Kentucky Travels to Mississippi State Seeking Bowl Eligibility
Having had a bye week to recharge the batteries, get healthy and formulate a plan for the second half of the season, Kentucky begins the stretch run with a trip to Mississippi State. The Wildcats are 5-1 through six games for just the fifth time in the past 40 years, very much in the race for the SEC Eastern Division crown and can clinch bowl eligibility with a win.
There are good memories from last season’s game against Mississippi State, as Austin MacGinnis drilled a game-winning 51-yard field goal with no time remaining on the clock, snapping a seven-game losing streak to the Bulldogs in the process.
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| Kentucky at Mississippi State | ||
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| Sat., Oct. 21 – 4 p.m. ET Davis Wade Stadium Starkville, Miss. Game Notes: UK  | MSU Digital Gameday Program MSU Gameday Information |
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| Coverage | ||
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TV: SEC Network |
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| UK | 2017 Team Stats | MSU |
| 5-1 | 2017 Record | 4-2 |
| 2-1 | Conference Record | 1-2 |
| 27.5 | Scoring/game | 31.8 |
| 349.5 | Total offense/game | 442.7 |
| 138.3 | Rushing yards/game | 261.7 |
| 211.2 | Passing yards/game | 181.0 |
| 24.7 | Kickoff returns (avg) | 20.8 |
| 20.8 | Punt returns (avg) | 8.8 |
| 42.5 | Punting (avg) | 45.5 |
| 32:14 | Time of possession/game | 32:00 |
| 39.5% | Third down conversion | 44.3% |
| 75.0% | Fourth down conversion | 45.5% |
| 21.3 | Points allowed/game | 19.7 |
| 385.8 | Total yards allowed/game | 284.8 |
| 97.2 | Rush yards allowed/game | 129.8 |
| 288.7 | Pass yards allowed/game | 155.0 |
The game will kick off at 4 p.m. ET at Davis Wade Stadium and air on the SEC Network.
Cat Scratches: On to Mississippi State after Bye-Week Reset
Last week was a bye for the Kentucky football team.
If you think that meant the Wildcats didn’t get anything done, think again.
“It’s been a good off week, the players needed it,” Mark Stoops said on Monday. “We needed some rest. We got healthy and were able to do some self-scouting and get ahead on Mississippi State. So it’s been a good week and we’re going to need to play our best this week, that’s for sure.”
Even (and perhaps especially) UK’s rest was purposeful after the Cats took down Missouri to move to 5-1 through the first half of the season.
“We were banged up and there were probably a few guys that probably wouldn’t have been able to play last week,” Stoops said. “I think it was helpful. I really don’t want to get into the specifics on those guys, but there were a couple of starters that probably wouldn’t have played last week. So that’s good, but overall we were down and beat up a little bit.”
After six games in six weeks, some bumps and bruises are inevitable, particularly considering every one of those games was not decided until the fourth quarter…Read More
Scouting Mississippi State
• The Bulldogs are currently 4-2 (1-2 SEC) and currently in 5th in SEC West.
• One of this season’s highlights included a 37-7 victory over LSU in Starkville.
• Head coach Dan Mullen is in his ninth season with the Bulldogs, making him the second-longest current tenured head coach in the SEC. Under his leadership, the Bulldogs have recorded the fastest ascent from unranked to No. 1 in college football history and a school-record seven straight bowl games. During his time as head coach, Mullen has shaped Mississippi State football into a national contender. • The Bulldogs’ offense is led by star quarterback Nick Fitzgerald. National honors poured in for Fitzgerald as he was selected as the Maxwell Award National Player of the Week and the Davey O’Brein Quarterback of the Week after leading MSU to its largest victory over LSU in the 111-year series history. • Both Fitzgerald and sophomore offensive lineman Darryl Williams earned SEC honors after exceptional play against LSU.
• Mississippi State’s defense has been tremendous all season largely due to efforts by sophomore defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons. Simmons opened the first month of this season as one of the top defensive linemen across the SEC and was placed on the Chuck Bednarik Award watch list.
• Simmons has dominated the defensive line for the Bulldogs this season with 27 total tackles. He leads the team with 4 tackles for loss for a total of 27 yards.
• Mississippi State is coming off a 2016 season that saw the Bulldogs go 6-7 overall, including 3-5 in the SEC. They were able to earn a bid to the St. Petersburg Bowl where they defeated Miami (Ohio), 17-16.
Series vs. Mississippi State
• The series is tied 22-22 but the Bulldogs lead 12-7 in Starkville.
• UK’s last win in Starkville was in 2008, a 14-13 thriller.
• The Cats won 40-38 last season in Lexington on Austin MacGinnis’ 51-yard field goal as time expired.
• Miss. State had won the previous seven meetings before 2016.
• The games are typically close. Only twice since 2005 has the final margin been more than two touchdowns.
• Mississippi State is Kentucky’s permanent SEC West opponent in the league’s rotating schedule.
• Last season, Benny Snell Jr., rushed for 128 yards and a touchdown in that game as part of the Cats’ 262 rushing yards.
Kentucky-Magnolia State Connections
• Kentucky has one player on its roster from the state of Mississippi: OL Bunchy Stallings of McComb.
• Mississippi State does not have a player from the Commonwealth on its roster.
• Mississippi State cornerbacks coach Terrell Buckley and UK wide receivers coach Lamar Thomas worked together at Louisville during the 2014 and 2015 seasons. Buckley also has ties to UK head coach Mark Stoops from when he worked at Florida State in 2010-11.
• UK DT Naquez Pringle attended Itawamba Community College in Mississippi before signing with the Cats.
• Miss. State athletics director John Cohen was the head baseball coach at Kentucky from 2004-08.
A UK Win Would…
• Give the Cats a second straight victory over Mississippi State.
• Make the Cats bowl eligible for a second consecutive season.
• Give the Cats 13 wins in their past 17 regular season games.
• Give UK a 6-1 start to the season, its best start since 6-1 in 2007.
• Mark UK’s first win in Starkville since 2008.
• Mark the first time UK has defeated Miss. State in consecutive seasons since 2005-2006.
• Be the fifth win in the past six true road games, including a 3-0 mark in 2017.
• Give the Wildcats four straight road wins for the first time since 2009-10.
• Be the first time UK has won its first two SEC road games to start the season since 1984 and the second time since 1978.
• Be the first time UK has won consecutive SEC road games since winning three straight fron Oct. 17, Nov. 14, and Nov. 21, 2009.
• Be starting QB Stephen Johnson’s 13th win since taking over in 2016, 11th as a starter and two in a relief role.
• Be the Cats’ 20th win on the SEC Network since Mark Stoops took over as head coach (20-14).
• Make the Cats 3-1 in SEC play and give them seven league wins the past two seasons.
• Lift UK to a 4-0 mark in day games this season.
Texas Roadhouse Countdown to Kickoff Show
The Countdown to Kickoff show will air starting two hours prior to kickoff. Freddie Maggard will serve as the analyst on the Texas Roadhouse Countdown to Kickoff alongside host Christi Thomas. For home games, the show will air live from in front of Nutter Field House outside gate 1 of Kroger Field with special guests and giveaways. The set of the show is conveniently located near the Coke Fan Zone in Nutter Field House and the Cat Walk presented by Chevy.
For the first time, the Texas Roadhouse Countdown to Kickoff will go on the road and broadcast live from select Kroger locations in Kentucky.
Oct. 21 (Mississippi State) – 300 Brighton Park Boulevard, Frankfort
Nov. 11 (Vanderbilt) – 212 Kroger Way, Versailles
Nov. 18 (Georgia) – 3175 Beaumont Circle, Lexington
