VS. MISSISSIPPI STATE GAME 8 Saturday, Oct. 31 • 7 p.m. EDT • Fox Sports South Lexington, Ky. • Commonwealth Stadium at C.M. Newton Field (67,942) vs. UK Media Relations • (859) 257-3838 • (859) 323-4310 (fax) • www.UKathletics.com Football Contacts: Tony Neely ([email protected]), Susan Lax ([email protected]), Jeremy Strachan ([email protected]) KENTUCKY CATS PLAY HOST TO BULLDOGS IN HOMECOMING GAME (4-3, 1-3 SEC) Kentucky returns to Southeastern Conference action this week against Mississippi State for its Homecoming matchup. Last week, UK defeated the ULM 36-13 to record its 17th consecutive non- 9/5 vs. Miami (Ohio) (ESPNU) in CincinnatiW, 42-0 conference victory, matching the school-record streak previously set from 1954-60. 9/19 LOUISVILLE (ESPNU) W, 31-27 9/26 #1/1 FLORIDA (ESPN2) L, 7-41 Against the Warhawks, UK scored 28 first-half points – the most in an opening half in over two 10/3 #3/3 ALABAMA (SEC Network) L, 20-38 seasons. Fullback John Conner led the offense by scoring two touchdowns, one on the ground and one 10/10 at #25 South Carolina (FSN) L, 26-28 through the air. Conner tallied a career-high 46 yards rushing including a career-long 37-yard gallop. 10/17 at Auburn (ESPNU) W, 21-14 Randall Cobb led the Cats in all-purpose yards with 152 markers, including a 73-yard punt return for 10/24 ULM (FSN) W, 36-13 a touchdown in the first quarter and an 11-yard scoring run in the second quarter. 10/31 MISS. STATE (FSN) (Homecoming) 7 p.m. UK’s defense held ULM to its lowest point total of the season at 13. The Wildcat defenders post- 11/7 EASTERN KENTUCKY (BBSN) 1 p.m. ed a total of seven tackles-for-loss in the game, a season high. UK’s three interceptions were the most 11/14 at Vanderbilt TBA in a game since the 2008 season opener at Louisville. Linebacker Danny Trevathan led the team in tack- 11/21 at Georgia TBA les for the second straight game, charting eight stops. 11/28 TENNESSEE (Senior Day) TBA MSU is coming off a loss to No. 1 Florida 29-19 at home. Last year UK edged the Bulldogs in Note: all times Eastern and subject to change Starkville 14-13 thanks in part to Matt Roark’s block of an MSU PAT attempt in the fourth quarter. MISSISSIPPI STATE GAME CENTER (3-5, 1-3 SEC) KENTUCKY WILDCATS MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS Record: 4-3, 1-3 SEC Record: 3-5, 1-3 SEC 9/5 JACKSON STATE W, 47-7 Ranking: Not ranked Ranking: Not ranked 9/12 at Auburn L, 49-24 Last game: W, ULM, 36-13 (H) Last game: L, #1 Florida, 29-19 (H) 9/19 at Vanderbilt W, 15-3 9/26 LSU L, 30-26 Coach: Rich Brooks (Oregon St., 1963) Coach: Dan Mullen (Ursinus, 1996) 10/3 GEORGIA TECH L, 42-31 Record: 127-153-4 (25th season) Record: 3-5 (1st season) 10/10 HOUSTON L, 31-24 at UK: 36-44 (7th season) at MSU: 3-5 (1st season) 10/17 at Middle Tennessee State W, 27-6 vs. MSU: 4-2 vs. UK: First meeting 10/24 FLORIDA L, 29-19 10/31 at Kentucky 7 p.m. QUICK NOTES 11/14 ALABAMA TBA • Saturday’s game is Homecoming for the Wildcats. UK is 46-17 in Homecoming games since 1946. 11/21 at Arkansas TBA • Junior quarterback Mike Hartline continues to be sidelined indefinitely with a knee injury. 11/28 MISSISSIPPI TBA True freshman Morgan Newton has started at QB the last two games and junior Will Fidler has Note: all times Eastern and subject to change seen action off the bench. Randall Cobb also takes the snap when UK uses the “WildCobb” formation. • On defense this week, Kentucky might be without the services of All-America cornerback ABOUT THE GAME Trevard Lindley and All-SEC linebacker Micah Johnson. Lindley is hoping to return since TV • FOX SPORTS SOUTH / ESPN360.com / being sidelined Oct. 3 by a high-ankle sprain. Johnson incurred a strained knee against ULM ESPN GamePlan and his status for this week’s game is uncertain. Play-by-Play Bob Rathbun • Kentucky is averaging 186.3 rushing yards per game. It’s the team’s best mark since the 1995 Analyst Dave Archer Wildcats rushed for 196 yards per contest. Sideline Jenn Hildreth • All three of UK’s losses have been against teams ranked in the nation’s top 25, including the top two programs (Alabama and Florida). RADIO • BIG BLUE SPORTS NETWORK • RB Derrick Locke ranks third in the SEC and 24th nationally in all-purpose yards (144.0). Now Play-by-Play Tom Leach Analyst Jeff Piecoro midway through his junior season, Locke has