Kentucky 14, Mississippi State 13

Mississippi State wide receiver Brandon McRae (6) hauls in a 29-yard first quarter touchdown reception against Kentucky Saturday. (AP Photo/Will Smith)

Freshman QB Cobb leads Kentucky to 14-13 victory

STARKVILLE – The Kentucky Wildcats had multiple opportunities to lose Saturday’s 14-13 victory over Mississippi State.

The Bulldogs (3-6, 1-4 Southeastern Conference) missed an extra point that would have tied the game, a 27-yard field goal, failed to convert a fourth down, and threw an interception — all in the fourth quarter.

But the Wildcats (6-3, 2-3), who are 11-5 over the last three seasons in games decided by 10 points or less, never lost its focus and left Starkville with its sixth win of the season.

“The one thing I am proud very proud of about this team is the effort, guts and the determination that it takes to find a way to win on the road in this league,” head coach Rich Brooks said.

The win gives Brooks’ program, which beat Florida State in the Music City Bowl last season, its second straight bowl-eligible season. Mississippi State will have to win three straight games to make its second-straight bowl appearance.

After last year’s breakthrough 8-5 performance under coach Sylvester Croom, the Bulldogs have broken down this season with an anemic offense that has trouble to going anywhere. Kentucky held a run-first Mississippi State team to 43 yards and sacked Tyson Lee four times.

UK freshman Randall Cobb, the team’s go-to receiver who replaced Mike Hartline as starter after Kentucky’s embarrassing 63-5 loss to Florida last week, completed 7 of 13 passes for 56 yards and an interception, but did just enough to make the defensive effort stand up.

Hartline and Cobb alternated possessions under center, and Hartline finished 9 for 17 with 90 yards. Kentucky generated 274 total yards, which was just enough to win.

“Getting our sixth win doesn’t mean that we are necessarly in a bowl,” Brooks said. “But getting that sixth win puts us closer to doing some better things.”

In his first start, Cobb scored on a 5-yard touchdown run on the Wildcats’ opening drive of the second half, and then hit Maurice Grinter with a 3-yard touchdown pass later in the third to rally his team from a 7-0 halftime deficit to a 14-7 lead. Cobb finished the game 7 for 13 for 56 yards and one interception.

“I thought he handled everything better, but what made it easier is that we ran the ball better,” Brooks said.

Mississippi State recovered Alfonso Smith’s fumble late in the third quarter to set up Lee’s 10-yard touchdown pass to Arnil Stallworth. It looked as if the Bulldogs might tie the game, but freshman Matt Roark blocked his second extra point of the season, preserving the lead.

After Adam Carlson missed a 27-yard field goal with seven minutes left, the Wildcats picked off MSU’s Tyson Lee with a minute left to end a final rally.

“A missed extra point and a missed field goal in a close ballgame like we were just a part of are just unacceptable,” Croom said.

“It hurts,” wide receiver Brandon McRae said. “It’s like a punch to the gut.”

The Bulldogs scored the only points of the first half on a 29-yard pass from Lee to McRae with seven minutes left in the first quarter.

McRae had a game-high 73 yards on six receptions. Lee finished 26 of 42 for 261 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

Ole Miss 17, Auburn 7

Ole Miss quarterback Jevan Snead (4) looks for an open receiver during the first quarter against Auburn in Oxford Saturday. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

Ole Miss uses 3 INTs to defeat Auburn 17-7
By CHRIS TALBOTT
Associated Press Writer

OXFORD – Jevan Snead threw two touchdown passes, Cordera Eason rushed for 104 yards and Mississippi capitalized on a series of fourth-quarter mistakes by Auburn to beat the Tigers 17-7 on Saturday and move within a game of bowl eligibility.

With representatives of six bowls in attendance, Ole Miss converted Kodi Burns’ second interception into a game-clinching touchdown late in the fourth quarter on a drive that was aided by three Auburn penalties.

