Kentucky went to Ole Miss in search of a season-defining win. Instead, it leaves Oxford, Miss., with a demoralizing loss thanks in large part to a cluster of self-inflicted wounds.Some might have scoffed at the notion last week that Kentucky wasn’t that “far off,” as head coach Joker Phillips said last week, and that “mental mistakes” were the reason behind the loss. Fair enough in not believing Phillips. It’s Florida, and the Gators, as they are year in and year out, are very, very talented.But in a game against an opponent with a similar need-to-win mentality, the Rebels didn’t out-talent or outplay the Cats. They simply didn’t shoot themselves in the foot.Kentucky (3-2, 0-2 Southeastern Conference) did shoot itself in the foot for the second-straight week, giving up three-first half turnovers, committing costly second-half penalties and missing tackles on a crucial defensive drive. They proved to be the difference, minimizing a good start and frantic comeback by magnifying second- and third-quarter lulls.The end result was UK’s second-straight defeat, a 42-35 loss to Ole Miss in front of 55,344 fans at Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium.”We can’t go on the road and turn the ball over three times in the first half with a short field,” Phillips said. “We had two turnovers where their offense went on the field with 10 yards to go. The punt return was also bad for us. In the second half they started to drive and we gave them 30 yards of penalties. We can’t do that. If you do that, you’re usually going to lose, especially on the road.”Like a snowball, the UK mistakes kept Ole Miss in the game, let the Rebels gain momentum and ultimately buried the Cats’ spirits. Though Kentucky has improved its talent crop in the last decade, the pool isn’t deep or rich enough to sustain so many mental errors. The snowball became an overbearing weight by the second half, turning into an avalanche and breaking UK’s back. The Cats fought valiantly late in the game, coming within a near onside kick recovery of turning a 22-point deficit into a potential tie game. But ultimately the mental mistakes – the turnovers, the penalties and the missed tackles – were too much to overcome.”We gave one away,” senior quarterback Mike Hartline said.Though Kentucky seemed to dictate play in the first half, totaling 232 yards, the first of Phillips’ deadly sins – turnovers – allowed the Rebels to stay in the game. Despite a momentum-grabbing, game-opening touchdown drive of 60 yards, propelled by Derrick Locke, a rare Randall Cobb fumble on the next Kentucky series set up an easy three-play, 11-yard touchdown drive for Ole Miss.Game on.Kentucky and Ole Miss traded touchdowns for most of the first half, but the Cats were doing most of the firing, sometimes at the Rebels and sometimes at themselves. Hartline’s interception early in the second quarter set up another short touchdown drive for the Rebels, this time from nine yards out. (Pardon the interruption, time for a personal complaint: What is it with the lingering negative feelings for Hartline? He is and will be the starting quarterback for the foreseeable future, and he did nothing to lose the game for UK on Saturday. Hartline nearly brought the Cats back in it. He threw for 300 yards and two touchdowns and threw just one interception, a pick that, if you go back and watch, you will notice that wide receiver Chris Matthews fell down during the route (though Phillips tabbed the mistake on Hartline). What can Morgan Newton or Ryan Mossakowski do that Hartline is not doing? Back to your regularly scheduled story.)Matthews followed with a fumble on the ensuing drive after a nasty pop, and Ole Miss capitalized once again.”It’s really frustrating,” Phillips said. “You think you’ve got control of the game, especially in the third quarter … and then we turn the ball over. We thought we had the momentum and then we gave the momentum back to them.” The mental errors started to pile up in the second half, especially early.Two personal-foul penalties on Ole Miss’ second-half-opening drive, late hits by senior defensive end DeQuin Evans and safety Mychal Bailey, provided the Rebels with a free 30-yard chunk. Ole Miss, as it did all game, took advantage and scored a touchdown. For the third game this season, UK committed six or more penalties, totaling seven for 68 yards Saturday. “I thought our kids battled their tails off, but we’ve got to play smarter,” Phillips said.On the following drive, as Ole Miss tried to pull away, the tackling problems resurfaced. Kentucky players finally responded to their coaches’ wishes to gang tackle, but often times the trio of Brandon Bolden, Jesse Grandy and Rodney Scott pushed piles forward on a run-heavy drive.In extending its lead 35-20, Ole Miss ran the ball eight times for 37 yards.It all proved to be too much to overcome, nullifying and ultimately overshadowing a gritty comeback, a career receiving day from Locke (career-high-tying eight catches for career-high 108 yards), a career-high 15 tackles from Danny Trevathan and a huge kicking day from Craig McIntosh (two field goals, including a career-high 50-yarder, and a perfectly executed onside kick). Hartline couldn’t pinpoint why a team that stressed discipline so much in the offseason is having trouble carrying it over to the field.”It might be focus,” Hartline said. “Concentration could be a big part of it. It’s just something that we can’t have. If we keep having these types of mistakes, it’s going to be a long season.”There is still potential with this UK team. It’s as clear as daylight during periods, like the 60-yard, game-opening touchdown, the frenzied comeback in the fourth quarter, and the individual performances listed above.If UK can bottle that fervor and edge it played with during those periods and cut down on the mistakes, there is still hope for the season. Remember, the Cats are still 3-2, leaving the door open for a lot of opportunities.But that won’t mask a very disturbing and difficult slate looming ahead. Auburn, South Carolina and Georgia dot the schedule for the next three games. Those teams have all the firepower they need.UK doesn’t need to help them by firing at itself.