GAME THREAD: NCAAF: MISSISSIPPI ST (4-4) at KENTUCKY (6-2)

LEXINGTON, Kentucky (Ticker) -- Kentucky's hangover afterbeating then-No. 1 Louisiana State carried into its second weekon Saturday.


Anthony Dixon caught one touchdown and ran for another asMississippi State upset 14th-ranked Kentucky, 31-14, in aSoutheastern Conference shocker.


It was the Wildcats' second straight loss since their thrilling43-37 triple-overtime victory over LSU on October 13. Kentucky(6-3, 2-3 SEC East) dropped a 45-37 decision against Floridalast weekend.


"Everybody has been asking how we were going to respond aftertwo emotional, physical games and I thought we'd respond wellbut didn't convince my team," Kentucky coach Rich Brooks said."It was almost a total system failure ... We got beat physicallyby a team that wanted it more than we did today."


Dixon finished with 85 yards on 25 carries for the Bulldogs(5-4, 2-3 SEC West) while Christian Ducre carried 19 times for acareer-high 119 yards and a touchdown.


Bulldogs quarterback Wesley Carroll also chipped in a solideffort, finishing 17-of-28 for 152 yards with two touchdowns andno interceptions.


Kentucky star quarterback Andre' Woodson, thought by many to bea Heisman Trophy candidate, was held in check for the most part,finishing 24-of-42 for 230 yards with two touchdowns and threeinterceptions.


"The coaches had nothing to do with it," said Woodson, who alsowas sacked three times. "We were definitely beaten physically.The whole week we knew the game plan and when it came down toit, Mississippi State out played us."


Kentucky's offense, which came into the contest averaging 42points per game, wasn't given many opportunities early.

It became clear on the opening drive of the game thatMississippi State's strategy was to keep Woodson and theprolific Wildcats offense off the field.


The Bulldogs took almost six minutes off the clock during a14-play, 80-yard drive that was capped by an 11-yard touchdownpass from Carroll to Jason Husband.


"From an offensive standpoint, that first drive was absolutelycritical and was a big, big part of the ballgame because it gaveour guys confidence on the road like that," Mississippi Statecoach Sylvester Croom said. "I think it was a little bit of awarning shot for them that we were able to take the ball andmove it down the field like that."


After Woodson tied the game with an 18-yard strike to SteveJohnson on the ensuing drive, the Bulldogs' methodical offensewent back to work.


Mississippi State spent the next 6:41 marching 80 yards on 16plays, taking the lead again when Carroll connected with Dixonon a 3rd-and-goal from the one early in the second quarter.

Kentucky had just three first-half possessions, which onlymagnified Lones Seiber's missed field goal just before halftime.

"The fact that we kept our offense on the field and our defenseoff of it was huge," Carroll said. "We wanted to keep the tempoand limit the time Woodson had the ball in his hands. We wereable to do that today, which was key."


The Bulldogs built a 24-7 lead early in the third quarter thanksto a a pair of miscues by Kentucky's special teams.

Alfonso Smith fumbled away the second-half kickoff, which set upa 31-yard field goal by Adam Carlson.


On a 4th-and-13 minutes later, Kentucky punter Tim Masthay faceda strong rush and decided to run with the ball instead ofkicking it. He promptly fumbled, and the ball was recovered bythe Bulldogs' K.J. Wright on the Kentucky 26.


Dixon scored from a yard out five plays later to capitalize onone of six turnovers by Kentucky.


"It just seemed like anything we could do wrong, we did today,"Brooks said. "It seemed that whenever the ball went on theground for them, it always bounced back to them. We certainlygave them many turnovers."


Kentucky got back into the game at the 5:15 mark of the thirdquarter when, facing a 4th-and-8, Woodson threw a 37-yardtouchdown to Johnson.


But the comeback hopes ended midway through the fourth quarter,when Ducre broke free for a 34-yard touchdown.


A sophomore, Ducre played most of the fourth quarter andfinished with 149 all-purpose yards. Dixon appeared to fall outof favor with the coaching staff after fumbling twice in thesecond half.