Box Score JACKSON, Tenn. – Senior quarterback Chris Rini threw five touchdowns to help lead the Lane College Dragons to a 38-28 victory over the Kentucky State University Thorobreds in an SIAC West Division football contest on Saturday afternoon.
Lane moves to 5-4 overall and 2-3 in the SIAC. Kentucky State falls to 4-5 overall and 1-4 in the SIAC.
Rini, who finished the game with a game high 266 passing yards, went 20-for-30 through the air and threw his first three touchdowns on the Dragons first three consecutive drives. Rini, who is also the Dragons starting kicker, hit a 37-yard field goal to put Lane ahead, 24-0, in the first quarter.
The Thorobreds would not go away quietly though.
Kentucky State slowly chipped away at the Dragons lead and when Jacquise Lockett punched in a 4-yard rushing touchdown early in the fourth quarter the Thorobreds trailed Lane by just three points, 24-21.
Rini and the Dragons responded by throwing two more touchdowns to push their lead to 38-21 with just over four minutes left in the game.
Lockett, the SIAC's leading rusher, rushed for a game high 105 yards and three touchdowns. His final touchdown came on a 30-yard rush with 1:29 left on the game clock. The Thorobreds attempted an onside kick but Lane recovered to end the Kentucky State comeback.
KSU starting quarterback Alex Springs left the game in the first quarter after suffering an injury. Junior quarterback Adam Robinson replaced Springs, entering the game for the Thorobreds late in the first quarter.
Robinson tallied over 200 passing yards for the first time this year, throwing for a season high 255 yards and a touchdown. He also had two interceptions. One of them came in the third quarter when Lane picked off Robinson on their own 2-yard line ending the Thorobred's drive in the red zone. The other interception came on a desperation heave at the end of the game.
Kentucky State senior defensive tackle Deshawn Ross had an excellent game finishing with six tackles and a season high two sacks for a total loss of 11 yards. Freshman linebacker Travon Spencer had a team high 10 tackles. Jeremy Lewis got his third interception of the season when he picked off a Rini pass in the second quarter.
The Thorobreds will return home for their final game of the regular season when they host Morehouse College on Nov. 9. Kickoff for the senior game is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
