Sports

Friday, Oct. 30, 2009

Running games key for State, Kentucky

Both teams have talented runners

By JIM MASHEK

jwmashek@sunherald.com

One thing is certain for tonight’s SEC football game between Mississippi State and Kentucky in Lexington, Ky.

Both teams want to run the ball.

“We will, as a team, continue to try and improve,” MSU coach Dan Mullen said. “We have a tough opponent with Kentucky. They’re coming off two big wins, and they’ve been successful over the last couple of years. They’ve got talented players in (Derrick) Locke and (Randall) Cobb. Cobb causes matchup issues for us, because he is a weapon all over the field.

“So we will have our hands full.”

Kentucky (4-3, 1-3 in the SEC) amassed 282 yards rushing in its last SEC game, a 21-14 upset of Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The Wildcats are gunning for an unprecedented fourth consecutive season with a bowl game appearance. They’ve had to adapt their offense with an injury to quarterback Mike Hartline, relying on the running game.

“They’ve learned how to get to bowl games, how to win tough games,” Mullen said.

That’s been the rub in Mullen’s first season at State. The Bulldogs (3-5, 1-3) played No. 1-ranked Florida tough but couldn’t generate much offense in a 29-19 defeat last week at MSU’s Scott Field. State’s two touchdowns came on interception returns by freshman defensive back Jonathan Banks.

Mullen would prefer to try to control the clock with senior tailbacks Anthony Dixon and Christian Ducre, and the Wildcats are giving up an average of 174 yards rushing per game.

“They’ve given up a bunch of yards to Florida, Auburn and Alabama, but the other games, they’ve held their own in the run game,” Mullen said.

Kentucky’s best linebacker, Micah Johnson, plans to play despite sustaining a knee injury in last week’s victory over Louisiana-Monroe. Dixon averages 107 yards rushing per game and has scored seven touchdowns.

State’s fading bowl hopes could change with a victory over Kentucky, which is a 3.5-point favorite. The Wildcats are State’s permanent SEC East opponent and they’ve split their last 10 games, with UK winning 14-13 last year in Starkville.

“I think that when you are in the lower half of the league, historically, to get to the upper half, you not only have to knock off some of those big guys, but you have to beat the (opponents) that are like you,” Kentucky coach Rich Brooks said.

“And Mississippi State and Kentucky have been like each other for quite a while, and the team that wins has an edge, in being able to climb that ladder a little bit.”