FRANKFORT, Ky. - In his second season as head coach, Felton Huggins Jr. led Kentucky State University's football team to a 5-6 overall record and a 4-4 mark in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) during the 2024 season, showing significant improvement from the previous year.
 
The Thorobreds faced a tough early schedule, opening with the CIAA champions for the past two years, Virginia Union, followed by Division I opponent Alabama A&M, and beginning conference play on the road at Fort Valley State.
 
"We played three teams who were in the top-10 of Division II HBCUs and a Division I Alabama A&M to start the season. We knew it would be tough," Huggins said. "Our guys wanted those matchups because it gives us a measuring stick of where we need to be to contend for SIAC championships."
 
One of the season's highlights came on Sept. 21, when Kentucky State donned its green and gold at Soldier Field for the Chicago Football Classic. The game was a memorable experience for Huggins and his players.
 
"Having the opportunity to take our team to Chicago, where the majority of our student-athletes had never been, let alone that far north, was incredible," Huggins said. "We attended a Chicago Cubs game, and for more than half of my team, it was their first Major League Baseball game. But you would've never known it. They cheered, chanted, and even got the entire upper deck to do the wave. It was an awesome experience, and I hope to create more opportunities like that for them in the future."
 
The Thorobreds suffered a tough 49-21 loss to Albany State in October. After the game, Huggins challenged his team to regroup.
 
"We sat in the locker room and said we had two choices: continue to hang our heads and go through the motions, possibly not winning another game, or get back in the lab on Monday, be intentional about competing, and leave everything out on the field," Huggins said. "That would give us the best opportunity to be successful."
 
The message resonated. Kentucky State bounced back with a 24-20 Homecoming win over Lane College and followed it up with a 23-21 victory against Benedict College, beginning a stretch where they won five of their last six games.
 
"I couldn't have been prouder of the guys who stuck it out," Huggins said. "To go 5-1 in the back half of the season and finish tied for fifth in the conference is a testament to their determination. A lot of young guys grew up, and we closed out some really close games. Our team is excited about the future, what we have coming back, and the foundation we've set moving forward for KSU football."
 
The Thorobreds ended the season with a high note, a 44-28 win over non-conference opponent Shorter. Huggins pointed to a critical moment in that game as a symbol of his team's resilience.
 
"Denim Johnson went out after halftime with a shoulder injury, and true freshman Dakota Arrington, who had just been moved to quarterback the week prior, stepped in," Huggins said. "He had only taken one snap in a college game before. The team came to me and said, 'Coach, we'll be OK. We're going to rally around him and win this game.' I knew then that we'd be a team to reckon with for years to come. Dakota eventually had a great game and contributed to our victory. It was an amazing moment and a testament to the culture we're building here."
 
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