ALBANY, GEORGIA — No. 2 Kentucky State (3-1, 2-0 SIAC) will look to remain unbeaten in conference play Saturday when the Thorobreds travel to face No. 9 Albany State (2-2, 2-0 SIAC) in a matchup of two teams with perfect SIAC records.
Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at University Coliseum in Albany. The game will air live on ESPN+.
SERIES AT GLANCE
This will be the 28th meeting between the two and in their last meeting on Sept. 6, 2025 the Golden Rams defeated the Thorobreds 49-21 to take a 20-7 series lead.
LAST TIME OUT
The Thorobreds proved they could go the distance as
Denim Johnson found
Cameron Tucker for a 35-yard touchdown pass, and a game-sealing defensive stop in the fourth quarter lifted Kentucky State to a 21-17 win.
Through the air, Johnson and
Juan Gainous combined for 291 passing yards, with Johnson throwing two touchdown passes. Tucker led all receivers with 122 yards and two touchdowns. The Thorobreds' offense finished with 384 total yards.
Defensively,
Kendrick Curry led the way with eight tackles, including three tackles for loss totaling 12 yards and one sack for a 5-yard loss.
Lensley Dieujuste and Ke'ron Blankumsee each recorded an interception.
On special teams,
Leland Gantz proved why he is one of the nation's best, totaling 244 yards on five punts. He had two punts of 50-plus yards and placed one inside the 20-yard line. Gantz averaged 48.8 yards per punt, with a long of 72 yards.
BACK-TO-BACK WEEKS AT NO. 2 ON THE DII HBCU COACHES POLL
For the second consecutive week the Thorobreds were voted No. 2 on the HBCU DII Coaches Poll powered by BOXTOROW. This week Kentucky State received three first place votes.
SPECIAL TEAMS KING
Leland Gantz has been a difference-maker in the field-position battle, leading the nation with an average of 48.1 yards per punt.
CYPRIAN AMONG NATION'S BEST
Darius Cyprian continues to establish himself as one of the nation's top receiving threats. He ranks No. 10 nationally with 384 receiving yards and No. 15 with 6.75 receptions per game.
BY THE NUMBERS
The offense has consistently moved the chains, ranking No. 10 in the nation and No. 1 in the SIAC with 92 first downs.
Discipline has also been a strength, as the team ranks No. 21 nationally and No. 1 in the SIAC in fewest penalty yards, averaging 40.5 per game.
The team also leads the SIAC in several key categories, including scoring defense (17.0 points per game), sacks (2.75 per game), tackles for loss (7.3 per game) and time of possession (33:36).
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN RAMS
Albany State enters Saturday 2-2 overall and 2-0 in SIAC play after defeating Allen 32-28 last week. The Golden Rams totaled 448 yards of offense in the win, including 271 rushing yards, and held the ball for 33:28.
Running back Jayden Threatts led the way with 228 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries, highlighted by an 80-yard touchdown run. Quarterback Jeffery Davis completed 13 of 19 passes for 177 yards and two touchdowns, finding Omarion Dupree for a 14-yard score and Exavior Sherrod for a 45-yard touchdown.
The Golden Rams also made an impact on special teams, with Cameron Watts returning a punt 69 yards for a touchdown. Defensively, Rontavion Scott intercepted a pass at the goal line and returned it 75 yards.
Albany State has won two straight since opening the season 0-2, defeating Savannah State 49-17 and Allen 32-28 to begin SIAC play.
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