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Mississippi State’s senior tailback rushed for a single-game school-record 252 yards and scored two touchdowns in a 31-24 comeback win Saturday at Commonwealth Stadium. He also passed the 1,000-yard mark for the season, the second time in his illustrious career he’s reached that milestone.
He rushed for 1,066 as a sophomore.
“We needed every single one of those 252 yards,” first-year MSU coach Dan Mullen said.
Dixon’s big night erased the memories of three poor outings against Kentucky – one win and two losses – in which he rushed for a total of 137 yards.
Dixon went over the 200-yard mark on a 47-yard scamper in the third quarter, and he would score from 3 yards out to give MSU what proved to be the winning touchdown and a 31-24 lead with 59 seconds left in the period.
It was State’s first lead since 3-0.
“I think we was just grinding, because we knew Kentucky was going to make a push; they have a good team, they’ve got a good defense,” Dixon said. “They definitely made me earn it tonight.”
Kentucky defensive tackle Corey Peters said of Dixon, “He did a great job, and we didn’t.”
MSU (4-5, 2-3 SEC) had to hold on at the end, stopping Kentucky (4-4, 1-4) at the Bulldog 18 on a fourth-down play with 1:09 to go.
The Bulldogs’ defense had a stellar night, forcing three turnovers and holding Kentucky to 308 total yards. They had three sacks.
Senior linebacker Jamar Chaney had an interception, a fumble recovery, and a team-high 15 tackles, and linebacker Chris White also recovered a fumble.
It was Chaney’s recovery of running back Alfonso Smith’s fumble that swung the momentum MSU’s way on Kentucky’s opening drive of the second half.
Dixon then churned away for 41 yards on four carries on a game-tying drive. Christian Ducre polished it off with a 2-yard scoring run to make it 17-17.
Like MSU’s first touchdown drive, no passes were thrown, because quarterback Tyson Lee threw two first-half interceptions, including one in UK’s end zone.
No home runs
Kentucky’s biggest offensive threat, receiver Randall Cobb, had trouble getting on track in the Wildcat formation, but he scored on a 3-yard run to give the Wildcats a 24-17 lead at the 7:49 mark of the third.
For the game, Cobb had 17 yards rushing and 32 receiving.
“We were giving up some plays, but we didn’t give up the big play, the home run,” Mullen said. “When you don’t give up that home run play, it gives you a chance to fight for another down.”
Then Lee did something big for his team two plays later, hitting redshirt freshman O’Neal Wilder in stride for a 67-yard touchdown, the first of Wilder’s career, to tie the game at 6:56 of the third.
Lee finished 10 of 17 for 145 yards and a touchdown.
MSU gained 493 total yards, 348 of that on the ground.
Dixon’s game overshadowed a solid effort by Kentucky tailback Derrick Locke, who rushed for 103 yards and a TD on 17 carries despite going to the locker room in the first half with a strained knee.
Lee’s first interception came on a fourth-and-goal from Kentucky’s 2-yard line. His underthrown pass was picked by linebacker Sam Maxwell at the 13:37 mark of the second quarter.
Wildcats roar
MSU’s defense held, but Lee’s next misfire, nabbed by cornerback Randall Burden, set up a 41-yard drive capped by quarterback Morgan Newton’s 11-yard touchdown run. Kentucky was up 14-3 with 5:16 left in the half.
Lee was then replaced by Chris Relf, who ripped off a 53-yard run down to Kentucky’s 2. Dixon dove over the pile from a yard out to draw MSU within 14-10.
The Wildcats got a bonus before halftime. Cobb’s 46-yard punt return with 12 seconds left set up Lones Seiber’s 38-yard field goal at the horn for a 17-10 Kentucky edge.
MSU had 201 rushing yards at that point.
Derek DePasquale’s 33-yard field goal gave MSU a 3-0 lead at the 4:23 mark of the first quarter, and it was set up by a Chris White fumble recover.
Kentucky answered immediately with Locke’s 10-yard TD run.
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