By BRETT MARTEL
AP Sports Writer
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) – Dwayne Bowe caught three touchdown passes to move into second-place on LSU’s career list, highlighting a 49-0 victory over Kentucky on Saturday night.
Bowe caught six passes for 111 yards to spearhead the No. 14 Tigers’ fifth blowout in as many home games. His first two touchdown receptions, thrown by JaMarcus Russell, went for 7 and 48 yards. Backup quarterback Matt Flynn threw the last from 8 yards out in the third quarter, making the score 42-0.
Bowe now has 20 career TDs, one fewer than former teammate Michael Clayton, who plays for Tampa Bay in the NFL. Bowe surpassed the marks of Devery Henderson and Wendell Davis, who both had been tied for second with 19 TD catches.
LSU (5-2, 2-2 SEC) has struggled in both of its road games, losing the first 7-3 at Auburn and the second 23-10 last weekend in Florida – a game decided in large part by five LSU turnovers.
That sloppiness prompted biting criticism on local sports call-in shows throughout the past week, and LSU responded by scoring touchdowns on its first four possessions to jump out to a 28-0 lead by halftime.
Russell, pilloried for his three interceptions at Florida, completed his first 12 passes against the Wildcats (3-4, 1-3). Removed from the game with LSU leading 35-0 in the third quarter, he finished 15-of-18 for 226 yards and two TDs.
Jacob Hester, getting his first start at tailback, scored two touchdowns, a single-game best for him.
LSU’s slimmest margin of victory at home so far is 31 points against Mississippi State.
Kentucky quarterback Andre Woodson was intercepted once and finished 14-of-37 for 145 yards, or about 100 yards below his average coming in. He was relieved after three quarters. The Wildcats managed only 61 yards rushing.
Needing to avoid mistakes against an LSU squad favored by more than three touchdowns, Kentucky did just the opposite on its first punt. LSU’s Craig “Buster” Davis was interfered with as he caught the kick at the Tigers’ 14, then another Kentucky player was called for a personal foul after the whistle. The 30 yards in penalties allowed LSU to open its first offensive series at its own 44-yard line.
Eight plays later, the Tigers had a 7-0 lead on 7-yard run by Hester, who had sustained the drive with a 2-yard gain on fourth-and-1.
LSU needed only six plays to go 63 yards for a score on its next possession. Trindon Holliday did most of the work, running 30 yards on a reverse. Russell found Bowe shortly after on a short rollout to make it 14-0.
Hester scored his second touchdown on a 4-yard run to give LSU a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter. The big play on the drive was a middle screen from Russell to Davis, who broke several tackles on a 32-yard gain.
Bowe’s second touchdown, his longest, came on a wide open catch behind the coverage and an easy sprint to the end zone.
Early Doucet’s 12-yard touchdown run after he took a direct snap made it 35-0 early in the third quarter.
LSU racked up 546 total yards in the game, compared to 227 for Kentucky. The Wildcats penetrated deep into LSU territory twice in the second half but saw one drive stall on an interception and the other on a failed fourth-down play.
