Kentucky outlasts FSU

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Andre Woodson threw four touchdown passes against a depleted Florida State defense and Kentucky won its second straight Music City Bowl, beating the Seminoles 35-28 on Monday for Bobby Bowden’s first bowl loss in December.

Kentucky hadn’t ended back-to-back seasons with bowl wins since 1951-52, but the Wildcats pulled off the feat one year after surprising Clemson, coached by Bowden’s son, Tommy.

The elder Bowden has led the Seminoles to 26 straight bowls and two national titles.

Florida State was playing short three dozen players due to injuries and suspensions stemming from an academic cheating scandal.

Woodson capitalized on the missing depth and finished the season with 40 touchdown passes, breaking Tim Couch’s school-record 37 set in 1998. It was the 19th consecutive game with at least 200 passing yards and a scoring pass for Woodson, a senior who figures to be among the first quarterbacks taken in the NFL draft.

The Wildcats took the lead for good midway through the third quarter on Woodson’s 2-yard slant to Rafael Little, who had 126 yards on 26 carries. It was the 13th 100-yard rushing game for the senior running back, tying him for second on Kentucky’s career list.

Florida State quarterback Drew Weatherford pulled the Seminoles to 28-21 with 8 minutes left on a 1-yard bootleg run – his first career game with two rushing TDs.

Woodson and Weatherford swapped TD passes, and FSU got the ball back with one minute left, but Weatherford’s last-second pass fell incomplete in the end zone.