Kentucky-Mississippi State Postgame Notes

KENTUCKY FOOTBALL POSTGAME NOTES 
KENTUCKY at MISSISSIPPI STATE
DAVIS WADE STADIUM at SCOTT FIELD – STARKVILLE, MISS.
NOV. 4, 2023 

FINAL SCORE: KENTUCKY 24, MISSISSIPPI STATE 3

Team Records and Series Information

• Kentucky is 6-3 overall and 3-3 in the Southeastern Conference, while Mississippi State is 4-5 on the season and 1- 5 in the league.
• Kentucky leads the all-time series 26-25.
• Kentucky won its first game in Starkville since 2008.
• UK earned its first consecutive wins against MSU since 2005 and 2006.
• Mississippi State remains the leader in the all-time series in Starkville, 15-8.
• Next for UK: Kentucky plays host to Alabama next Saturday, Nov. 11 at Kroger Field.
• Kickoff is set for noon ET and it will be televised on ESPN.

Team Notes

• UK became bowl eligible for a school-record eighth straight season.
• This was the first time that UK held an SEC opponent without a touchdown since a 24-2 win over Mississippi State in the 2020 season.
• Kentucky has had four defensive touchdowns this season, including D’Eryk Jackson’s 28-yard pick-six in the second quarter.
• Prior to the game, Kentucky was tied with nine others for the second most in the nation with three.
• It was UK’s first defensive touchdown vs. Mississippi State in Starkville since Derrick Tatum’s 53-yard interception return for a touchdown in 2002.
• The Wildcats held the Bulldogs to 73 yards on the ground and 218 total yards.
• The Cats shut out an opponent in the second half for the first time since blanking Youngstown State on Sept. 17, 2022.
• The Cats have held seven of their last 10 opponents to less than 100 yards rushing, a streak dating back to the final game of 2022.
• The UK defense had eight tackles for loss and five sacks.

• • Kentucky has scored on the first drive in six of nine games this season, while it has scored a touchdown on the first drive in four of nine games in 2023-24.

• Kentucky’s 21-point margin of victory tied the largest ever against an SEC West road foe since the league went to divisions in 1992. UK defeated MSU, 45-24, in Starkville in 2002.
• Kentucky’s 18-point halftime lead was the second-largest in an SEC West road game.  (Largest halftime lead against an SEC West road opponent was 20 points against MSU in Starkville in 1993.)

Coach Mark Stoops 

• Mark Stoops is in his 11th season as Kentucky’s head coach, extending his school record for the most seasons as the UK head coach.
• He tallied his first win against Mississippi State in Starkville in his 11 seasons as the head coach at Kentucky.
• He extended his school records for most total victories (72) and SEC victories (35).

Player Notes

• Quarterback Devin Leary completed 13-of-22 passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns.
• He now has 8,712 passing yards and 80 passing touchdowns in his career.
• Running back Ray Davis carried the ball 21 times for 80 yards.
• He now has 903 rushing yards on the season and needs 97 more to become the 15th player in school history to reach 1,000 rushing yards in a single season.
• He now is averaging 6.1 yards per rush this season (148 for 903).
• He has 14 total touchdowns this season, seventh on the school single season chart and one behind moving into a tie for fourth.
• He has 84 points and needs 15 to tie Lones Seiber for fifth on the single-season list (99 points).
• He has caught a pass in 22 consecutive games.
• Running back Demie Sumo-Karngbaye caught a 4-yard touchdown pass on Kentucky’s first drive of the game.
• The touchdown marked his second this season but his first receiving.
• The touchdown marked the sixth overall in his career but his second receiving in his career.
• Wide receiver Dane Key hauled in four passes for 36 yards and a 4-yard touchdown receiving just before the half.
• It marked his fourth touchdown this season and the 10th of his career.
• It is his second consecutive game with a scoring grab.
• Key has 950 career receiving yards, needs 50 for 1,000.
• Wide receiver Barion Brown caught four passes for 24 yards.
• He improved his streak of 22 straight games with a reception, which is every game of his college career.
• He has 984 career receiving yards, needing just 16 more to become the 33rd player in school history to eclipse 1,000.
• He had one rush for 22 yards that helped set up a UK touchdown.
• Wide receiver Tayvion Robinson caught five passes for 91 yards.
• His acrobatic 37-yard catch set up a touchdown on UK’s first possession.
• He has 959 receiving yards at Kentucky, needs 41 for 1,000.
• Inside linebacker Trevin Wallace led the team with nine total tackles.
• He had 1.5 tackles for loss and one sack.
• Middle linebacker D’Eryk Jackson had three tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss and a 28-yard pick-six.
• He had the fourth interception of his career, his second this season, and the first pick-six of his career.
• Defensive backs Ty Bryant and Maxwell Hairston had eight tackles.
• Kicker Alex Raynor hit 3-of-3 extra points and connected on his lone field-goal attempt of the night, a 32-yarder in the third quarter.
• His 54 career field goals ranks in the top 10 nationally amongst active FBS players.
• Game captains: Deone Walker, Devin Leary, Trevin Wallace, Zion Childress