Kentucky all-stars beat Tennessee
BRETT DAWSON
Gannett News Service
LEXINGTON, Ky. — For three quarters, the Tennessee all-stars had run all over their football counterparts from Kentucky.
Then a pair of University of Louisville signees took matters into their own hands.
Future Cardinals Douglas Beaumont and Vic Anderson made explosive runs to spark Kentucky’s offense, and Beaumont’s 23-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter proved to be the game-winner as Kentucky topped Tennessee 38-24 Friday night at Commonwealth Stadium.
“We were down, and it was just time to show what we could do,” said Beaumont, who had 11 carries for 90 yards and five catches for 83 yards in Kentucky’s win. “We were just fresh coming down the stretch, and we did our thing.”
The future Cardinals’ offensive fireworks helped the Kentucky stars rally from a 21-10 halftime deficit in front of 3,268 fans to win for the fifth time in the series’ past six games.
The comeback came largely on the shoulders — and fleet feet — of tailbacks Beaumont and Anderson, and on the running and passing of Christian County quarterback Keith Tandy, who threw for 113 yards and two touchdowns.
Tandy is a dandy
Tandy — who expects to play cornerback at West Virginia — was named Kentucky’s most valuable player, and it was his 23-yard touchdown toss to Beaumont that put Kentucky on top for good.
When Tandy hit Beaumont with 6:25 to play in the game, Kentucky capped its comeback, moving ahead 31-24 after an extra point kick by Casey Tinius of Bowling Green.
Anderson, who ran for
57 yards and three touchdowns on nine carries, put the finishing touch on Kentucky’s win, scoring from 2 yards out with 1:07 to play to set the final margin.
Kentucky’s 449 yards of total offense were a series record.
“Our game plan was to wear them out a little bit,” Kentucky Coach Joey Downs said. “... Those kids came here in great shape, and that made a big difference in the second half.”
Tennessee MVP Dennis Rogan of Knoxville Fulton High School — a UT signee — rushed for 113 yards and a TD in the first half and finished with 174 rushing yards, breaking the all-star game record set by Arliss Beach in 2002.
Run-dominated drives of 80 and 62 yards in the second quarter — the first capped by Rogan’s 1-yard touchdown run, the second on a 1-yard run by Chris Shiverdecker of Alcoa — gave Tennessee a 21-10 halftime lead.
But Tennessee was held to 113 yards of total offense in the second half.
“They came out and played harder in the second half and wanted it more than we did,” Rogan said.
“In the second half, it was a totally different thing. They were calling out every play we ran from the line.”
With Tennessee offense sputtering, Kentucky sizzled.
Beaumont in particular stole the second-half spotlight, the Male star finishing with 70 of his 90 rushing yards after halftime.
“Everybody knows how good Douglas Beaumont is, but (when) you see him in person, it’s unbelievable how good he is,” Downs said. “He makes moves to set up moves. He’s got an unbelievable future.”