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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss Drops SEC Opener at Kentucky
9/16/2006 | Football
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) -- Myron Pryor caused three key turnovers and Dicky Lyons Jr. caught his fifth and sixth touchdowns of the season as Kentucky defeated Ole Miss 31-14 Saturday to win its first Southeastern Conference opener in 19 years.
The victory moved the Wildcats to 2-1 on the season, the first time in three-plus years under coach Rich Brooks that the team has been above .500. Ole Miss dropped to 1-2.
What was billed as a run-heavy, low-scoring affair proved to be anything but. The difference for Kentucky was sophomore defensive tackle Pryor, who stopped three Rebel drives in their tracks when he grabbed one interception, forced a fumble and recovered another.
And on offense, it appears the Wildcats have found the receiving threat opposite Keenan Burton they had been searching for all offseason. It's Lyons, son of the former Kentucky standout by the same name, who has now scored twice in each of Kentucky's first three games.
Ole Miss got on the board first after Rafael Little fumbled, giving the ball to the Rebels near midfield. Quarterback Brent Schaeffer took advantage, lobbing a flat pass to Marshay Green, who eluded several Kentucky defenders at the line of scrimmage, then darted untouched toward the end zone for a 47-yard score.
The Wildcats responded immediately, thanks to Lyons, who caught a 33-yard Andre' Woodson pass to put Kentucky in position, then scored on a 26-yard slant a few plays later.
Lyons struck again on Kentucky's next possession, leaping in the back of the end zone for yet another touchdown. Lyons would finish with four catches and 83 yards.
Woodson had 290 yards and his second-straight three-touchdown game.
After Schaeffer hit a wide-open Robert Hough for a 27-yard touchdown to tie the game at 14, Woodson connected on a 22-yard scoring pass to Curtis Pulley, who he beat out for the starting quarterback job. That put the Wildcats in front for good.
Kentucky took a 21-14 lead into halftime, and it could have been even more.
With the seconds ticking down, Pryor knocked the ball out of Schaeffer's hand, and J.D. Craigman recovered it for the Wildcats. But freshman kicker Lones Seiber, trying his first field goal since winning the starting job this week, had his 37-yard attempt blocked as time expired. Seiber would hit a 41-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.
Pryor also stopped the Rebels' first drive of the second half with an interception after Schaeffer had led the Rebels to the 10-yard line. The turnover came a few plays after what appeared to be a spectacular diving touchdown catch by Mike Wallace, but Ole Miss was called for an ineligible receiver penalty, so it didn't count.
Tony Dixon added a late rushing touchdown for Kentucky. Ole Miss' BenJarvus Green-Ellis led all rushers with 85 yards, but he didn't find the end zone.
