Gap Down Backer.

[Soapy]

The Bubba Mack Era has provided a lot of memorable nights in Kennesaw
but Friday's topped it all as Owls take home championship
By Bernie Flowers
December 11th, 2027

If Jamarice Wilder's 80-yard touchdown run early in the second half had turned Fifth Third Stadium into a frenzy, his 70-yard touchdown just four minutes later officially turned the Conference USA Championship Game into a party that was equally coronation, celebration and swan song.

On the eve of Kennesaw State's first ever Conference USA Championship Game, the university granted both Stanford and Georgia Tech the right to interview head coach Bubba Mack for its head coach vacancy with Cardinal head coach Jim L. Mora, a mentor of Mack, announcing his retirement and the Yellow Jackets firing head coach Jeff Taylor. Mack is expected to interview with Georgia Tech some time in the next ten days and the expectations, both in Atlanta and in Kennesaw, is that Mack will succeed Taylor as Georgia Tech's next head coach.

Friday night's celebration weren't in spite of Mack's looming exit but partially because of it, hanging on to the last vestiges of a feeling that Mack had brought home to the program that he had helped built, being part of the staff that fostered Kennesaw State's inaugural football team into existence.

Mack, having spent a decade in the NFL as a player and another decade as a college football coach, expertly dodged questions about his future in the post-game conference but his demeanor and tone throughout the post-game celebrations was more reflective than celebratory.

"We've done a lot of good work for the past three seasons as a coaching staff," Mack said of the 61-10 win over New Mexico State which likely punched the Owls ticket into the playoffs as an automatic qualifier, "The players have bought in, they've invested a lot and the fans and the community has embraced us so tonight was really about that more than anything to me. Yeah, the playoffs and all of that stuff is great but honestly, tonight is special and I'll always remember it."

If and when Mack does leave, he's left Kennesaw State exponentially better than he found it. Both offensive coordinator Mitch Militello and defensive coordinator Marc Mattioli are Broyles Award Finalists, given to the top assistant coach in the country. The school and athletic director Milton Overton are surely going to fight like hell to retain at least one of them with a potential promotion to head coach. We'll see how many players stick around if and when Mack leaves but the blueprint has been laid and the proof of concept has been established.

Championship football can be played at Kennesaw State. Three years ago, that didn't seem possible.

[The JZA]

The Mack-Daddy of Kennesaw!

[djp73]

This a Kennesaw dynasty or a Mack career?

[Soapy]

The Mack-Daddy of Kennesaw!

Return of the Mack!

This a Kennesaw dynasty or a Mack career?

► Show Spoiler

[Soapy]

Head Coach Moves
Jim Mora (retired)
Kenny Dillingham (fired)
Lance Taylor (fired)
Rich Rodriguez (fired)
Lance Leipold (fired)
Bret Bielema (fired)
Chuck Martin (fired)
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Conference Championship Schedule
AAC Championship Game
Florida Atlantic (8-5, 6-2) -- 24
USF (9-4, 6-2) -- 44

ACC Championship Game
#1 Miami (13-0, 8-0) -- 26
#3 Pittsburgh (11-2, 8-0) -- 14

Big XII Championship Game
#11 Texas Tech (10-3, 7-2) -- 31
#13 Colorado (11-2, 8-1) -- 42

Big Ten Championship Game
#4 USC (12-1, 9-0) -- 26
#2 Oregon (11-2, 9-0) -- 21

C-USA Championship Game
New Mexico State (7-6, 6-2) -- 10
#12 Kennesaw State (12-1, 7-1) -- 61

MAC Championship Game
Kent State (9-4, 7-1) -- 14
Toledo (10-3, 7-1) -- 27

MWC Championship Game
San Jose State (8-5, 6-2) -- 49
Nevada (9-4, 6-2) -- 24

SEC Championship Game
#8 Oklahoma (10-3, 7-1) -- 29
#6 LSU (12-1, 7-1) -- 41

Sun Belt Championship Game
Georgia Southern (8-5, 7-1) -- 13
Louisiana (9-4, 7-1) -- 35

[Soapy]

Kennesaw State Earns Playoff Berth, No. 12 Seed in College Football Playoff
12/12/2027 8:13 AM
ksuowls.com

KENNESAW, Ga. -- A historic season for Kennesaw State football will continue in the first edition of the expanded College Football Playoff. The Broncos were ranked No. 12 and will travel to Death Valley to play No. 5 Clemson in the first round of the College Football Playoff.

The Owls secured a spot in the playoff with a 61-10 win over New Mexico State in the Conference USA Championship Game. It was a historic night for the program as they clinched their first ever conference championship at the FBS level. All-American running back Kam Davis broke the school record for most rushing yards in a season (1,357) and All-Conference USA selection Jamarice Wilder had two long touchdown runs to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark.

