LEXINGTON, Ky.–For one and a half quarters, the sun shined on the Mississippi State football team. Then, the dark clouds returned.
The Bulldogs were dominating the Kentucky Wildcats on offense and defense. The offensive line opened holes for Jerious Norwood and the much-maligned defense was pitching a shutout.
Mississippi State jumped out to an early 10-0 first quarter lead on a Brent Smith 22-yard field goal and a Jerious Norwood 58-yard touchdown run.
Norwood took a pitch right, blew through the hole and outran the Kentucky defenders to the end zone. He appeared to injure an ankle on the play and only had four more rushing attempts the rest of the game.
Even without Norwood, the Bulldogs extended their lead to 17 points a few minutes later. They took over possession of the football at the 26-yard line after a fumbled snap by Lorenzen. Six plays later they were in the end zone with Ray Ray Bivines hauling in an 11-yard touchdown pass from Kevin Fant.
With a 17-0 score it looked like the ‘Dawgs might finally have their day.
Then, reality set in.
Kentucky started scoring points and they just wouldn’t stop. When the carnage finally ceased the Wildcats had reeled off 42 consecutive points before a subdued crowd at Commonwealth Stadium.
The shocking collapse left Mississippi State head coach Jackie Sherrill befuddled and searching for answers.
“All of a sudden it just looked like we lost our complete concentration in all facets, offense, defense and the kicking game,” Sherrill said.
Kentucky started its comeback with only 38 seconds left in the first half when Robert Johnson went seven yards straight up the middle for a touchdown.
“I could sense the crowd getting back into it (after the touchdown),” said MSU linebacker Jason Clark. “I could sense the Kentucky players thinking that they could compete with us.”
Unfortunately for Mississippi State, that touchdown was only a prelude to the way things would be in the second half. The Wildcats came out in the second half and picked up right where they left off.
Kentucky abandoned the running game in the second half and came out ready to test the suspect MSU secondary. The results were almost immediate.
Kentucky quarterback Jared Lorenzen connected on a 30-yard pass to receiver Keenan Burton to the six-yard line that set up a one-yard touchdown run by Arliss Beach.
“I just told them (at halftime) that they were ready were ready to put their team and their season in the dumper if they didn’t accept the challenge (to play better in the second half),” said Kentucky head coach Rich Brooks.
Derek Abney made sure that wouldn’t happen on the next Mississippi State punt. The senior receiver and kick return specialist caught a Jared Cook punt at the 20, went all the way across the field and sprinted down the right sideline for an 80 yard touchdown, carrying an MSU defender the last 10 yards to the end zone.
Sherrill pinpointed that play as the one that turned the momentum in Kentucky’s favor.
“Up until that time we still had the crowd out of it and from that point on, the crowd really got back into it,” said Sherrill.
Abney twisted the knife in a little deeper a few minutes later when he hauled in a 53-yard touchdown pass from Lorenzen. Abney finished with 212 all-purpose yards.
The Wildcats scored two late game touchdowns, with Beach again scoring from one yard out and Monquantae Gibson scoring from three yards away.
From that point on it was all Kentucky, as the offensive line could not protect for Fant. Fant was sacked three times in the second half and hurried countless other times. He finished 12-21 for 130 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.
Sherrill credited a loss of focus and concentration led to the quarterback pressure in the second half.
“The pressure came from four guys and they shouldn’t get pressure with four guys,” said Sherrill.
The offensive line woes weren’t just limited to pass protection. The Bulldogs couldn’t run the ball either. Mississippi State only gained one yard rushing in the second half after gaining 149 in the first half and were out rushed by the worst rushing team in the SEC.
Defensive tackle Tommy Kelly perhaps said it best after the game in trying to describe Mississippi State’s inability to put four quarters of good football together.
“I don’t know what we can do to get better,” said Kelly, with a faraway look in his eye. “I mean we come to practice, work hard, but man….”