The Associated Press

Kentucky kick returner Derek Abney is cheered on by teammates as he scoots down the sideline on an 80-yard punt return for a touchdown. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

LEXINGTON - It took awhile, but Derek Abney and the Kentucky offense finally had a bust-out game.

Abney tied the NCAA career record for kick return touchdowns with an 80-yard punt return in the third quarter and also added a long scoring catch in a 42-17 win over Mississippi State on Saturday at Commonwealth Stadium.

Kentucky (4-4, 1-3 Southeastern Conference) posted its highest point total of the season, but had to rally from a 17-0 first-half deficit against the Bulldogs, who have the worst defense in the SEC.

"I think this team showed a lot of character coming back from the deficit," Kentucky coach Rich Brooks said. "We responded in resounding fashion."

Mississippi State (2-6, 1-3) has lost both its games since coach Jackie Sherrill announced he would retire at the end of the football season. The Bulldogs have lost six straight road games and 11 straight SEC road games.

"We did good things in the first half," Sherrill said. "We played hard, but right before the end of the first half, we lost our concentration on both sides of the ball."

Abney gave the Wildcats their first lead at 21-17 with an 80-yard punt return in the third quarter. It was Abney's eighth career kick return for a score, tying the NCAA record held by Cliff Branch of Colorado (1970-71) and Johnny Rodgers of Nebraska (1970-72).

Abney had six kick returns for touchdowns last season - including two against Mississippi State - but hadn't had one this season.

"It was incredible," Abney said. "I wouldn't have been able to do it without those guys blocking. I was sick before the game, and you know, when you're sick, you usually have a hell of a game.

"When he kicked it deep, I had a little room, and then I cut it up."

Abney, a senior, also caught a 53-yard touchdown pass from Jared Lorenzen in the fourth quarter. It was the 75th scoring pass of Lorenzen's career, breaking the school record set by Tim Couch.

Arliss Beach added a pair of 1-yard touchdown runs for Kentucky.

Mississippi State entered the game allowing an average of 485.9 yards per contest, but Kentucky managed only 141 yards - just 33 on the ground - before halftime.

Kentucky pulled within 17-14 with an 80-yard touchdown drive to open the second half and finished with a season-high 410 yards of offense.

Lorenzen completed 16 of 24 passes for 256 yards. He also had a key recovery of a Beach fumble in the third quarter, after Beach had gained 17 yards on a shovel pass.

"That was a huge play by Jared Lorenzen," Brooks said. "Most quarterbacks wouldn't have been around that ball, but Jared followed the play and made a great recovery. If we lose that football right there, who knows what would have happened?"

Mississippi State's Jerious Norwood had 105 yards rushing by the end of the first quarter, including a 58-yard touchdown run, but he gained only 28 yards after that carry. The Bulldogs committed three turnovers.

The Bulldogs' Marvin Byrdsong recovered a Lorenzen fumble at the Kentucky 26, which led to another touchdown, an 11-yard pass from Kevin Fant to Ray Ray Bivines that gave Mississippi State a 17-0 second-quarter lead.

Kentucky scored 38 seconds before halftime on Ronald Johnson's 7-yard run, which capped an 89-yard drive.

"I sensed a big difference (after that score)," Mississippi State linebacker Jason Clark said. "The crowd got back into the game and I could see it in the Kentucky players' eyes. They knew they could compete with us then."

The comeback from a 17-point deficit was the biggest for Kentucky since 1998, when the Wildcats trailed Indiana 27-10 in the third quarter before winning 31-27.

Mississippi St	10	7	0	0	-17
Kentucky	0	7	14	21	-42

First Quarter

MSU-FG Smith 22, 6:35

MSU-Norwood 58 run (Smith kick), 0:35

Second Quarter

MSU-Bivines 11 pass from Fant (Smith kick), 12:10

UK-Johnson 7 run (Begley kick), 0:38

Third Quarter

UK-Beach 1 run (Begley kick), 11:02

UK-Abney 80 punt return (Begley kick), 9:17

Fourth Quarter

UK-Abney 53 pass from Lorenzen (Begley kick), 12:47

UK-Beach 1 run (Begley kick), 10:22

UK-Gibson 3 run (Begley kick), 2:45

A-57,141.

	MSU	UK
First downs	12	20
Rushes-yards	32-150	47-154
Passing	155	256
Comp-Att-Int	14-25-3	16-28-0
Return Yards	72	165
Punts-Avg.	7-45.3	6-35.7
Fumbles-Lost	0-0	3-2
Penalties-Yards	12-75	4-25
Time of Possession	27:11	32:49

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING-MSU, Norwood 11-133, Turner 12-15, Conner 1-5, York 1-5, Reid 1-2, Fant 6-(minus 10). UK, Bwenge 7-39, Beach 13-28, Johnson 4-22, Abney 1-21, Lorenzen 7-16, Boyd 7-11, Gibson 5-11, Sprowles 1-3, Davis 1-3, Team 1-0.

PASSING-MSU, Fant 12-21-2-130, York 2-4-1-25. UK, Lorenzen 16-24-0-256, Boyd 0-4-0-0.

RECEIVING-MSU, Conner 2-44, Jenkins 3-30, Bivines 2-28, Scott 2-25, Ferrill 2-15, Turner 3-13. Kentucky, Abney 4-80, Bernard 2-44, Cook 4-43, Burton 1-30, Boyd 2-28, Beach 1-17, Drobney 1-7, Bwenge 1-7.