[Soapy]

Don't cry because it's (almost) over, smile because it happened
KingHootMan -- KSUOwlHowl.com Football Contributor

As first reported by The Atlanta Journal Constitution, Kennesaw State head coach Bubba Mack held a "program wide" meeting on Monday morning when he communicated to his staff and players that he intends to take the head coaching job at Georgia Tech. The meeting ended just minutes before the news was broken by Pete Thamel, College Football Senior Writer for ESPN, that a deal was being finalized between both parties.

The timing wasn't perfect as the team had learned, less than twenty-four hours before, that they'd be heading to the playoffs for the first time in program history. And yet, it seemed apropos (that's a big word for Elmo) that the man that propelled the program to new heights is also advancing to greener pastures as well.

Mack turned around a program that was down and out, down for the count and likely headed towards decades and decades of irrelevance with brief stints of mediocrity. Instead, in just three seasons, he turned a two-win program with a five-foot-nine quarterback into a team that the next time they suit up, it'll be in the College Football Playoffs against Clemson and they just might beat them.

When Conference USA released their all-conference selection, it was practically Kennesaw State's roster with all three leading rushers making the list, two offensive lineman on the first team and essentially the whole defense. Not essentially, it was the entire defensive starters between the first and second team.

The next head coach of the Owls will inherit a far better situation than the one that Mack stepped into. The candidates won't be better because they can't be but there will surely be a line of qualified coaches that want to keep this train going. Skyler Williams has two years of eligibility remaining and even after taking a lesser role in this year's offense, which has two 1,000-yard rushers and a potential third on the way, Williams is still one of the better quarterbacks in the conference. Speaking of the backs, Jamarice Wilder and Greg Burrell are redshirt sophomores. Yeah, you lose Cam'ron Lacy and Corri Milliner but you still have Tyrone Hoyt at tight end, K.J. Parker and Hasheem Nwokei returning. Oh, and by the way, Kennesaw State has the 32nd ranked recruiting class in the country. No one else in the conference is in the top 80.

So don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened. And by the way, it's not over. Thank you, Coach Mack. We've got it from here.

[Soapy]

Panthers QB Eli Holstein brings the Heisman back to Pittsburgh
Jessica West -- SI.com

For the first time since 1976, a Pittsburgh Panther has won the Heisman as Pittsburgh quarterback Eli Holstein edged out Oklahoma's Demond Williams Jr. and LSU's Jarone-Keawe Sagapolutele to win the Heisman.

Holstein has led the Panthers to three consecutive playoff appearances and had his best season to date, throwing for 4,104 yards and thirty-nine touchdowns with eighteen rushing touchdowns. The Panthers fell short of the Miami Hurricanes in the ACC Championship Game but still earned a spot in the playoffs where they'll host the Colorado Buffaloes and quarterback Julian Lewis, who finished fourth in voting.
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CFB Awards
Heisman: QB Eli Holstein (Pittsburgh): 64 Cmp%, 4104 Yds, 39 TD, 8 INT, 804 Rush Yds, 18 TD
Maxwell: QB Eli Holstein (Pittsburgh)
Walter Camp: QB Eli Holstein (Pittsburgh)
AP Coach of the Year: HC Lincoln Riley (USC)
O'Brien: QB Eli Holstein (Pittsburgh)
Bednarik: LB Jonathan Epperson Jr. (Washington): 84 Tkl, 9 TFL, 3 Sacks, 2 INT, 12 PBU
Nagurski: EDGE Booker Pickett (Miami): 45 Tkl, 19 TFL, 10 Sacks, 2 FF
Thorpe: CB Caleb Clark-Glover (Kent State): 58 Tkl, 7 INT, 10 PBU
Walker: HB Peyton Lewis (Virginia Tech): 205 Car, 1292 Yds, 21 TD, 32 Rec, 245 Yds
Biletnikoff: WR Zion Kearney (Oklahoma): 114 Rec, 1287 Yds, 11 TD
Lombardi: EDGE Booker Pickett (Miami)
Unitas: QB Eli Holstein (Pittsburgh)
Hendricks: EDGE Booker Pickett (Miami)
Outland: G Connor Stroh (Texas)
Mackey: TE Luke Gilbert (Miami): 40 Rec, 356 Yds, 10 TD
Broyles Award: DC Corey Hetherman (Miami)
Butkus: LB Jonathan Epperson Jr. (Washington)
Rimington: C Dion Sturm (Alabama)
Groza: K Patrick Durkin (Tulane): 26/29 FG, 49 FG Lng
Guy: P Jesus Ah You (Navy): 38.7 Avg Net, 12 In 20, 12 TB
Jet: CB Terhyon Nichols (Kennesaw State): 21 KR, 461 Yds, TD, 81 PR, 1202 Yds, 3 TD
Alexander: QB Sateki Afalava (Georgia): 57 Cmp%, 4001 Yds, 31 TD, 6 INT
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AP First Team All-Americans
QB Eli Holstein, Pittsburgh (Sr)
HB Peyton Lewis, Virginia Tech (Jr)
HB Kedren Young, Texas (Jr)
WR Quanell Farrakhan Jr., Colorado (Soph)
WR Zion Kearney, Oklahoma (Sr)
WR Landon Roldan, Georgia (Soph)
TE Luka Gilbert, Miami (Jr)
T Carter Lowe, Ohio State (Soph)
T Xavier Pate, Notre Dame (Jr)
G Solatoa Moea'i, Utah (Sr)
G Michael Carroll, Alabama (Jr)
C Dion Sturm, Alabama (Fr)
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EDGE Hayden Lowe, Oregon (Jr)
EDGE Booker Pickett, Miami (Jr)
DT Aydin Breland, Oregon (Jr)
DT Elijah Griffin, Georgia (Jr)
LB Blake Purchase, Oregon (Sr)
LB Myles Graham, Kennesaw State (Sr)
LB Jonathan Epperson Jr, Washington (Soph)
CB Caleb Clark-Glover, Kent State (Sr)
CB O.J. Frederique Jr, Miami (Sr)
S Robert Fitzgerald, LSU (Sr)
S Reggie Powers III, Oklahoma (Jr)

