The Associated Press

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Ask Mississippi State coach Jackie Sherrill how to slow down Kentucky's high-powered offense and you might get a surprising response - stop 275-pound Wildcats quarterback Jared Lorenzen from scrambling.

Kentucky (5-3, 1-3 Southeastern Conference) ranks 18th in the nation in scoring and 14th in passing efficiency and have SEC-leading rusher Artose Pinner.

But Sherrill says what concerns him is Lorenzen's mobility.

"Most of his (Lorenzen's) big plays are when he scrambles," said Sherrill, whose Bulldogs host Kentucky today. "He is very difficult to run down. He will get rid of the football and not take a sack. He will do anything he can to help them move the ball down the field."

Lorenzen has thrown for 1,729 yards and 19 touchdowns this season.

Mississippi State (3-4, 0-3 SEC) is looking to extend its three-game winning streak over the Wildcats.

Sherrill's concern could be valid for a defense built on pressuring the quarterback. If Lorenzen escapes the blitz, it could be a long day for the Bulldogs.

The game might turn into a chess match between Mississippi State defensive coordinator Joe Lee Dunn and Kentucky head coach Guy Morriss.

"I'm familiar with Joe Lee personally, but I can't figure out any rhyme or reason to his schemes," said Morriss, whose Wildcats fell 52-24 to Georgia last week. "He (Dunn) schemes it all himself. He doesn't talk to his assistants during a game. He doesn't have a headset on. He doesn't write anything down. It's all in his head, and you can't make rhyme or reason out of it."

Kentucky has given the Bulldogs all they can handle in recent years.

"The biggest difference between them and them in the past is they have a really good running game this year," said Mississippi State safety Josh Morgan. "Pinner is probably what's making them go, and Lorenzen is playing really good."

Said Sherrill: "The games that they have played and lost, they just seemed to run out of gas. They are always in the game or up going into halftime. They are a very good football team in all phases that will give us challenges."

Mississippi State beat Kentucky 17-14 last season. The Wildcats lead the series 16-13.