Box Score FRANKFORT, Ky. – The Kentucky State football team saw its two-game winning streak snapped and suffered its first loss to a Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opponent in a 35-10 homecoming loss to Fort Valley State on Saturday at Alumni Stadium.
The Thorobreds fell behind early in the game when Fort Valley State quarterback Malcolm Eady connected on long touchdown passes on consecutive possessions in the first quarter, finding Jevon Bell on the first touchdown and Drelon Freeman on the second, both scores coming from 36 yards out.
The Kentucky State defense had been a strength recently, allowing just 22 points to opposing offenses over the previous three games. The Thorobreds were victimized by big plays on Saturday, however, allowing the two first quarter touchdown passes and later giving up a 93 yard touchdown run to the Wildcats' Seth Hill.
"Defensively, we didn't contain," said Kentucky State head coach
Josh Dean. "We didn't play the deep ball well. The secondary is our strength, and we got attacked vertically."
The Thorobreds moved the ball consistently at times, but found several drives stall in Fort Valley State territory after penalties or costly sacks. Kentucky State outgained the Wildcats 329-315 and had a season-high 344 passing yards behind 280 by
Alex Springs. Unfortunately for the Thorobreds, Fort Valley State intercepted two balls inside its own two-yard line, and they had two other drives deep into Wildcats territory end in a turnover on downs and a missed field goal. Fort Valley State also had nine sacks in the game.
"Offensively, we just didn't execute," said Dean, who had previously coached at Fort Valley State before coming to Kentucky State. "That was really unfortunate, because I felt like this had been one of our best weeks of practice. The opportunities were there, but you can't afford to get in their end and make turnovers or start moving backward."
After the early touchdowns, Fort Valley State made the score 21-0 when Alexander Morgan scored on a four yard pass from Eady after a blocked punt set the Wildcats up with a short field at the Kentucky State 18.
Bill Rose was able to get the Thorobreds on the board with a 37-yard field goal just before halftime.
Fort Valley State was able to put the game out of reach at 35-3 with two second half touchdowns. The first came on Hill's breakaway run, and the Wildcats extended the lead when Eady threw his fourth touchdown pass to Bell to cap an eight-play, 75-yard drive in the fourth quarter. Kentucky State found the end zone late when Springs took the Thorobreds 76 yards in 11 plays, with
Corey Slaughter scoring from eight yards out.
For the game,
Charles Johnson led Kentucky State with eight catches for 116 yards, while Slaughter caught four balls for 81 yards and a touchdown. On the defensive side,
Lydell Simon had 11 tackles with a forced fumble and fumble recovery, while
Nathaniel Robinson and
Jermaine Graham each had eight tackles. Robinson had the Thorobreds' only sack, while Graham blocked a field goal.
Eady finished with 147 yards and four touchdowns passing, while Hill was the Wildcats' top rusher with 104 yards.
The loss drops Kentucky State to 2-4 overall, though the Thorobreds are 2-1 in SIAC play and 1-0 in SIAC West Division play, which will determine who plays for the SIAC championship. Fort Valley State improves to 4-2 overall, 4-0 in the conference, and 2-0 in the East Division.
"We just have to go back, reevaluate some things, and keep working," said Dean. "We're 2-1 in conference and 1-0 in division play, so that's how we have to look at it. We're in a situation where we still control our own destiny, but we're going to make sure we play well and finish up strong in our conference."
The Thorobreds return to action with a trip to face Miles College next Saturday in Fairfield, Ala.
