KENNESAW STATE’S BRIAN BOHANNON, TEXAS A&M’S MIKE ELKO NAMED BEAR BRYANT AWARDS CO-COACH OF THE WEEK
HOUSTON, Oct. 29, 2024 – Following one of the most exciting college football weekends in recent memory, Kennesaw State head football coach Brian Bohannon and Texas A&M head football coach Mike Elko have been selected Bear Bryant Awards Fan Favorite co-Coaches of the Week presented by Accenture.
Bohannon, who has coached the Kennesaw State program since its inception, is in its first year of transition into the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and picked up its first-ever FBS win against previously undefeated Liberty, downing the Flames 27-24. Kennesaw State’s win marked the first time in 23 years that a team with an 0-5 or worse record defeated a team with a 5-0 or better record. The win also snapped a 17-game FBS win streak for Liberty – which had been FBS’ longest active win streak.
Quarterback Davis Bryson completed 16 of 20 passes for 189 yards and a score, while the Owl defense came up with big plays in key moments, with an interception by Tyler Hallum and six pass breakups. The Owls capitalized on nine Liberty penalties, costing the Flames 100 yards, in the win.
In a game that was a back-and-forth affair through the first half, it was a Qua Ashley run in the third quarter that put the Owls ahead for good, with Kennesaw State stretching its lead to as many as ten (27-17) with just under five minutes to play.
Meanwhile, in College Station, Elko’s Aggies used a 31-point second half to pick up a 38-23 win over No. 8 LSU. With the win, the Aggies are off to their best start in SEC play in program history and have defeated two top-10 opponents at home in the same season for the first time since 1989.
LSU scored the game’s first ten points and held a 17-7 lead at halftime, but three rushing touchdowns by Marcel Reed – two of eight yards and one of four – gave Texas A&M a lead it would not surrender. LSU cut its deficit to five (28-23) with just under ten minutes to play, but the Aggies scored the game’s final ten points to close out the Tigers.
Texas A&M stifled the LSU rushing attack all night – holding a 242-24 advantage in rushing yardage, including a 144-0 advantage in the second half. The performance marked the fifth time this season that A&M has led an opponent to 100 or fewer yards on the ground.
Kennesaw State will be on the road for the next two weeks, playing Wednesday at Western Kentucky, while Texas A&M remains at home for a matchup with South Carolina.
The selections of Bohannon and Elko follow Georgia’s Kirby Smart, Oregon’s Dan Lanning, Vanderbilt’s Clark Lea, Kentucky’s Mark Stoops, Tennessee’s Josh Heupel, and Washington State’s Jake Dickert. Continuing through the remainder of the regular season, the Paul “Bear” Bryant Awards will recognize a coach weekly for leading their team to an exceptional victory.
The American Heart Association, a global force for healthier lives for all, presents the Bear Bryant Coach of the Year Awards annually to celebrate excellence in coaching, to honor Coach Bryant’s legacy and to raise awareness and critical funds for their mission. The coaching legend died from a heart attack in 1983, just 28 days after his final victory and retirement.
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