Nov 16, 2002

Box Score?|?Quotes?|?Notes?|?Photo Gallery

By CHRIS DUNCAN
AP Sports Writer

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Derek Abney set an NCAA record with his sixth kickreturn for a score this season as Kentucky beat Vanderbilt 41-21 Saturday.

Artose Pinner ran for a career-high 224 yards and four touchdowns forKentucky (7-4, 3-4 SEC). Pinner set a school record with his eighth 100-yardrushing game of the season. His four TD runs tied a school record.

Abney set the record in the first quarter when he followed blockers down thesideline, outran a trio of pursuers and dove for the end zone pylon for a95-yard touchdown.

In addition to the NCAA record, Abney set an SEC record with his seventhcareer kick return for a touchdown.

Jay Cutler threw for 176 yards and two touchdowns to lead Vanderbilt (2-9,0-7), which lost its 16th straight conference game.

The Wildcats led 28-21 and took possession at their own 25 with 4:32 left inthe game. Pinner rushed nine times for 82 yards on the decisive drive,finishing it with a 1-yard touchdown dive with 16 seconds left. Pinner, theSEC’s top rusher, became the fifth Wildcat to go over 2,000 career yardsrushing.

Kentucky defensive end Otis Grigsby recovered a botched snap in the end zoneon the game’s final play.

The Wildcats didn’t take long to reach the end zone against the league’sworst scoring defense, driving 68 yards for a touchdown on the game’s firstpossession. Pinner finished the march with a 23-yard touchdown run.

Vanderbilt’s Jonathan Schaub intercepted a deflected pass by Jared Lorenzen at midfield later in the first quarter, snapping the Kentucky quarterback’sschool-record streak of 152 passes without a pick.

Derek Abney set an SEC record with his seventh career kick return for a touchdown.

It was only the Commodores’ 10th forced turnover of the season and led toCutler’s 38-yard touchdown pass to tight end Tom Simone.

The 7-7 tie didn’t last long. Abney’s kickoff return broke the tie, and aVanderbilt fumble set up a 2-yard touchdown run by Pinner less than two minuteslater.

Pinner was over 100 yards rushing early in the second quarter. He added a16-yard touchdown run with 10:39 left in the first half for a 28-7 Kentuckylead.

Dan Stricker made a one-handed touchdown catch with 11 seconds left in thefirst half cut the deficit to 28-14.

The Wildcats’ offense spent much of the third quarter in Vanderbiltterritory but came away with no points. Taylor Begley was ready to try a45-yard field goal with 4:51 left, but Glenn Pakulak bobbled the snap and theCommodores took over.

Kwane Doster had a 39-yard run to the Kentucky 1 and Cutler scored on afourth-down sneak in the quarter’s final minute to make it 28-21.

Lorenzen threw his second interception to Herdley Harrison at the Vanderbilt43 with 5:35 left, but the Commodores couldn’t take advantage.