It was third Southeastern Conference win for Ole Miss (5-4, 3-3 SEC) under first-year coach Houston Nutt, matching the total put up in three seasons under former coach Ed Orgeron. The win snapped a four-game losing streak to the Tigers (4-5, 2-4), who were 8-1 in Oxford coming into the game.

The Rebels need one more win to clinch one of the SEC’s nine bowl bids. After a week off, they play Louisiana-Monroe before finishing the season at LSU and against Mississippi State.

After a week of intense scrutiny following a near collapse against Arkansas, Ole Miss cornerbacks Cassius Vaughn and Marshay Green each had their first career interceptions, helping to kill drives with the game on the line. Ole Miss’ three interceptions of Burns were the most since four in the 2007 season opener against Memphis.

Burns’ third and final interception ended Auburn’s last threat with less than 4 minutes left.

The Tigers’ offense continued to sputter and had as many points as punts. It was the fewest points for Auburn against Ole Miss since the Rebels beat the Tigers 13-7 in the 1965 Liberty Bowl.

The Tigers never crossed midfield in the first half and had just 80 yards in the first two quarters. They finished with 394 total yards of offense thanks to a handful of long pass completions, but never put together a consistent drive and were held to 75 yards rushing.

Burns completed 27 of 43 passes for 319 yards in playing his second straight complete game, but was a liability late.

Snead, meanwhile, got stronger as the game went on. He shook off a bad start to connect with Shay Hodge on a 2-yard touchdown late in the second quarter that was set up by a 29-yard catch and a 22-yard run by Dexter McCluster.

Despite the difficult first half, Auburn quickly got back in the game on the opening drive of the second half on a 27-yard run by Ben Tate to make it 10-7.

Two drives later, Auburn nosed into Ole Miss territory on a 29-yard pass from Burns to Montez Billings. But two plays later Johnny Brown tipped Burns’ pass and Vaughn picked it off at the Ole Miss 40.

The Rebels drove to the Auburn 6, but a personal foul penalty backed them up and Joshua Shene missed a 45-yard field goal attempt.

On the next drive, Burns led the Tigers to the Rebels’ 17, hitting Slaughter with a 42-yard pass. But three plays later Green stepped in front of a pass in the right flat and returned it to the 34.

The Rebels drove 66 yards for the clinching score — a 3-yard pass to a wide-open Derrick Davis in the right flat. The touchdown was set up by two facemasks and a pass interference penalty.

Snead finished 15-for-30 for 140 yards, connecting six times with Hodge for 62 yards. And Eason’s rushing total was a career high.

The most important statistic for the Rebels, though, was zero turnovers. The team is now 5-0 when turning the ball over two or fewer times.

From Oxford and Starkville …

Here are live blogs from today’s games …

Click here for Parrish Alford from Auburn at Ole Miss.

Click here for Brad Locke from Kentucky at Mississippi State.

College scores

Note:We’ll post the latest edition of GameDay Monday.

High School Scoreboard

PHOTO:Deste Lee
Amory’s Evan Lackey and teammates celebrate after the 22-21 win over Aberdeen.

