Julien Benjamin, Staff Writer
Kennesaw State’s offense has been a mystery for most fans that have never seen the team play prior to the public scrimmage last Saturday.
Head coach Brian Bohannon installed the triple-option offense at KSU and has brought his expertise over from his time spent as the B-backs and quarterbacks coach at Georgia Tech. However, this is not a typical triple-option offense.
While there were few offensive nuances on display, the more balanced attack of the offense was a key take-away for fans as well as the receivers.
“We’re trying to be different than other option offenses, we’re trying to put the ball in the air more (than other triple option teams),” wide receiver Justin Sumpter said. “Everybody has to do a little blocking at some point, but in the end we get our reward.”
There were issues on offense early, especially with quarterback pitches, which are a vital part of the triple option offense.
“We came out kind of slow,” Jake McKenzie said after the game. “I think we were kind of nervous.”
Other players, such as Sumpter and defensive back Taylor Henkle both echoed this sentiment. However, as Bohannon said, “We got to see how some guys react in game situations.”
The offense took some time to get adjusted early, but they soon took off amassing several impressive touchdowns on the afternoon, using both their ground and air games effectively.
Many different players on offense posted had good performances, mainly running backs Trey Chivers, Christian Rall, Devon Rosser, and Cameron Blackburn. All four had long runs over 10 yards, two of which ended in touchdowns.
The wide receivers and the two healthy quarterbacks, Jantzen Jeffrey and McKenzie, also got in on the action, landing some big plays of their own. The Owls’ first touchdown of the day was set up with a catch over 30 yards by Prentice Stone on a go-route.
Savannah product, Tremayne Trawick, scored a long touchdown in the south end zone, on a fade route throw from Jeffrey, a redshirt-sophomore transfer from The Citadel.
“It felt pretty good to hear the crowd cheer,” Sumpter said.
With the scrimmage now behind them, the football team is ready to get back to work. “We’re getting closer on timing with the receivers,” McKenzie said. “We’re going to keep working hard, practicing hard, and practicing with great intensity (to get ready for next season).”
