NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Andre Woodson threw four TD paases 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 in Nashville one year after surprising Clemson, coached by Bowden’s son, Tommy.

As for the elder Bowden, who has led the Seminoles to 26 straight bowls and two national titles, his December bowl record finally has its first blemish at 7-1-1. Bowden is major college football’s winningest coach with 373 victories – one ahead of Penn State’s Joe Paterno.

Florida State was playing three dozen players short 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 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 immediately answered, dumping off a short pass that Steve Johnson took for 38 yards for his second TD reception. Johnson led all receivers with 126 yards.

Weatherford would add a TD pass to Greg Carr with just over 2 minutes remaining, and Florida State got the ball back at the 1-minute mark behind by one score.

Linebacker Micah Johnson appeared to come up with a game-icing interception, but a fumble gave the Seminoles another chance. Weatherford’s last-second pass fell incomplete in the end zone.

AP-ES-12-31-07 2031EST


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