and the Owls got a break late in the quarter when they recovered a fumble deep in NGSA territory.
As the fourth quarter began, the Owls’ glimmer of hope quickly faded with their own fumble on the goal line. The Mountaineers took over on their 1-yard line, and once again, the KSU defense had to work its magic. They did not disappoint, dropping NGSA behind their goal line for a safety.
With a 14-13 score, the Owls received the ensuing punt with a huge fourth quarter opportunity. However, two penalties and a bad snap ended the drive and another punt ensued. The Mountaineers, with the help of a horse collar tackle penalty, moved down the field and scored their third touchdown of the game. After a two-point conversion, the score was 22-13.
When NGSA drew a penalty for kicking off out of bounds, the Owls once again had a chance to redeem themselves with seven minutes left in the game. However, any chances of a late KSU comeback vanished with an interception that was returned for a touchdown. The Mountaineers went on to add eight more points before the final quarter ended.
Head coach Joseph Courson sees room for improvement despite a solid defensive performance. “We’ve only had five practices as a team. It definitely showed today. I thought my defense came out and played really hard. It’s difficult to play four quarters and be the ones carrying the team. There’s a lot we have to do on offense. Two of the three quarterbacks have never played before. Actually, the guy that started never really played before. We definitely have to work on our offense and get the ball moving.”
Derrick Butts, who caught the Owl’s lone touchdown pass, also sees areas where his offensive unit struggled, but was pleased with the signal callers’ efforts. “The defense played hard, but we fell short a couple of times,” he said. “We just couldn’t get it in in the red zone. That was our main problem.
“We had a couple of quarterbacks step up today. Some of them don’t have too much experience and they played well through the adversity. I’m proud of them.”
Besides the offense, Courson pointed out penalties as another concern that needs to be addressed. “Those are things you can fix out in practice. Those are things I will definitely start addressing Tuesday.
We have to be a disciplined football team. That’s got to be paramount.”
Despite the loss, Courson thinks this game showcased his team’s potential. “Like I said, we’ve only practiced five times. [We held] a team all the way to the last four or five minutes of a game,” he said. “I thought we did really well. We’re only going to get better. I’m proud of my guys. They fought hard until the end.”
The Owls will play their next home game on Oct. 5 against Rollins College.
