Chandler Burks rewrote the record books again as the first player in Big South Conference history with at least 30 career rushing and passing touchdowns as Kennesaw State cemented its first-ever win at Charleston Southern 38-10 on Saturday, Oct. 27.
In their 38-10 victory, the Owls dominated time of possession by 15 minutes and converted 11 of 16 chances on third down. The Buccaneers only converted one of 10 on third down, marking the difference in the game.
“We have to stay on the field offensively to give our defense a rest,” CSU head coach Mark Tucker said. “We fought, but we didn’t execute well enough.”
After a slow start, Burks methodically marched down the field on a seven-play, 67-yard drive that resulted in a three-yard touchdown run to get the Owls its first score with under two minutes remaining in the first quarter. All 67 yards were gained on the ground, setting the tone for the 316 rushing yards in the game.
In his return from a two-game absence due to injury, Justin Sumpter received a touchdown pass from Burks on a 21-yard pass.
Burks’ string of touchdowns continued on the opening play of the following drive, as Darnell Holland turned a short pass into a 65-yard touchdown and put KSU up 24-3 with a little under six minutes remaining in the first half.
KSU tallied 508 total yards as Burks finished with 102 yards on 23 carries. He completed 11 of 18 of his passes for 192 yards but was intercepted twice. He now has 30 passing and 46 rushing touchdowns in his career.
As for the defense, they limited CSU to 186 total yards, including 63 passing yards. Bryson Armstrong totaled nine tackles, including eight solo and a sack.
“We’ve got a bunch of guys who are motivated to continue to build on what has happened here previously,” KSU’s head coach Brian Bohannon said. “Each and every week, we try to focus on that, and that alone.”
Since dropping the opener at Georgia State, the Owls have gone on a seven-game winning streak, outscoring opponents 355-73.
KSU stood at No. 2 in the AFCA Coaches Poll and FCS STATS poll after their break last week, and although the Owls are only in their fourth season, their expectations are those of an elite program.
“This program was built on being challenge-driven because of the nature of being up-and-coming. And our kids kind of thrived on that,” Bohannon said. “Things have changed here rapidly, in a good way. Every day was history. Every day was a new challenge. We’re in a world of new challenges now.”
Accompanying their sustained success, the Owls are favored to repeat as the Big South Conference title holders.
“I wouldn’t say it gets overwhelming, I’d say we get addicted to it,” Anthony Gore Jr. said. “We want to keep winning, and we want to keep winning by a bigger margin. We should be winning.”