[Soapy]

(12-1, 7-1 C-USA, No. 12 CFP) (11-1, 7-1 ACC, No. 5 CFP)
Kennesaw State Owls at Clemson Tigers
Memorial Stadium - Fri 12/17/27, 8:00

---

Team Schedule
at NC State (4-8): L 34-31
at #21 Fresno State (9-3): W 38-20
vs. Stanford (3-9): W 37-17
at Virginia Tech (6-6): W 28-17
at Louisville (5-7): W 35-28
vs. Boston College (6-6): W 24-17
vs. Florida State (4-8): W 41-25
at SMU (6-6): W 38-35
vs. #15 Notre Dame (10-2): W 30-24
vs. FCS Southeast: W 49-14
at South Carolina (4-8): W 27-24

Team Leaders
Passing: Bryce Underwood 69 cmp%, 3559 yards, 23 TD, 4 INT
Rushing: Girard Pringle Jr. 1037 yards, 5.6 ypc, 11 TD
Receiving: Josh Buck 58 receptions, 900 yards, 12 TD
Defense: Jay Crawford 52 tackles, 6 INT

Last Meeting
No previous matchup

Injuries
LT Ian Reed (Senior) Dislocated Hip (Out)
RG Glenn Figueroa (Sophomore) Abdominal Tear (Out)

Players to Watch
QB Bryce Underwood (Jr) | 6'4", 216LBS | 89 OVR, 91 SPD, 95 ACC, 99 THP, 87 SAC, 89 MAC, 88 DAC
‣ Dabo Swinney not only dipped into the portal, he went in there to replace a rising senior in Christopher Vizzina that had thrown for forty-three touchdowns the year before. Underwood statistically might not have been an upgrade but he was brought in to win playoff games with his physical traits which are elite. The Owls have been susceptible to the occasional big play and Underwood can make those happen with both his arm and his legs.

HB Girard Pringle Jr. (R-Soph) | 5′10″, 192LBS | 90 OVR, 96 SPD, 98 ACC, 95 COD, 91 SPM, 95 JKM
‣ Speaking of big plays and the transfer portal, Pringle didn't have a single carry at Miami and transferred to Clemson where he's been a star for the Tigers. He's averaging 5.6 yards per carry with a ton of yards after contact. He's a dynamic player with the ball in his hands and he's almost guaranteed to break loose once or twice. The only way the Owls can make this a competitive game is if they can limit those explosive runs to twenty to thirty yards instead of sixty to the house.

DT Vic Burley (R-Sr) | 6'4", 324LBS | 90 OVR, 99 STR, 96 PMV, 67 FMV, 85 BSH
‣ The secondary is loaded with a ton of playmakers and future NFL draft picks but the tone setter is the big guy up front. Burley is an immovable object that the Owls will need to find an answer for. KSU will likely try to squeeze this game and lean on their running game but to do that, they'll need to get through Burley who is one of the best defensive tackles in the country.

[Caesar]

Unimpressive schedule there from Clemson. Podium if you lose tbh