FRANKFORT, Ky. – The Lincoln University football team fell behind early and tried to rally late, but it wasn't enough as Kentucky State knocked off the Lions in a shootout, 43-27, on Saturday at Alumni Field.

The Lions (0-2), who amassed 313 yards of total offense, jumped out to a 7-0 lead as Daron Jones (Baltimore, Md./Cardinal Gibbons HS) went 39 yards on an interception return to give Lincoln a 7-0 lead with 12:55 remaining in the opening quarter. However, Kentucky State answered with a pair of touchdowns to end the first quarter.

On the ensuing kickoff, Keith Massey went 79 yards for the score to tie the game at 7 with 12:35 left. The Thorobreds took a 14-7 lead by going 74 yards in eight plays, capped by a Jerrel Noland 1-yard run with 6:33 remaining in the quarter.

Kentucky State (2-0) added to the margin in the second quarter as Andrew Ramsey, who had 19 carries for 98 yards, scored on a 1-yard run to extend the lead to 21-7 with 4:31 left in the first half.

Lincoln answered with a 7-play, 67-yard drive as Gerald Swain (Burlington Township, N.J./Burlington Township HS), who had eight rushes for a team-high 47 yards, scored on a 3-yard run to cut the deficit to 21-14 with 2:38 left in the second quarter. But the Thorobreds quickly answered as Noland, who was 15 of 22 passing for 205 yards, scored on a 1-yard run, capping a 4-play, 56-yard drive with 1:02 remaining in the first half to push the advantage to 28-14.

Kentucky State, which finished with 326 total yards of offense, took 28-14 lead into the break and opened the second half by going 72 yards in 15 plays as Cade Berryman drilled a 26-yard field goal with 7:38 left in the third quarter to extend the advantage to 31-14.

The Thorobreds took advantage of a Laquan Williams (Philadelphia, Pa./John Bartram HS) interception by using two plays and going just nine yards as Andrew Ramsey scored on a 9-yard run to push the Kentucky State lead to 37-14 with 2:20 remaining in the third.

Lincoln, which had three turnovers, answered at the end of the quarter as Doug Cook (Dania Beach, FL/University School of Nova SE University), who went 16 of 33 passing for 202 yards, connected with Matt Caston, who had 10 seven catches for 110 yards, for 48 yards and a first down. On the next play, Swain scored on a 3-yard run to cut the margin to 37-20. On the extra point, the snapper fumbled the ball with 24 seconds left in the period.

Kentucky State extended the lead to 43-20 after the Lions failed to complete a fourth down play and turning the ball over on downs at their own 32-yard line. The Thorobreds got a 32-yard field goal by Berryman with 7:30 left.

However, Lincoln responded in a big way as Cook found Philip Jean-Juste (Miami, Fla. /North Miami Beach HS) for a 24-yard touchdown with 4:39 remaining to trim the deficit to 40-27. That would be as close as the Lions would get as Berryman tacked on a 39-yard field goal with 2:02 remaining to seal the victory.

Tim Green (Fanwood, N.J./Scotch Plains-Fanwood HS) paced the Lincoln defense with nine tackles, including 4.5 for a loss of 41 yards. He had seven solo tackles. Daron Jones (Baltimore, Md./Cardinal Gibbons HS), Brandon McElwee (Gloucester City, N.J./Gloucester City Junior and Senior HS) and Gerald Foster (P.G. County, Md./Oxon Hill HS) each had eight tackles each.The Thorobred defense was paced by Cory Spalding with 12 tackles. Terry Horton and Carlos Ware assisted on the defensive end with one sack each.

The Lions, who concluded a two-game road trip, have their home opener 6 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 17 at Avon Grove High School in West Grove, Pa., against Virginia Union in a CIAA contest.