2011 KSU Thorobreds Football Schedule Highlighted by Conference Clash in Indianapolis

FRANKFORT, Ky. – Kentucky State University's Director of Athletics, Dr. Denisha L. Hendricks, has announced the 2011 Thorobred Football schedule. In a campaign that opens against rival Central State University on September 4 in the Dayton Classic, this year's schedule boasts five home games, three non-conference matchups and a Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference battle in one of the oldest HBCU classics.

“We are very excited about the upcoming football season and the start of the SIAC East-West Division setup,” said Hendricks.

After opening the season on the road, the Thorobreds return home to take on Lincoln University (PA) on September 10 and then their first West Division game against Stillman College on September 17. On September 24 KSU travels to Owensboro, Ky. to play their final non-conference game of the season against Kentucky Wesleyan.

The 2011 season is highlighted by KSU's matchup against conference foe Albany State in the 2011 Circle City Classic at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Following their appearance in the Circle City Classic, the Thorobreds return to Frankfort for a homecoming, conference battle against Fort Valley State. Last year the Breds fell 12-14 to the Wildcats on Senior Day.

“This year's schedule is great for fans to witness Thorobred football on our home turf,” said Head Coach Wayne Dickens, who enters his third season as head coach at KSU. “It's always great to play in front of the home crowd and the new SIAC divisional format allows us to play more home games and not have to travel as far for away games.”

The remainder of the season alternates home and away games with KSU traveling to Miles College on October 15, returning home to play Tuskegee on October 22 and then hitting the road again on October 29 to battle Lane College. The Breds conclude the regular season with a home game against Morehouse College on November 5.

The Thorobreds wrapped up the 2010 season with a record of 3-8 overall and 2-7 in the SIAC, but they are focused on building upon their strong recruiting class. “We had a successful recruiting season and now it is time to see the fruits of our labor,” said Dickens. “We are one team, with one vision and that's to win, first our division and then the conference championship.”

2011 KSU Football Schedule
Date    Opponent      Location      Time
9/4 Central State (Dayton Classic), Dayton, OH, 5 pm
9/10 Lincoln (Pa.), Frankfort, KY, 5 pm
9/17 Stillman College, Frankfort, KY 7 pm
9/24 Kentucky Wesleyan, Owensboro, KY, 7 pm CST
10/1 Albany State (Circle City Classic), Indianapolis, IN  2:30 pm 
10/8 Fort Valley State (Homecoming), Frankfort, KY 1:30 pm
10/22 Tuskegee, Frankfort, KY 1 pm
10/29 Lane College, Jackson, TN  2 pm CST
11/5 Morehouse, Frankfort, KY 1 pm

By KSU Sports Information
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KSU football: Mistakes bury Breds

The Kentucky State football team entered Saturday’s game against Clark Atlanta with the hope that it could score a win for its fans on Homecoming. Four quarters later, KSU coach Wayne Dickens walked off the field thinking things couldn’t have gone much worse for his team. The Thorobreds lost to the Panthers 19-7 under a mountain of fumbles, missed tackles, penalties and blown assignments.

“We took turns today making every conceivable mistake you can make in a football game,” Dickens said. “And it cost us.” Mistakes plagued KSU from its first drive, which ended when junior quarterback Jerrel Noland lost 17 yards on a mishandled snap and the Thorobreds couldn’t recover the yardage.

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KSU Thorobreds embracing excellence

Kentucky State University head coach Wayne Dickens returns two 1,000 yard rushers in the backfield (senior Anthony Boykins and junior Shannon Frieson)and a 1,600 passer in junior quarterback Jerrell Noland.

It was only four weeks from kickoff, but 2009 looked to be a lost season for the Kentucky State football team. After losing their head coach a month before the first game and being picked to finish last in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC), KSU’s motto could have easily been, “no expectations.” But after finishing with a 6-5 record, including four conference wins, a more appropriate motto would’ve been, “turning heads.”

This season, under coach Wayne Dickens, KSU has come up with their own motto as they look to build on last season’s success: embracing excellence. “To be excellent isn’t just a sometime thing,” Dickens said. “You can’t just do it at practice today. You need to do it everyday.” Part of that excellence involved implementing a new weight lifting program in the offseason that should improve the team’s strength and conditioning. Dickens said there were times last season when his team was physically overmatched, including a 45-0 loss to conference rival Albany State.

“We believe we need to be stronger in our physical core to have the stamina to play later in games,” Dickens said. Late–game performance proved to be a major issue for KSU last season, as four of their five losses came with the team in contention late in the fourth quarter. “We found a way to not quite get over the hump,” Dickens said. “We lacked some poise last year and made some critical mistakes that cost you football games.”

Dickens hopes to find that offensive poise this season in his duo of star running backs. Both senior Anthony Boykins and junior Shannon Frieson rushed for over 1,000 yards last season, and return this year to anchor an offense that’s had plenty of success on the ground.

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