Sept 21, 2002
Final Stats?|?Quotes?|?Notes?|?Photo Gallery
By STEVE BAILEY
AP Sports Writer
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Jared Lorenzen threw for 305 yards and threetouchdowns Saturday to lead Kentucky to a 44-22 victory over Middle Tennessee,as the Wildcats started 4-0 for the first time since 1984.
Artose Pinner, the Southeastern Conference’s leading rusher, ran 24 timesfor 163 yards, his third consecutive 100-yard game. He scored on runs of 54, 13and 9 yards, and caught a 13-yard pass for another score.
Lorenzen completed 22 of 31 passes, including touchdowns of 72, 33 and 13yards, with one interception.
After the game, a raucous Kentucky crowd chanted “Beat the Gators,”referring to the Wildcats’ conference opener next weekend at No. 10 Florida.
Dwone Hicks rushed 16 times for 97 yards and two touchdowns to lead MiddleTennessee (0-3), which lost to an SEC school for the third straight week.
Andrico Hines completed 10 of 19 passes for 202 yards and a touchdown forthe Blue Raiders, who are 1-5 against SEC schools over the past two seasons.
Trailing 24-16 at halftime, Middle Tennessee scored on its first possessionof the second half, cutting the lead to 24-22.
Kentucky answered with an 80-yard drive, scoring on Lorenzen’s 13-yard passto Pinner to go up 30-22.
The Wildcats sealed the game on their next possession as Lorenzen hit AaronBoone on a quick slant down the middle for a 72-yard touchdown.
Pinner completed the scoring with a nifty 54-yard run down the left sidelinewith 6:24 remaining.
Boone finished with six catches for 111 yards and a touchdown, while DerekAbney had four receptions for 78 yards and another score.
A bench-clearing brawl at the end of the half led to the ejections of twoplayers from each team – Kentucky offensive linemen Sylvester Miller andMichael Aitcheson and Middle Tennessee defensive linemen Devarick Scandrett andJerry Vanderpool.
Kentucky scored on its first three possessions, aided by two MiddleTennessee fumbles, to go up 17-0 midway through the first quarter.
Pinner scored on a 13-yard run up the middle to give the Wildcats a 7-0 leadwith 12:10 remaining. Lorenzen then found a wide-open Abney for a 33-yard TDwith 9:25 to play.
ReShard Lee fumbled away the ensuing kickoff at Middle Tennessee’s 26. Fourplays later, Taylor Begley hit a 49-yard field goal to give Kentucky a 17-0lead.
Middle Tennessee rebounded with a 10-play, 99-yard drive, scoring on Hicks’2-yard run and a 2-point conversion to cut the margin to 17-8 with 12:06remaining in the half.
Pinner scored on a 9-yard run on Kentucky’s next possession to push the leadto 24-8 with 8:08 to play. But Hines found Tyrone Calico with a 24-yard scoringpass to cut the lead to 24-16 at halftime.
