Magee leads LSU past Kentucky

Terrence Magee’s first kickoff return all season resulted in the LSU running back racing up the left sideline and across midfield before being wrestled down by his face mask.
The 49-yard run back, extended 15 yards because of the penalty, was only the beginning of a big game for Magee and a long, humbling night for the Wildcats.
“I had to seize the moment,” Magee said, referring to his kick return, though he could have said that about a number of plays.
Magee amassed a career-high 220 all-purpose yards and rushed for two touchdowns, Tre’Davious White scored on a 67-yard punt return and LSU routed Kentucky 41-3 on Saturday night.
Travin Dural caught a 32-yard touchdown pass from Anthony Jennings and Leonard Fournette added a short scoring run for the Tigers (6-2, 2-2 Southeastern Conference), who raced to a 27-3 halftime lead en route to becoming bowl eligible for a school-record 15th straight year.
“What is happening is this football team is coming together,” said LSU coach Les Miles, whose team hosts No. 3 Mississippi next weekend. “There is a want for all three phases to complement one another and play like we played tonight against some of our best opponents. I think the timing is right for that.”
The Wildcats (5-2, 2-2) came to LSU in the thick of the SEC East race, only to be handed their fourth lopsided loss in as many trips to Death Valley since 2000. The combined score of those games: 159-10.
“We will not let one game define us,” Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said. “We did not play well and LSU had a lot to do with that. We are going to get back to work this week and see what we can do to improve.”
Kentucky also saw freshman running back Stanley “Boom” Williams, their all-purpose yards leader, knocked from the game on a helmet-to-helmet hit during a kickoff return. Stoops said Williams was OK to fly home with the team and would be evaluated further during the week.
Magee’s night included a season-high 127 yards rushing, 44 yards receiving and 49 yards on kickoff returns. His touchdowns came on second-half runs of 9 and 23 yards.
“You look forward to nights like that when you have the offensive line establishing the line of scrimmage and a dominant fullback just leading the way,” said Magee, who this season is wearing No. 18, given by LSU each season to an inspirational senior leader.
“I just come out each week and try to give everything I’ve got to the team, whatever’s asked of me,” Magee said. “I don’t play to go out there and have 100 yards every night. I come out there and play for this team and give everything I got for this team to get a W, and whether that is me running for 100 yards or 10 yards, it really doesn’t matter.”
The Tigers ran the ball 51 times for 303 yards and outgained the Wildcats 423-217. Jennings attempted only 14 passes, hitting seven for 120 yards, and did not turn the ball over.
“We’re starting to establish that identity and it’s a physical one,” LSU offensive coordinator Cam Cameron said. “We like to run the football.”
Patrick Towles completed 19 of 36 passes for 146 yards and Austin MacGinnis kicked a 33-yard field goal for Kentucky, which hosts No. 1 Mississippi State next week.
“We didn’t play like this in the first six games and we don’t plan on doing it the rest of the season,” Kentucky receiver Demarco Robinson said. “We just have to go back to work and fight to get better.”
Magee’s kickoff return set up Fournette’s 1-yard touchdown. A short field goal made it 10-0 and a second Kentucky three-and-out led to another punt to White.
White fielded it at the LSU 33 and found a seam angling to his right, helped by safety Jamal Adams’ crushing block. He then turned the corner and broke into the clear near midfield, making it 17-0 before 10 minutes had elapsed.
Kentucky finally started moving the ball on its third series, driving 66 yards on 13 plays for a short field goal.
The Wildcats threatened to trim their deficit further in the second quarter, but LSU defensive end Danielle Hunter and Adams stuffed Jojo Kemp’s run out of the ‘wildcat’ formation on fourth-and-2 from the Tigers 29.
“That was the turning point,” Stoops said. “Things broke open a little bit from there.”
Dural’s TD made it 24-3, then LSU squibbed the ensuing kickoff. The ball bounced away from the Wildcats until LSU’s Lewis Neal recovered what amounted to a successful, however unintentional, on-side kick at the Kentucky 37. Stoops called the play, “unacceptable,” and it set up Colby Delahoussaye’s 35-yard field goal seconds before halftime.