Big nights from Gabriel Benyard and Jonathan Murphy were not enough to deliver the Owls a win against the Mocs.
The Owls’ late comeback attempt came up short in their first road test of 2023, falling to the Chattanooga Mocs 27-20.
After their first possession went three-and-out, the Owl’s defense allowed the first score of the game. Chattanooga drove 92 yards on 13 plays, capped off by a 15-yard touchdown pass from Moc quarterback Chase Artopoeus to target Sam Phillips.
However, the Owls made an effort to respond with Quarterback Jonathan Murphy leading the Kennesaw State offense all the way inside the Chattanooga 30-yard line. The offense would unfortunately stall out, leading to a Conor Cummins field goal attempt. After a delay of game penalty pushed the attempt back to 49 yards, Cummins missed the kick wide left.
After a Moc field goal made the deficit 10-0, the Owl’s offense again showed some life. Faced with a 3rd and 19 deep in their own territory, running back Gabriel Benyard took a screen pass 53 yards down to the Chattanooga 31-yard line. Once again, Murphy and company were unable to put the ball in the endzone, leading to a Conor Cummins attempt from 48 yards out. Kicking on the other side of the field, Cummins missed left for the second time of the night.
Chattanooga made their next drive count as well. The Mocs went 69 yards on just two plays, highlighted by a miraculous catch by receiver Jamoi Mayes that slipped through the arms of an Owl defender.
The Owls finally got on the board on their first drive of the second half when Murphy called his own number and went 29 yards on the ground for a score.
Chattanooga would regain their 17-point advantage at 24-7 when Artopoeus found receiver Javin Whatley wide-open for a 32-yard touchdown pass.
After both sides traded field goals to make the score 27-10, Jonathan Murphy took advantage of a blown coverage and hit Gabriel Benyard for a touchdown to bring the Owls within 10.
“He’s a heck of a player he has been since he’s been here,” Head Coach Brian Bohannon said postgame when asked about Benyard’s performance. “I don’t think any of us were surprised about what he did tonight.”
After cornerback Deontre Morris picked off his second ball of the year, Conor Cummins knocked in a chip shot field goal to bring the Owls within a score at 27-20.
With just over two minutes to play in regulation, the Owls had one final chance to send the game to overtime.
A highlight reel-worthy completion by Murphy was called back as a sack, pushing the Owls back to third and long. After failing to convert two final times, the Owls’ fate was ultimately sealed.
“We kept fighting, we never gave up,” Bohannon commented when asked about his team’s resiliency in the second half. “We got to find a way to find that energy level and execute that way the whole game.”
The Owls will return home to another tall task on Saturday, Sep. 16, when they host the nationally-ranked Furman Paladins.
