Kentucky Snaps Streaks with 24-3 Win at Mississippi State
Another ugly streak has been snapped by Mark Stoops. The Kentucky head coach recorded his first road victory over an SEC West team by securing the Wildcats’ first win in Starkville since 2008. Kentucky overwhelmed Mississippi State early and often, defeating the Bulldogs 24-3 to end UK’s three-game losing skid.
Devin Leary was artistic while evading rushers in the pocket. His impressive ad-libs paved the way for 156 passing yards and two touchdown passes. Unfortunately, he couldn’t get away from every rusher. An injury ended his day late in the third quarter. The severity of that injury is unknown.
Aside from one long drive, the Kentucky defense contained Mississippi State’s inept offense. The Bulldogs had seven three-and-out drives with two yards or less, four of which resulted in negative yards. The Wildcats even added another defensive score.
The victory makes Kentucky bowl eligible for a school-record eighth-straight season. It also likely snaps Mississippi State’s 13-year bowl streak by dropping the Bulldogs to 4-5. Kentucky improves to 6-3, 3-3 in SEC play with Alabama on deck next Saturday at Kroger Field.
Fast Start, Strong Finish for the Wildcats
One of Liam Coen’s strengths as a play-caller is scripting opening offensive possessions. A week ago Kentucky got away from that, failing to get a first down on UK’s first two drives. The Cats corrected course in Starkville.
Leary completed five of his first six passes. He dialed up a 37-yard deep ball to Tayvion Robinson, then capped off the drive with a touchdown pass to Demie Sumo-Karngbaye.
The end of the first half was just as good as the start. The Cats got the ball back with just under five minutes on the clock. A combination of Ray Davis runs, sprinkled in with a Barion Brown end-around, put Kentucky in striking range for a Dane Key touchdown with less than a minute on the clock for the Bulldogs’ counterattack. Kentucky led 21-3 at intermission, essentially putting the game out of reach.
Feast or Famine First Half Kentucky Defense
Gashed in each of the past three losses, Brad White’s Kentucky defense responded with a pair of three-and-outs to start the game. The exact opposite happened on the following drive. Mississippi State had the ball for 20 plays and 13 minutes of game time until the Cats were able to force a Bulldog field goal.
The drive chart went all the way to Banana Land when D’Eryk Jackson had a pick six on the next Mississippi State offensive snap. The Kentucky defense now has four touchdowns, the second-most in college football.
Kentucky vs. Mississippi State Box Score
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