KSU Thorobreds close out season with 34-7 win over Stillman

FRANKFORT, Kentucky – The Kentucky State football team finished its season on a high note and celebrated the final game for its seniors by pulling away for a 34-7 win over Stillman College in a Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game on Saturday at Alumni Stadium.

The Thorobreds posted their highest scoring total of the season, helped by Reginal Harris, who topped the 100-yard mark and set a career high rushing total for the third straight week. Harris finished with 174 yards on 28 carries, including a 57-yard touchdown down the right sideline that helped put the game away in the fourth quarter.

The defense was in dominant form as well, forcing five turnovers and holding Stillman to just 119 yards of total offense. Aside from Stillman's one touchdown, a 43-yard pass from Alex Frederick to Hudson Cain, Kentucky State held the Tigers to just 1.4 yards per play.

Kentucky State was first to get on the scoreboard, set up by a Vincent Edwards interception and return to the Stillman 27-yard-line. A 23-yard run by Harris put the Thorobreds inside the 10, and Derek Woodmore ran the ball in from a yard out for the touchdown. On its next possession, Kentucky State drove 61 yards on 10 plays, with a Bill Rose field goal making the score 10-0 at the end of the first quarter.

Stillman got its touchdown in the second quarter to cut the margin to 10-7, but a Charles Johnson kick return across midfield to the Stillman 45 set up Kentucky State for another score. Six plays later, Charles Johnson was in the end zone on a 13-yard pass from Ora Johnson for a 17-7 lead.

The Thorobreds tacked on another Rose field goal to make the lead 20-7 early in the third quarter, and late in the quarter, the defense came up with its biggest stop of the game. Aided by a Lydell Simon interception and fumble back to Stillman as well as a pass interference penalty, the Tigers ran 12 plays inside the Kentucky State 10-yard-line, eventually coming up empty with a turnover on downs.

Kentucky State pulled away from that point, going up 27-7 on the touchdown run by Harris, followed by Ryan Luckett returning an interception 59 yards for a touchdown on the next series.

Brentton Ervin led the Kentucky State defense statistically with 11 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, a sack, and a pass break-up. Trevon Spencer and Lydell Simon finished with six and five tackles respectively, each recording a tackle for loss and an interception.

Additionally, Kentucky State recognized the 12 members of this year's senior class who were on hand for their final game. The class includes Jermaine Graham, Nate Robinson, Kolby Griffin, Vaughn Caine, Terrell Johnson, Eric Rawls, Kyle Jackson, Simon, Andre McCall, Nate Allen, Woodmore, and D'Shaunte Glass.

With the victory, Kentucky State breaks a four game losing streak and a five game losing streak in the series with Stillman. The Thorobreds wrap up the season at 3-7 with a 2-3 record in the SIAC West Division, while Stillman finishes 3-6 overall with a 1-4 record in the SIAC West.

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COURTESY KENTUCKY STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION