Nov 2, 2002
By TIMOTHY R. BROWN
Associated Press Writer
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Derek Abney returned two punts for touchdowns andArtose Pinner scored on a 1-yard run – all in the third quarter – as Kentuckybeat Mississippi State 45-24 Saturday.
Abney’s first touchdown came on a 69-yard punt return to turn a close gameinto a rout for Kentucky (6-3, 2-3 SEC).
The Wildcats had lost their previous three games to Mississippi State (3-5,0-4).
The Bulldogs led 17-16 at halftime. With more than 12 minutes left in thethird quarter, Abney fielded the punt, ran right, cut back to his left down thesideline untouched for the touchdown to give Kentucky a 23-17 lead.
Pinner’s TD came after Abney returned a punt 12 yards to the 50-yard line,setting up a five-play scoring drive to put Kentucky ahead 30-17. Five minuteslater, Abney ran straight up the middle on a 52-yard punt return that sealedthe win for Kentucky.
Pinner, the SEC’s leading rusher, ran for over 100 yards for the sixthstraight game, finishing with 104 yards.
Kentucky led 16-14 late in the first half before Mississippi State went up17-16 on a 47-yard field goal by Brent Smith.
Jarious Norwood set up Smith’s kick with a 30-yard run to Kentucky’s 38-yardline with 25 seconds left in the half. The freshman had nine carries for 72yards in the first half. Norwood finished with 138 yards rushing on 15 carries.
Mississippi State quarterback Kevin Fant was only 9-of-30 with threeinterceptions, all of which led to Kentucky scores.
Fant finished with 162 yards passing. He did connect with Terrell Grindle ona 91-yard touchdown, the longest TD pass in school history.
Grindle ran past defender Derrick Tatum down the left sideline and caughtthe pass from Fant, breaking the record set earlier this year by Ray Ray Bivenson an 89-yard pass against Division I-AA Jacksonville State.
Grindle’s touchdown made the score 14-10. It was his second TD; the firstcame on a 9-yard pass from Fant with 11:27 left in the second quarter, afterKentucky had jumped to a 10-0 lead.
Kentucky quarterback Jared Lorenzen was pressured by the Bulldogs’ defensefor much of the game. He threw for only 141 yards and one touchdown, a 4-yarderto Aaron Boone in the first quarter.
