Football @ Kennesaw State
Jim Killian/CSU Sports
23
Charleston Southern CHSO 1-5 , 0-1
45
Winner Kennesaw State KSU 5-1 , 1-0
Charleston Southern CHSO
1-5 , 0-1
23
Final
45
Kennesaw State KSU
5-1 , 1-0
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
CHSO Charleston Southern 0 6 7 10 23
KSU Kennesaw State 14 14 3 14 45

Game Recap: Football |

Record-setting performances not enough for Bucs to overcome No. 4/7 Kennesaw State

KENNESAW, Ga. – Charleston Southern was unable to keep pace with the Kennesaw State rushing attack on Saturday afternoon as the Buccaneers fell to the No. 4/7 Owls at Fifth Third Bank Stadium, 45-23.
 
Jack Chambers, Garris Schwarting, Nick Salley, and Eishuan Funnye all posted career-highs for CSU (1-5, 0-1 Big South) in the road loss to the Owls. Chambers (296 passing yards), Schwarting (six catches, 131 yards, 1 TD), Salley (14 tackles, 2.0 TFL) and Funnye (3.0 TFL) paced the Bucs statistical leaders in the Bucs' Big South opener.
 
Bronson Rechsteiner (eight carries, 138 yards, two TDs) paced the Kennesaw State (5-1, 1-0 Big South) rushing attack as the Owls racked up 342 rushing yards in the win. Daniel David added three rushing touchdowns and went 4-of-7 through the air for 93 yards in the win.
 
Kameron Brown added five catches for 68 yards and a touchdown reception for the Bucs as CSU picked up a season-high 296 passing yards in the loss. The Bucs had 229 passing yards in the second half with Brown and Schwarting combining for 175 receiving yards over the final 30 minutes.
 
Bryson Armstrong paced the Owls defense with 12 tackles (10 solo), while Charlie Patrick had five tackles, 2.0 TFL and an interception to spark the KSU defense.
 
Gallery: (10/12/2019) Football at Kennesaw State (10/12/2019)

Key Drive
The connection between Jack Chambers and Garris Schwarting was evident throughout the second half – none more so than late in the third quarter. 
 
Down 31-13, Schwarting tiptoed down the sideline for a 43-yard reception on the final play of the third quarter to move the ball to the Kennesaw State 45-yard line. Two plays later, Chambers looked in the direction of his fellow captain once again with Schwarting snagging the 40-yard touchdown reception to cut the lead down to 31-20 with 14:17 to play in the game.
 
The Bucs would add a late 31-yard Alex Usry field goal, but that was as close as CSU would get the rest of the way in the Big South opener.
 
How They Scored
  • Kennesaw State took advantage of an early Charleston Southern interception to set up a short field at the CSU 21-yard line. Four plays later, Antavius Grier took the pitch around the left end and scored from 10 yards out to put the Owls ahead 7-0 with 11:34 to play in the game.
  • Daniel David capped a 16-play, 72-yard drive that spanned 7:58 of the first quarter with a one-yard QB keeper inside the right tackle to put KSU ahead 14-0 with 2:12 remaining in the opening frame.
  • KSU added to their lead early in the second quarter as Bronson Rechsteiner went 49-yards up the middle on the second play of the drive to put the Owls up 21-0 with 14:17 remaining in the half
  • Alex Usry put the Bucs on the scoreboard with 8:08 remaining in the second quarter as the sophomore placekicker drilled a career-long 49-yard field goal through the uprights to cap a 12-play, 60-yard drive.
  • Usry wasn't done in the first half as he drilled a 50-yard attempt through the uprights with 1:03 remaining to pull the Bucs within 21-6 following an eight-play, 31-yard drive late in the second quarter.
  • Rechsteiner put the Owls into the half with a 56-yard touchdown run with 22 seconds remaining as KSU led 28-6 late in the second quarter.
  • Garris Schwarting's debut punt return went for 54 yards in the third quarter and set up the one-yard touchdown pass from Jack Chambers to Kameron Brown to narrow the score to 28-13 with 5:40 remaining on the clock.
  • Nathan Robertson capped a Kennesaw State nine-play, 39-yard drive with a 46-yard field goal to add to the Owls' 31-13 lead with 49 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
  • Schwarting continued to come up big for the Bucs as the senior hauled in a 40-yard touchdown reception with 14:24 remaining in the fourth quarter to cut the Owls lead down to 31-20.
  • David plunged in from six-yards out to add to the Kennesaw State lead with 11:53 remaining as the Owls went up 38-20 following the rushing touchdown.
  • Usry connected on his third field goal of the game, this one from 31-yards out, to cut the KSU lead down to 38-23.
  • David scored his third rushing touchdown of the game with a one-yard QB sneak up the middle to put KSU ahead 45-23 with 8:03 remaining.
Inside the Numbers
  • Kennesaw State held the 448-380 advantage in total yards on Saturday afternoon.
  • The Bucs and Owls tied with both teams picking up 17 first downs in the game.
  • CSU threw for a season-high 296 passing yards on 45 attempts.
  • The two teams combined for 18 penalties for 182 yards, both highs in a CSU game this season.
  • Kennesaw State held the 31:55-28:05 edge in time of possession, but the Bucs dominated the second quarter holding onto the ball for 11:20 in the frame.
  • CSU was a season-high 10-of-20 on third down conversions in the loss, while Kennesaw State was limited to 4-of-12.
  • The Owls were a perfect 2-of-2 on fourth down conversions.
  • Kyle Reighard averaged 39.8 yards per punt and pinned three inside the KSU 20 yard line on Saturday.
News & Notes
  • Alex Usry's 50-yard field goal marked just the third 50-plus yard conversion in program history and tied Tyler Tekac's career-best 50-yard conversion against Gardner-Webb back on Nov. 10, 2018.
  • Usry added a 49-yard conversion early in the second quarter to tie for the fourth-longest conversion with Tekac (twice).
  • Eishuan Funnye set new career highs in tackles (five), solo tackles (four), and tackles for loss (3.0).
  • Anton Williams scooped up his first fumble recovery in his career.
  • Nick Salley set career highs in total tackles (15) and solo tackles (12), both season highs for the team as well.
  • In his first career punt return, Garris Schwarting's 54-yard return set the team's season record for longest return and is the ninth best in school history.
  • Schwarting also caught a career high (6) passes today for a career high of (131) yards. He garnered 83 yards on a single drive that ended in a 43-yard TD catch for the senior.
  • Jack Chambers finished with 296 yards through the air, a career-high and his third career 2 passing TD game, his second this year.
  • Schwarting also had the Bucs third 100-yard receiving performance this season, the first two coming from Kameron Brown.
  • Qua-Vonn Scott picked up his first catch of the 2019 season on Saturday picking up a 16-yard reception for a first down in the second quarter.
  • The Bucs fall to 7-10 all-time in Big South openers and had their three-year winning streak snapped following Saturday's loss to the Owls.
  • CSU falls to 1-3 all-time against the Owls.
  • The Bucs fall to 22-29 all-time against current Big South opponents.
Play of the Game
Play of the Game #2
Coach's Comments

 
Up Next
Charleston Southern remains on the road as the Buccaneers wrap up non-conference play on Saturday, October 19, at North Alabama. Kickoff between the future Big South foes is set for 7 p.m. (ET) on ESPN+.
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