CatsPause.com - MSU bowls over Cats, 31-24

October 31, 2009

Richard Skinner
Special to CatsPause.com

The Kentucky defense did its part on Halloween Night by coming to Commonwealth Stadium apparently dressed as ghosts.

That's because the Mississippi State offense rolled through the Cats as if they weren't even there in rolling up 493 yards and scoring on their first three possessions of the second half to rally for a 31-24 victory.

UK (4-4, 1-4 SEC) drove from its own 20 to the Mississippi State 16 before turning it over on downs with 1:09 remaining when freshman quarterback Morgan Newton was sacked on 4th-and-5. Newtown had completed three third down passes to keep the drive alive.

The Wildcats also had a great chance to tie the score early in the fourth quarter when it had the ball first-and-goal at the Mississippi State 4, but after freshman quarterback Morgan Newton gained one yard on two running plays, he rolled left to pass on third-and-goal and as the Bulldogs Pernell McPhee grabbed Newton around the waste Newton threw a desperation pass that was intercepted by linebacker Jamar Chaney at the Bulldogs 9.

Mississippi State (4-5, 2-3) rallied from a 17-10 halftime deficit to take a 31-24 lead through three quarters by scoring on all three of its third quarter possessions.

UK senior running back Alfonso Smith fumbled on the second play of the third quarter and Chaney recovered on the UK 47. Anthony Dixon, who rushed for a career-high 252 yards in the game and went over the 1,000-yard mark on the season in the process, carried four times for 41 yards on the ensuing drive to set up Christian Ducre's two-yard TD run that tied the score at 17-17.

The Cats then marched 65 yards in eight plays to retake the lead at 24-17. Randall Cobb carried it in from three yards out from the "Wildcat" formation for the touchdown.

Mississippi State needed just two plays to tie it at 24-24 when Tyson Lee hit wide receiver O'Neal Wilder in stride deep down the middle for a 67-yard TD pass.

After UK went three-and-out, Dixon bolted 46 yards on Mississippi State's first play from scrimmage to take the ball to the UK 41 and seven plays later he scored from three yards out to put the Bulldogs on top 31-24 with 59 seconds left in the quarter.

The Cats struggled defensively in the first half but escaped with a 17-10 lead thanks to holding Mississippi State to just one touchdown on three red zone trips. The Bulldogs outgained the Cats 242-134 in the first half, including rolling up 201 yards rushing.

Randall Cobb fumbled on a play that was ruled a lateral midway the first quarter and despite the Bulldogs taking over at the UK 37 they could only get a 33-yard field goal from Derek DePasquale out of it to grab a 3-0 lead with 4:23 left in the opening quarter.

UK answered though with a steady dose of Derrick Locke to take a 7-3 lead. Locke returned the kickoff following the field 20 yards to the UK 41 and then carried the ball four times for 38 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown that put the Cats up 7-3 with 1:28 remaining in the first quarter. Freshman quarterback Morgan Newton completed a huge 18-yard completion to freshman wide receiver La'Rod King on 3rd-and-8 from the Mississippi State 35. Locke scored two plays later.

Mississippi State drove to the UK 2 on its next possession, but on fourth-and-goal from there on the third play of the second quarter, quarterback Tyson Lee rolled left and floated a pass into the end zone where UK linebacker Sam Maxwell intercepted.

On the third play of Mississippi State's next possession, sophomore cornerback Randall Burden intercepted Dixon at the Bulldogs 44 and returned it the 41. After Locke lost four yards on first down and Cobb lost four more out of the Wildcat formation on second down, Newton connected with Cobb for a 20-yard pass on 3rd-and-18. Newton then carried the ball on designed runs on three of the next four plays and swept around left end for 11 yards and a touchdown that put the Cats up 14-3 with 5:16 left in the first half.

Mississippi State didn't take long to respond though as backup quarterback Chris Relf raced 52 yards on a designed on the second play of the next possession to the UK 3 and two plays later Anthony Dixon leapt into the end zone from a yard out to make it 14-10 with 3:43 left in the half. Dixon, who entered the game with 749 yards rushing on the season and five 100-yard rushing games, had 116 yards in the first half alone.

UK got a 38-yard field goal from Lones Sieber on the final play of the first half to take the 17-10 halftime lead. The field goal was setup by UK taking two defensive timeouts to force a Mississippi State punt with 27 seconds left in the first half. Cobb returned the punt 46 yards to the Bulldogs 26 and Newton scrambled six yards and ran out of bounds with six seconds left to set up Sieber's field goal.

Kentucky NEWS

[More]

Latest Headlines:

Resources:

FEATURED PRODUCT