The stretch run of the Kentucky football season starts Saturday as the Wildcats head to Starkville, Mississippi for the first of its final five regular-season games.
The Wildcats (6-1,4-1) are looking to sprint to the finish line if they can survive upcoming games the next two weeks against the Bulldogs and then Tennessee coming to Lexington. UK is coming off it’s bye week that came at the perfect time in the season.
Kentucky was undefeated when it went to Georgia two weeks ago and fought a good fight but still came away with a 30-13 loss. However, their effort in defeat didn’t sink their season or eye on the prize of going 11-1 and claiming second in the SEC East.
Big Blue is ranked No. 12 in both the AP and Coaches Poll this week after just slipping 3 and 4 spots after the loss at Georgia.
UK is already bowl eligible and current projections have them in a New Year’s Day Six bowl game.
Can Mark Stoops and Kentucky football knock another team off the bucket list
Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops is in search of knocking things and teams off his bucket list. Despite playing each other every year as the yearlycross-division team from the SEC West, Stoops has never been able to win at Starkville where he is 0-4.
He was asked about that on Monday in his press conference.
"“I can’t put my finger on any one thing,. There were times when we were down there and weren’t really in a good game. There were times when we had a chance to steal one. There were games when we weren’t very good, they were a better football team than us.”"
Lexington is a different story where he is 3-0, and those all came in the past five seasons. Prior to that, the Bulldogs won seven straight games in the series from 2009-2015.
The series is actually tied at 24-24 with Kentucky winning just seven times in 21 tries in Starkville.
You have to go back to 2008 to find the last time the Cats left Starkville a winner. That was a wild one with Randall Cobb rushing for a touchdown and throwing for another as UK won 14-13 via a blocked extra point in the fourth quarter.
Mike Leach is the mastermind and old-school coach of the air raid offense. As the stats below show you the Bulldog offense revolves around quarterback Will Rogers airing it out.
Last season Kentucky football saw its defense intercept six CJ Costello and Will Rogers passes on their way to a 24-2 win.
It was Leach’s first year so don’t expect that same result.
In that game, Josh Paschal intercepted a pass and returned it 76 yards to set up a Chris Rodriguez touchdown. Other picks were from Boogie Watson, Jamin Davis, Kelvin Joseph, and D’Eryk Jackson sealed it with an interception in the closing minute.
Kentucky Stats Mississippi State
28.4 Avg. Points Scored 27.6
19.3 Avg. Points Allowed 25.7
190.9 Ave. Rushing Yards 48.7
119.1 Ave Rushing Yards Allowed 93.0
196.9 Ave. Passing Yards 374.7
201.7 Ave Passing Yards Allowed 234.1
387.1 Avg. Total Yards 423.4
320.9 Avg. Total Yards Allowed 326.9
12 Giveaways 12
4 Takeaways 9
Kentucky vs Mississippi State Odds Week 9
The Week 9 betting odds on WynnBET currently have Kentucky as the favorite by minus -1.5 points. The line opened with the Bulldogs as a +2 point favorite but quickly changed. The under/over currently sits at 47.5. As for the Moneyline Kentucky is listed at minus -125 while Mississippi State is plus +105. They have Kentucky’s points at 24, while the Bulldogs are 22.
Looking at the straight-up facts.
- Kentucky is 6-1 against the spread this season.
- Mississippi State is 3-4 against the spread this season.
- In head-to-head games, Georgia and Kentucky are tied 24-24
- In Lexington last year Kentucky won 24-2 for their first win of the season in three games..
- Kentucky is 3-1 against the spread and 4-0 overall this season when they score more than 25 points.
- When Mississippi State tallies more than 19.3 points, they are 3-3 against the spread and 4-2 overall.
Kentucky vs Mississippi State Predictions Week 9
This should be a very entertaining game and the battle of the Will’s (Levis and Rogers). Who commands and runs their offense more efficiently will more than likely come away as the victor.
Kentucky’s defense must come up with some turnovers. Six would be nice but one or two will do.
Will they get any of their injured players back in Josh Ali, Marquan McCall, Izayah Cummings, or JuThan McClain? Stoops won’t confirm or deny. Only “We’ll See”. If Ali plays Kentucky’s chances go much higher. If he isn’t then someone needs to step up besides Wan’Dale Robinson because he will get blanketed by the Bulldog defense.
Can Stoops and his troops go into Starkville, survive the insane cowbells, and move to 7-1?
The way this season has gone I think the magic continues but not without a shootout. This game will be decided in the final minutes but which team has the most composure will prevail.
Final score – Kentucky 27 – Mississippi State 24
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