In only its third year of existence, the Kennesaw State football team proved it was a force to be reckoned with in the Big South Conference.
The squad stumbled in its 2017 season opener, but what followed was an unprecedented 11-game win streak that included a final regular-season game against Monmouth University to secure a conference title and an automatic playoff spot in the FCS.
The Owls would go on to defeat Samford and third-seeded Jacksonville State in the playoffs to make it to the quarterfinals before falling to Sam Houston State.
The Owls weren’t the only team with a streak to uphold coming in; the Hawks had won their last seven games and were hungry for another victory. The game was set to be the biggest of the year for both sides, and the Owls wanted to impress at home.
Junior quarterback Chandler Burks combined for five touchdowns through the air and on the ground. Running backs Shaquil Terry and TJ Reed added two more scores, and a combined five turnovers from the defense tipped the game over for the Owls in what was a 52-21 dismantling of the visiting team.
The victory cemented the first FCS playoff berth and Big South Championship for KSU in the team’s history, and the 10th consecutive victory was good for a program-best. The Owls finished the regular season at 10-1 and 5-0 in the conference — both all-time bests for the program — and went undefeated in home games in what was a season for the ages.
