The drought is finally over.
Kentucky State walked into Albany State University Coliseum on Saturday with more than another SIAC football game on the schedule.
The Thorobreds were carrying more than two decades of history with them.
By the time the afternoon ended, that history had changed.
Kentucky State defeated Albany State 24-16, snapping a 12-game losing streak against the Golden Rams and securing its first victory in the series since September 20, 2003. Kentucky State’s official series history lists the previous 12 meetings from 2004 through 2025 as losses.
The win also came in Albany, where Kentucky State’s previous victory over the Golden Rams had occurred in 2003.
Saturday’s victory moves Kentucky State to 4-1 overall and 3-0 in SIAC play, while Albany State falls to 2-3 overall and 2-1 in conference play.
🏈 WHAT WE KNOW
- Final: Kentucky State 24, Albany State 16
- Date: September 26, 2026
- Location: Albany State University Coliseum, Albany, Georgia
- Kentucky State: 4-1 overall, 3-0 SIAC
- Albany State: 2-3 overall, 2-1 SIAC
- Kentucky State ended: 12-game losing streak vs. Albany State
- Last KSU win: Sept. 20, 2003
- Previous meeting: Albany State won 49-21 in 2025
- Total offense: Kentucky State 406, Albany State 246
- Passing: Kentucky State 303, Albany State 165
- Sacks: Kentucky State 5, Albany State 2
- Fourth down: Kentucky State 2-for-3, Albany State 0-for-1
A 23-YEAR WAIT IS OVER
The numbers tell the story.
Kentucky State entered the afternoon with a 3-15 all-time record against Albany State and had lost its previous 12 meetings.
The last time the Thorobreds defeated the Golden Rams was 23 years ago, when Kentucky State won 19-13 in Albany on September 20, 2003.
Since then, Albany State had won every meeting.
That included a 49-21 victory in 2025 and a 49-21 win at Albany in 2024. Kentucky State also lost 33-27 in 2023.
Saturday finally changed the streak.
⚡ KENTUCKY STATE STARTS FAST
Albany State struck first.
Jeffery Davis connected with Cardrece Mobley on a 13-yard touchdown pass with 10:39 remaining in the first quarter to give the Golden Rams a 7-0 lead.
Kentucky State answered less than three minutes later.
Denim Johnson found Aiyon Carter for a 29-yard touchdown, tying the game at 7-7.
Then Juan Gainous put the Thorobreds ahead.
Gainous scored on a 1-yard touchdown run with 1:36 left in the opening quarter after Kentucky State marched 86 yards in seven plays.
The Thorobreds led 14-7 after one quarter.
📊 THE SECOND QUARTER BELONGED TO THE DEFENSES
Neither team scored a touchdown in the second quarter.
Albany State got within four when Jonathan Rodriguez connected on a 31-yard field goal with 3:43 remaining in the half.
Kentucky State had an opportunity to add points before halftime, but Leland Gantz missed a 58-yard field-goal attempt with 1:16 remaining.
The Thorobreds entered halftime with a 14-10 lead.
🏃♂️ KENTUCKY STATE ADDS ANOTHER SCORE
The Thorobreds regained control early in the third quarter.
After Albany State fumbled, Kentucky State took advantage.
Zaiden Foster capped a four-play, 44-yard drive with a 5-yard touchdown run, pushing the lead to 21-10 with 11:44 remaining in the third quarter.
Foster finished with 68 rushing yards on 10 carries, averaging 6.8 yards per attempt.
At that point, Kentucky State had established a two-score advantage.
Albany State wasn’t finished.
THE GOLDEN RAMS MAKE IT A FOURTH-QUARTER GAME
Albany State put together its longest scoring drive of the afternoon.
The Golden Rams went 65 yards in 11 plays, consuming nearly six minutes.
Jayden Threatts finished the drive with a 3-yard touchdown run with 12:38 left.
Albany State attempted a two-point conversion but did not convert, leaving Kentucky State ahead 21-16.
