Davidson wins its conference again, learns opponent for college football playoffs

Davidson College will open its second straight Football Championship Subdivision playoff campaign Saturday on the road against Big South champion Kennesaw State.

The Wildcats and Owls are among the 24-team FCS playoff field announced Sunday by the NCAA.

Davidson (8-2) qualified for the playoffs by winning its second straight Pioneer Football League championship. This will be the Wildcats’ second appearance in the FCS playoffs.

Kennesaw State (10-1) has qualified for the FCS playoffs in four of the past five seasons.

Kickoff for the first-round game will be 2:30 p.m.

Davidson’s first FCS appearance came last spring, during a season delayed several months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Wildcats lost to fourth-seeded Jacksonville State 49-14 in the first round.

Neither Davidson nor Kennesaw State were among the top eight seeds announced by the NCAA. The top seed is defending FCS champion Sam Houston, a former Southland Conference team now playing in the Atlantic Sun/Western Athletic Conference.

Saturday’s game is likely to be short on pass plays.

Davidson ranked No. 1 and Kennesaw State is second in FCS rushing this season. The Wildcats have run for 3,484 yards, and the Owls have 2,997 yards on the ground.

The teams are meeting for the first time. Kennesaw State, whose only loss this season was to Georgia Tech, started its football program in 2015.

The Davidson-Kennesaw State winner will advance to the second round on Dec. 4, traveling to seventh-seeded East Tennessee State.