The Owls erase a 14-point deficit yet fall short 28-31 to No. 7 Furman University Saturday night due to a last-second Paladin field goal.
The Kennesaw State football team played against Furman on Saturday, Sept. 16 at Fifth Third Bank Stadium in Kennesaw and lost 28-31, but not without breaking a KSU record.
For the first time facing off against each other, both teams entered Saturday’s contest sitting on even records (1-1), each hoping that they would walk away from the evening boasting an early winning season.
Following a first drive by Furman, the ball was back in the hands of the Owls who were ready to show up in front of the electric home crowd. A block below the waist set the line back 15 yards and was followed by several attempts to break through, only to be foiled by the Paladins’ defense. The first quarter ended before either team could capitalize, giving the Owls more than their fair share of work to do as the field flipped.
As the second quarter began, a missed 47-yard field goal by Paladin Kicker Ian Williams gave possession back to the Owls for what would prove to be a productive drive. The scoreboard finally shed zeros with 13 minutes left in the second quarter due to Owls’ Quarterback Jonathan Murphyfinding the hands of a wide-open Gabriel Benyardfor a 32-yard touchdown. A one-yard run by Furmans’ Quarterback Tyler Huff put the Paladins on the board, evening the score at 7-7.
“It’s really been positive how we’ve been able to connect with these guys,” Head Coach Bohannan said in a post-game interview. “Gabriel’s a really good player, we saw that early when he came in….and Murph’s been throwing the ball really well right now.”
As the second half began, Murphy was close to breaking coverage on the first drive but was knocked out of bounds after gaining 22 yards on the run.
With almost a minute left in the third quarter, the Owls offense came to life in the form of a 61-yard pass to Wide Receiver Gabriel Benyard. With the third play of the final 15 minutes, the Owls added another touchdown by tight end Preston Daniels, cutting the deficit to seven.
An immediate response from Furman came in the form of a 30-yard kick return. Another breakthrough by Huff earned the quarterback his fourth rushing touchdown of the night, pushing the scoring gap back to 14.
With 12 minutes left in the fourth, Murphy earned the single-game passing record with his 260th passing yard of the game, breaking the record previously held by Trey White (236).
“It’s not me making the records,” Murphy said humbly in a post-game interview. “I’m just throwing the ball, guys like Gabriel Benyard and Isaac Foster…they make it easier, especially in this system.”
As the final five minutes of the game ticked slowly off the clock, the Owls equalized the Paladins by way of a 49-yard rushing touchdown by Gabriel Benyard, evening the score for the first time since the start of the second quarter.
A late recovery effort by the Paladins proved productive as a drive that ended at the two-yard-line resulted in a field goal with 21 seconds left, giving the Owls some scrambling to do as the end of regulation loomed.
A last-minute throw by Murphy ended up in the hands of Furman Cornerback Cally Chizik, stifling the comeback opportunity and cementing the 28-31 final score.
“That one hurt,” Bohannan said. “One characteristic about this team is they fight and they don’t quit, no matter what’s going on.”
The Owls will look for reversed success as they travel to Charleston Southern on Sept. 30.
