LEXINGTON, Ky. (U-WIRE) -- Mike Archer roamed Kentucky's sideline telling his defense what to expect. Alabama was going to run the ball at UK. Every play.

It didn't matter.

Yet again, the Cats couldn't tackle.

Couldn't hold on to the football.

And couldn't get their defense off the field.

The story was all too familiar in the Cats' 45-17 loss to the Crimson Tide Saturday in front of 65,482 fans at Commonwealth Stadium. Alabama (4-2, 2-2 Southeastern Conference) used four running backs extensively to pound UK (1-4, 0-2 SEC) and wear down the clock. The Crimson Tide rushed 63 times for 304 yards and controlled the ball for a whopping 41:05. Alabama attempted 11 passes.

"We knew that's what they were going to do," said Archer, UK's defensive coordinator.

Sophomore Kenneth Darby, who rushed for 99 yards and two touchdowns, and senior Ray Hudson, who rushed for 99 yards and one touchdown, led the Alabama attack.

All day long, the Tide bounced off missed tackles.

The Tide jumped out 14-0 early in the second quarter after starting from inside their 1-yard line. Darby and Hudson punished UK for more than seven minutes on the drive.

"When you're out on the field as much as that, it's nobody's fault but yours," said UK senior defensive end Vincent "Sweet Pea" Burns. "You have to make tackles. You have to make plays to get yourself off the field.

"That's what has killed our defense all year."

But as always, UK found itself in the game early in the second half. With 'Bama swarming in, senior quarterback Shane Boyd threw a screen pass to senior tight end Jeremiah Drobney. Drobney had three blockers and went untouched for the 38-yard score.

"I was timing him," said UK head coach Rich Brooks. "It took him a long time for him to get there, but he took it into the end zone."

All of a sudden, UK was back in the game.

Trailing 17-14, the Cats forced Alabama to punt on its second drive. Freshman Dicky Lyons Jr. returned it to the UK 40-yard line. But wait -- there were flags down on the field against the Tide.

Make them kick it again, Brooks said.

"Our thought process was that we thought we could make a big play," Brooks said.

Well, they came close.

Senior Bo Freeland stood ready to punt inside the 20-yard line. Then UK junior Andrew Hopewell made his move to block it.

But Freeland didn't kick it. He took off with it for 23 yards and the first down.

Had anyone made the tackle, UK would have been in prime position to take the lead, or at least tie it up.

The Cats' defense would force a punt eight plays later.

"Then we do the breakdown things," Brooks said. "Once it started, it was like a landslide."

The Cats' laundry list of meltdowns all happened within five minutes. First, Boyd fumbled after being sacked by freshman end Wallace Gilberry. The Tide rolled into the end zone two plays later.

Next possession, 'Bama blocked UK senior Sevin Sucurovic's punt and recovered it at the 12-yard line. Two plays later, Darby strolled in for the score.

"[Those mistakes] turned a competitive game into a rout," Brooks said.

'Bama sophomore Tyrone Prothro added a 100-yard kick return touchdown. And on UK's next possession, redshirt freshman quarterback Andre Woodson fumbled the ball to set up another quick score by the Tide.

"We don't have a margin of error," Brooks said.

Four of 'Bama's touchdowns came on possessions of two plays or less.

"We fell apart," said UK senior end Ellery Moore. "That's what it is."

Still, some players are optimistic that the pieces can come together.

"We just need to put every trust in each other," Boyd said. "We can't tuck tails and run."

(C) 2004 Kentucky Kernel via U-WIRE.