Looking Ahead: Mississippi State

[Matt Dillon]

Every week leading up to the kickoff of Kentucky's 2017 fall camp, CatsPause.com will take a look at each opponent on UK's schedule. Next up is the Mississippi State Bulldogs, who the Cats will face in Starkville on Oct. 21.
Talking Point: What was considered a down year in Starkville – a 5-7 regular season capped by a slim 17-16 win over Miami (Ohio) in the St. Petersburg Bowl – was good enough for head coach Dan Mullen to receive a four-year extension. In 2017, the Bulldogs will look to notch an eighth straight postseason appearance behind quarterback Nick Fitzgerald, one of the SEC's breakout stars a season ago when he rushed for 1,375 yards (second most in the league) and 16 touchdowns (first) while throwing for 2,423 yards and 21 more scores. Fitzgerald's production has State fans hoping for a return to the heights reached when Dak Prescott was leading the offense, but the Bulldogs' defense is a work in progress.

http://kentucky.247sports.com/Article/Kentucky-Football-An-early-look-at-the-Mississippi-State-Bulldog-53346798

[Uncle Dave]

To win 8 or 9 or 10 games, UK has to learn to win on the road like good teams do. I'm thinking about @ S. Miss,@ USC, @ Miss St., and @ Vandy. We can beat those teams. Won't be easy, but I honestly think our team can. Win all 4 and we're looking at 9 wins. Win 3, maybe 8 wins, etc. The fact that we can run the ball, sure helps our chances on the road IMHO.

[Old School]

It's tough to believe UK had a 7 game losing streak to the Bulldogs going into last year's game. Mullen has had MSU playing good football, but for UK to take a step forward or maintain success in the SEC, winning against the permanent West opponent is a necessity.

[RV]

Agreed. The real puzzle with that streak was that UK seemed to always play the Bulldogs tough and close but were always out-manned and the operative word there is 'man'. MSU always have a team full of Jucos and have been a more mature team than the Wildcats. That worm has now turned.

[Brasslock]

I’m going to try and take this season one game at a time. I’m sure teams are going to focus on taking away the run game beginning with the first game. I’m just going to have to see how we handle this before I get into counting wins or loses. While I like candy and nuts, the “ifs and buts” drive me to distraction. We have the talent and depth to be competitive. We need to bring the grit and drive to win from the opening kickoff.

[Blue Heaven]

I’m sure teams are going to focus on taking away the run game beginning with the first game.

Which is why we need a more accurate Stephen Johnson this year. We have got to utilize Conrad and the middle of the field.

[SBCatMan]

We SHOULD have a good run game ... or we COULD have a great run game ... but right now, we have an awful lot of eggs in the Benny Snell basket. Boom and Jo Jo must be replaced. The pieces seem to be in place to do that, but those pieces are very much unproven at this point.

[Old School]

Just as context for that recently broken 7 game losing streak to Mississippi State:

- It was the longest streak in the series for either team (unless you count MSU's vacated 1976 win as giving UK a 7 or 8 game winning streak)

- Kentucky had won 5 of the 7 matchups immediately preceding that streak

- Even Bill Curry won 3 of his 7 games against Mississippi State

- The one time Mississippi State won the SEC West, they did so in spite of losing to Kentucky that year. (That is the third time I can think of Kentucky beating a team in the same year that team won the SEC West: Mississippi State in 1998, Arkansas in 2002 and LSU in 2007 (en route to also winning the national championship). Kentucky lost on the last play of the game to SEC West champions LSU in 2002 and Auburn (also national champions) in 2010. And Kentucky beat SEC East champion South Carolina in 2010.)

During that streak, Mississippi State was 50-28 in regular season play. The same MSU team that only beat Kentucky by a TD in 2010 beat Florida, and then beat Michigan 52-14 in the Gator Bowl. Mississippi State was ranked #1 in the country when Kentucky played them in 2014, coming to within 1 TD with about 2 minutes left. Those were some good State teams. Mullen is a good coach. Dak Prescott was a terrific QB. But the teams are more evenly matched now. Kentucky's performance against MSU will likely be a good barometer for how the entire season goes.