KSU set for extended homestand
Oct. 4—KENNESAW — The calendar reads October, but Kennesaw State has only played one home game so far this season.
That is about to change, and in a big way.
The Owls (1-3, 0-1 ASUN Conference) will play the next four Saturdays at Fifth Third Bank Stadium, with a chance to turn the season around. The effort starts this week when they host North Alabama (1-3).
Kennesaw State had played three of its first four games on the road — all losses at Samford, Cincinnati and Jacksonville State. Its one home game was a win over Wofford on Sept. 24, following an early bye week.
For Owls coach Brian Bohannon, getting to play in front of the home crowd for an extended time — facing North Alabama, Central Arkansas, Tennessee Tech and Charleston Southern — may be just what the team needs.
"Being at home is an advantage for us, for our football team. We haven't been at home," Bohannon said Tuesday during his weekly news conference. "We've played one home game, and we're in October. I think its a positive for us right now, and it's all about mindset."
Kennesaw State's home stretch will be the third time in its eight year history it has played four straight home games.
The Owls did so in the shortened 2021 spring season, but only because a road game against Gardner-Webb was canceled because of COVID-19 protocols. The only time the Owls had scheduled four straight at home was in 2018. In both four-game runs, Kennesaw State went 4-0.
There are pluses and minuses to anywhere a team plays. At home, there is the familiarity of surroundings, players sleeping in their own beds and not missing class. The downfall to playing at home is everyone may want a chunk of a player's time and ticket requests.
Being on the road, a lot of times make the surroundings just about football.
"I told the guys after practice, there's a lot of noise out there and you have to drown it out," Bohannon said. "You have to trust your teammates and you have to go do your job. I think being in front of our fan base, with a great crowd, with some energy and enthusiasm is a huge for our football team in 2022.
Great Scott
Defensive lineman Desmond Scott returned to the program and saw action last Saturday at Jacksonville State.
Scott was not with the Owls when the season started because of a violation of team rules. Bohannon said the graduate student from Pinson, Alabama, did everything asked of him to regain his spot on the squad.
"It was completely an internal thing that went on inside the football family," Bohannon said. "There were some discussions with the leaders on the team (about letting him come back). Desmond's actually been out there for about three weeks, but he's been on scout team. He had to earn his way back, and he's done that."
Scott had three tackles in Kennesaw State's 35-28 loss to Jacksonville State.
On the air
Saturday's game against North Alabama can be seen on ESPN+ and heard on the KSU Owls app. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.