moved onto UK’s top-20 career rushing list. Sideline Dick Gabriel • WR Randall Cobb also is a proven all-purpose threat for the Wildcats this season. The sophomore ranks in the SEC’s top 10 in receptions per game (6th - 4.0), scoring (5th - 7.7 SATELLITE RADIO ppg), punt return average (2nd - 13.6), and all-purpose yards (5th - 132.7 per game). Channel 200 - XM Channel 217 - Sirius (note: you must have the SERIES HISTORY AGAINST MISSISSIPPI STATE “Best of XM” package to hear the game on Sirius) Kentucky and Mississippi State meet for the 37th time in school history … Kentucky leads the all-time series 21-15 and has won three of the last four, including last year’s matchup in Starkville, 14- INTERNET RADIO • www.UKathletics.com 13 ... UK is 12-5 against MSU in Lexington, which includes a 7-4 advantage in Commonwealth Live Audio - free Live Stats - free Stadium ... The two teams first played in 1914 and faced each other for the next three years… The Wildcats and Bulldogs did not meet again until 1944 and then they played each other six times during TICKETS • Available, $40 each the 1950s before playing home-and-home series in 1972-73, 1976-77 and 1984-85 … Since 1990, the teams have met annually ... Biggest UK win: 28 (42-14) 1973 ... Biggest MSU win: 40 (47-7) 1994 ... Games decided by 7 points or less: Kentucky leads 9-5 ... Current streak: UK has won one. 2009 UK Football www.UKathletics.com 2009 UK Football WILDCATS/BULLDOGS COACHES GAME NOTES VS. MSU HOW EXPERIENCED ARE THE TENTATIVE STARTERS? Sr. Jr. Soph. RFr. Fr. UK 10 6510 MSU TBA LAST TIME VS. MISSISSIPPI STATE Freshman quarterback Randall Cobb led two touchdown drives and RICH BROOKS DAN MULLEN freshman Matt Roark’s fourth-quarter block of a Mississippi State point- after-touchdown attempt proved to be the difference in a 14-13 Wildcat vic- YR. AS HEAD COACH AT UK/MSU: 71 OVERALL YR. AS HEAD COACH: 25 1 tory at MSU’s Davis Wade Stadium. The victory was Kentucky’s sixth of the season, making the Wildcats COACHING CAREER bowl-eligible for the third straight year and marking the first time since REG. SEASON RECORD: 123-150-4 3-5 1954-56 that UK has won at least six games in three consecutive seasons. POSTSEASON RECORD: 4-3 n/a MSU got on the scoreboard in the first quarter when Tyson Lee threw OVERALL RECORD: 127-153-4 3-5 a 29-yard touchdown pass to Brandon McRae for a 7-0 advantage and the WITH UK/MSU score held until halftime. OVERALL RECORD: 36-44 3-5 Cobb, making his first collegiate start at quarterback, drove the team to POSTSEASON RECORD: 3-0 n/a score on the first two possessions of the second half. The quarterback capped the first drive by scrambling for a five-yard rushing touchdown. On the next VS. OPPONENT OVERALL RECORD: 4-2 n/a offensive series, the Wildcats appeared to stall on their own 27-yard line, but POSTSEASON RECORD: n/a n/a junior fullback A.J. Nance advanced the ball for a first down on a fake punt. Later on the 82-yard drive, Cobb completed a three-yard touchdown pass to VS. OPP. COACH junior tight end Maurice Grinter to give the Wildcats a 14-7 lead. REG. SEASON: n/a n/a MSU’s Lee rallied the Bulldogs with a 10-yard touchdown strike to POSTSEASON RECORD: n/a n/a OVERALL RECORD: n/a n/a Arnil Stallworth to begin the fourth quarter. However, Roark’s block of the extra-point attempt gave the Wildcats the deciding one-point margin. The UK defense held on the rest of the way. MSU had a 27-yard field ON THIS DATE IN WILDCAT HISTORY goal attempt hit the upright, the Wildcats stopped the Bulldogs on downs Saturday’s matchup with Mississippi State marks just the 14th time during the next possession and then senior cornerback Robbie McAtee’s first in school history the Wildcats have played on Oct. 31. UK is 5-8 all-time career interception with 49 seconds remaining snuffed out the home team’s on this date. The most recent game was in 1992 whenthe Cats nearly final threat. upset No. 24 Mississippi State at Commonwealth Stadium. The game in The Wildcat defenders allowed just 43 rushing yards during the game 1992 was the only time the Wildcats and Bulldogs have met on this date. and sacked the quarterback four times. Junior linebacker Micah Johnson led The last four games on Oct. 31 have been at Commonwealth. the UK defense in tackles for the fifth time this season, stopping the Bulldogs nine times.