That set up the most important possession of the game.
THE EIGHT-MINUTE DRIVE
Kentucky State answered with a drive that essentially took control of the game.
The Thorobreds went 60 yards on 15 plays, consuming 8:03.
Eight minutes.
Fifteen plays.
Sixty yards.
The possession ended when Gantz drilled a 33-yard field goal with 4:29 remaining.
Kentucky State led 24-16.
Albany State got the ball back but went three-and-out.
The Golden Rams received one final opportunity with 1:51 remaining and drove 65 yards in eight plays, but the possession ended on downs as Kentucky State closed out the victory.
KENTUCKY STATE WON THE STAT SHEET
The Thorobreds’ offensive production was one of the clearest differences in the game.
Kentucky State generated 406 total yards compared with 246 for Albany State.
The biggest advantage came through the air:
Kentucky State: 303 passing yards
Albany State: 165 passing yards
Kentucky State also recorded 19 first downs to Albany State’s 15 and averaged 6.7 yards per offensive play compared with Albany State’s 4.6.
The Thorobreds also converted 2-of-3 fourth-down attempts, while Albany State went 0-for-1.
TWO QUARTERBACKS, ONE OFFENSIVE ATTACK
Kentucky State used both Juan Gainous and Denim Johnson in the passing game.
Gainous completed 14 of 18 passes for 178 yards without an interception. He also rushed for a touchdown.
Johnson completed 8 of 14 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown.
Together, the two quarterbacks produced 303 passing yards and did not throw an interception.
FOSTER LEADS THE GROUND GAME
Foster provided Kentucky State with its leading rushing performance.
He carried the ball 10 times for 68 yards and a touchdown, including a 25-yard run.
Atavian Ray added 41 yards on nine carries, while Tray Blackmon Jr. rushed twice for 27 yards.
CYPRIAN LEADS THE RECEIVERS
Darius Cyprian was Kentucky State’s leading receiver.
He caught six passes for 96 yards, including a 38-yard reception.
Aiyon Carter finished with three catches for 62 yards and the Thorobreds’ first touchdown of the afternoon.
Joshua Thomas Jr. added four catches for 50 yards, while Jaden Hale caught five passes for 44 yards. (Albany State University Athletics)
🛡️ THE DEFENSE MADE ITS PRESENCE FELT
Kentucky State’s defense finished with five sacks, more than twice Albany State’s total.
Carlos Bazert Jr. recorded two sacks and three tackles for loss.
Micheal Daniels also recorded two sacks, while Elijah Henderson added a sack and recovered a fumble after forcing the turnover. (Albany State University Athletics)
The five-sack performance helped Kentucky State hold Albany State to 165 passing yards.
Jeffery Davis completed 15 of 21 passes for 165 yards and one touchdown, but the Golden Rams’ passing attack was repeatedly disrupted by the Thorobreds’ pass rush.
SCORING BY QUARTER
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final |
| Kentucky State | 14 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 24 |
| Albany State | 7 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 16 |
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Kentucky State didn’t simply improve its conference record Saturday.
The Thorobreds changed a piece of their program’s recent history.
For 12 consecutive meetings, Albany State had walked away with the victory.
That streak began in 2004 and continued through 2025.
On September 26, 2026, Kentucky State finally ended it.
And it happened on the same road where the Thorobreds had last beaten Albany State more than two decades earlier.
Kentucky State 24.
Albany State 16.
The drought is over.
And Kentucky State is now 3-0 in SIAC play. The Thorobreds will seek to that keep that unblemished conference record when they head to Jacksonville, FL next week to take on the Tigers of Edward Waters University. Last season KSU handily dispatched EWU 42014 in Frankfort. Albany State falls to 2-3 overall and 2-1 within the confines of SIAC play. The Golden Rams look to pick themselves back up off the proverbial mat when they face Lane College, whom they obliterated 47-6 a season ago.
