KENTUCKY STATE GOES TOE-TO-TOE WITH D1 SOUTHERN

BATON ROUGE, LA - Kentucky State Football went up against Division I Southern on Saturday, showing plenty of fight in a 34-15 road loss at A.W. Mumford Stadium.

The Thorobreds finished with 378 total yards, slightly more than Southern’s 372. Kentucky State also held the ball for 32:36 and recorded 18 first downs.

Tristan Thomas led the offense with 110 rushing yards on 19 carries. He also caught four passes for 74 yards, including a 72-yard touchdown reception. Jaun Gainous finished 17-of-31 passing for 196 yards and two touchdowns, while Jaden Hale added a touchdown catch.

Kentucky State’s defense had several strong individual performances. Roman Hernandez led the team with 12 tackles. Kendrick Curry and Elijah Henderson each recorded seven tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. Tray Blackmon Jr. also made a key play with a safety.

After Southern built a 27-2 lead, the Thorobreds answered with 13 straight points in the third quarter. Thomas’ long touchdown catch and Hale’s 15-yard touchdown reception helped Kentucky State cut into the deficit and create momentum.

Southern added one more touchdown in the fourth quarter, but Kentucky State showed it could compete statistically with a Division I opponent.

The Thorobreds will look to build on the performance when they travel to Clark Atlanta on Sept. 12. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. in Atlanta.

by Austin Stuckey, The Stable

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Photography Credit: Ashtyn Beard