Nov. 1, 2008

Recap | Box Score | Quotes

Team Records and Series Notes

• Kentucky is 6-3, 2-3 in the SEC. Mississippi State is 3-6, 1-6 in league play.
• Kentucky leads the series 21-15, although MSU leads 9-7 in games played in Starkville.
• Kentucky returns to action Sat. Nov. 8 at home vs. Georgia. The game will be played at 8 p.m. and televised by ESPN or ESPN2 if Georgia defeats Florida today. If Georgia loses to Florida, the game will be a region telecast by Raycom Sports at 12:30 p.m.

UK Team Notes

• Kentucky notched its sixth win of the year. The last time UK won at least six games in three consecutive seasons was 1954-55-56.
• Kentucky’s sixth win makes the Wildcats bowl-eligible for the third consecutive year. The only time in school history that Kentucky has gone to three consecutive bowls was following the 1949-50-51 seasons.
• The Kentucky defense allowed MSU just 43 yards rushing, marking the fifth time this season UK has held an opponent under 75 yards on the ground.
• UK head coach Rich Brooks earned his 29th victory with the win over MSU. He needs one more to tie Harry Gamage for fifth on UK’s all-time wins list.
• UK has now won 11 of their last 16 games that have been decided by 10 points or less dating back to 2006, including three victories this season.

Game Summary

1st Quarter Summary

• UK freshman Randall Cobb earned his first career start at quarterback.
• UK senior Ventrell Jenkins and sophomore Ricky Lumpkin sacked MSU quarterback Tyson Lee for a 5-yard loss to the MSU 19.
• MSU quarterback Tyson Lee threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Brandon McCrae. Mississippi State 7, Kentucky 0 (7:10).

2nd Quarter Summary

• UK sophomore quarterback Mike Hartline entered the game for UK’s first offensive series of the second quarter, completing four of his six first passes of the game.
• Wildcat seniors Johnny Williams and Ventrell Jenkins teamed up to sack Lee for an 8-yard loss. It was the second sack of the game for Jenkins.
• UK junior linebacker Micah Johnson led a defensive stop of a crucial 4th-and-1 attempt by MSU, tackling Bulldog running back Anthony Dixon for a 1-yard loss with 4:40 left in the half allowing the Wildcats to take over on downs.
• UK junior kicker Lones Seiber missed a 34-yard field goal attempt, wide right, with 17 seconds left in the half.

3rd Quarter Summary

• UK freshman Randall Cobb began the second half under center for the Wildcats.
• UK quarterback Cobb rushed for a 5-yard touchdown. The score was his third rushing touchdown of the season to go along with two touchdown grabs for his fifth offensive touchdown of the year. Kentucky 7, Mississippi State 7 (11:08).
• UK junior fullback A.J. Nance advanced the ball on a fake punt converting a 4th-and-1 for a Wildcat first down.
• Later on the 82-yard drive, UK freshman quarterback Randall Cobb completed a 3-yard touchdown pass to junior tight end Maurice Grinter. The score was Cobb’s second career passing touchdown and the third career receiving touchdown for Grinter. Kentucky 14, Mississippi State 7 (2:42).
• MSU’s Cortez McCraney forced and later recovered a fumble by UK junior running back Alfonso Smith at the UK 31-yard line.

4th Quarter Summary.

• MSU quarterback Tyson Lee completed a 10-yard touchdown strike to Arnil Stallworth. The extra point was blocked by UK’s Matt Roark, his second blocked kick of the year after deflecting a field goal attempt at Louisville earlier this season. The last time a UK player blocked a point after touchdown attempt was in 2006 when Curtis Pulley and Sean Murphy blocked an attempt vs. Florida. Kentucky 14, Mississippi State 13 (13:57).
• MSU’s Dominic Douglas intercepted UK quarterback Randall Cobb and returned the ball 5 yards to the MSU 41.
• MSU kicker Adam Carlson missed a 27-yard field goal after hitting the left upright on the attempt.
• Senior Robbie McAtee made his first career interception with 49 seconds remaining, picking off MSU’s Tyson Lee on the Bulldogs’ final play from scrimmage.

UK Individual Notes

• True freshman Randall Cobb made his first start at quarterback. He had started four games at wide receiver. Cobb rushed the ball a career high 12 times for 31 yards and a touchdown. He also completed seven of his 13 passing attempts for 56 yards and a touchdown with one interception.
• Cobb’s five-yard touchdown run to open the third quarter was his third rushing TD of the season.
• Senior Braxton Kelley totaled four tackles in the game. He has made at least three tackles in 21 consecutive games.
• Senior Tony Dixon carried the ball nine times for a season-high 58 yards. Dixon moved past Shawn Donigan, Damon Hood and Doug Kotar for 23rd place on the UK career rushing list. Dixon now has 1,176 career rushing yards.
• Senior Tim Masthay, the SEC leader in touchbacks, has 19 touchbacks on the season after one touchback against MSU. Masthay’s 23 touchbacks last season led the Southeastern Conference.
• True freshman Matt Roark blocked an extra point in the fourth quarter. It is UK’s first blocked extra point since 2006. It is Roark’s second blocked kick of the season; he also blocked a field goal at Louisville.
• Junior Jeremy Jarmon’s fourth-quarter sack of MSU’s Tyson Lee for a 10-yard loss, moves him into a tie for fifth with 16 sacks on career list.
• Offensive tackle Justin Jeffries returned to the starting lineup after missing the last four games because of a knee injury.
• True freshman wide receiver Gene McCaskill made his first career start at wide receiver, catching two passes for 18 yards.
• Junior linebacker Micah Johnson led the Wildcats on tackles for the fifth time this season with nine stops against MSU.
• Senior Ventrell Jenkins posted two sacks for a total loss of 18-yards, part of a total of four stops on the day.