Ackerman 28, Water Valley 14

Amite School 31, Wilkinson County Christian Academy 18

Amory 22, Aberdeen 21

Baldwyn 44, Walnut 0

Belmont 35, Hatley 0

Ben’s Ford, La. 31, Christian Collegiate 14

Biloxi 42, Hancock 28

Bogue Chitto 41, West Lincoln 0

Brookhaven 28, Florence 14

Brookhaven Aca. 27, Manchester Aca. 14

Bruce 28, J.Z. George 12

Calhoun City 37, West Oktibbeha 6

Canton Aca. 20, Indianola Aca. 13

Centreville Aca. 36, Trinity Episcopal 8

Clarksdale 36, Oxford 18

Clinton 31, Greenville-Weston 0

Columbia 41, Sumrall 6

Columbia Aca. 34, Silliman, La. 6

Copiah Aca. 24, Presbyterian Christian 21

Corinth 44, Alcorn Central 12

D’Iberville 49, Picayune 21

De Soto, Ark. 45, Strider Aca. 0

Deer Creek School 24, Bayou Aca. 7

Durant 46, Noxapater 2

East Central 31, Vancleave 7

East Marion 28, North Forrest 21

East Rankin Aca. 42, Heidelberg Academy 6

Forest Hill 25, McComb 20

Forest 41, Newton 7

Franklin Co. 28, Amite County 6

Gautier 21, St. Martin 14

Gentry 13, Lafayette 12

Hamilton 34, Mantachie 15

Harrison Central 31, Pascagoula 14

Hazlehurst 34, Crystal Springs 8

Hinds AHS 33, Enterprise Lincoln 7

Humphreys Aca. 35, Veritas School 6

Itawamba 22, Pontotoc 20

Jackson Aca. 41, Washington School 7

Jackson Prep 38, Madison-Ridgeland Aca. 3

Lamar School 36, Parklane Aca. 14

Lawrence County 42, Port Gibson 14

Leake Aca. 34, Wayne Aca. 28

Long Beach 30, Bay St. Louis 20

Loyd Star 41, McLaurin 26

Madison Central 42, Northwest Rankin 22

Magee 14, Mendenhall 12

Magnolia Heights 41, Lee Academy, Ark. 14

Marvell Academy, Ark. 34, Greenville Christian 26

McAdams 39, Ethel 15

Meridian 48, Jackson Jim Hill 0

Mize 21, Bay Springs 0

Mount Olive 51, St. Aloysius 7

Nettleton 36, South Pontotoc 7

New Albany 48, Byhalia 19

New Hope 23, Houston 0

Newton County 42, Morton 12

North Pontotoc 31, Mooreville 7

Northeast Jones 27, Cleveland 7

Noxubee County 47, Neshoba Central 13

O’Bannon 50, Riverside 17

Oak Grove 21, Brandon 0

Ocean Springs 39, Gulfport 7

Olive Branch 41, Columbus 28

Pelahatchie 56, Stringer 55

Perry Central 46, Pass Christian 0

Petal 42, George County 41, 2OT

Philadelphia 28, Kemper County 7

Pillow Aca. 24, Heritage Aca. 7

Porter’s Chapel Aca. 38, Franklin Academy, La. 8

Provine 18, Warren Central 9

Puckett 61, Salem 6

Ray Brooks 6, J.F. Kennedy 0

Raymond 49, Bailey 0

Ripley 28, Booneville 18

Riverdale Academy, La. 20, Adams Christian 13

Saltillo 30, Center Hill 23

Sebastopol 42, Thomastown 12

Seminary 27, Clarkdale 0

Shannon 53, Tishomingo County 21

Simpson Aca. 30, Bowling Green, La. 28

South Leake 40, Edinburg 0

South Panola 56, Starkville 22

St. Andrew’s 35, Madison St. Joseph 7

St. Patrick 29, Lumberton 22

St. Stanislaus 42, Poplarville 28

Stone County 29, Forrest Co. AHS 14

Taylorsville 62, Enterprise Clarke 39

Tensas Academy, La. 42, Rebul Aca. 26

Tri-County Aca. 27, Central Hinds Aca. 24

Tunica Institute of Learning 38, North Sunflower Aca. 0

Tupelo 40, Horn Lake 14

University Christian 40, Sharkey-Issaquena Aca. 6

Vardaman 28, Smithville 6

Vicksburg 42, Ridgeland 0

Wayne County 24, West Jones 7

Weir 37, French Camp 6

West Lauderdale 42, Kosciusko 22

West Memphis Christian, Ark. 41, TCPS 28

West Point 66, Caledonia 0

Winona 30, Louisville 27

Winston Aca. 31, Starkville Aca. 7

Yazoo City 30, Callaway 7

Yazoo County 30, Pearl 7