Mark Story

Blue Preview: Storyline, odds and players to watch in UK football at Mississippi State

By Mark Story

Updated November 3, 2023 11:16 AM

Preview: Kentucky at Mississippi State

Click below to read more of the Herald-Leader’s and Kentucky.com’s preview coverage ahead of Saturday’s Kentucky-Mississippi State football game at 7:30 p.m. in Starkville, Mississippi.

Expand All

Kentucky at Mississippi State

When: 7:30 p.m. (EDT) Saturday.

TV: SEC Network.

Announcers: Play-by-play, Tom Hart; analysis, Cole Cubelic; sideline, Alyssa Lang.

Radio: WLAP-AM 630, WBUL-FM 98.1.

Satellite Radio: XM Channel 191, Sirius Channel 134, Internet Channel TBA.

Records: Kentucky 5-3, 2-3 SEC; Mississippi State 4-4, 1-4 SEC.

Series history: Is tied 25-25.

Most-recent meeting: No. 22 Kentucky scored a 27-17 victory over No. 16 Mississippi State on Oct. 16, 2022, at Kroger Field.

Line: Kentucky is favored by 4.5 points

The storyline

Seeking to end a three-game losing skid and coming off another agonizing defeat to border foe Tennessee, Kentucky travels to Starkville seeking to become bowl-eligible for an eighth straight season by earning its first victory at Mississippi State since 2008.

Kentucky quarterback Devin Leary (13) played his best game to date as a Wildcat in UK’s 33-27 loss to then-No. 21 Tennessee last week, completing 28 of 39 passes for 372 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Brian Simms bsimms@herald-leader.com

The number to watch

Kentucky’s yardage allowed. During UK’s three-game losing skid at the hands of (currently) No. 1 Georgia, No. 14 Missouri and No. 19 Tennessee, the Kentucky defense has allowed an average of 473.7 yards and 40.7 points a game. In total offense, Mississippi State is 91st in the FBS (350.4) so it will be disappointing if the UK “D” does not turn in a substantially improved showing vs. the Bulldogs.

Kentucky linebacker/rush end J.J. Weaver (13) has 26 tackles, three quarterback sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss. Jack Weaver

The big threats

Nathaniel Watson and Jett Johnson. The Mississippi State interior linebackers are among the best duos in the SEC. Middle linebacker Watson has 80 tackles with team-high totals of 7.5 quarterback sacks, 9.5 tackles for loss and four quarterback hurries. Weakside linebacker Johnson leads MSU in tackles with 84 and has 8.5 TFL, four sacks and two interceptions.

Mississippi State linebacker Jett Johnson (44) leads the Bulldogs with 84 tackles and also has four quarterback sacks, 8.5 tackles for loss and two interceptions. Sam Wolfe Special To The State

On the spot

Mark Stoops. Not only has the Kentucky head man never won in Starkville, the UK coach’s teams have not played Mississippi State within single digits at Davis Wade Stadium since a 28-22 loss in 2013. Since then, UK’s margins of defeat at MSU have been 26, 38, 15 and 14 points, respectively. With the SEC doing away with divisions after this season, this is Stoops’ final chance to earn something that has so far eluded him in 11 previous tries: A road win over an SEC West foe.

Kentucky coach Mark Stoops is 0-5 at Mississippi State and the defeats have come by an average of 19.8 points a game. Alex Slitz aslitz@herald-leader.com

The mood

Is dejected. Three straight losses capped by another frustrating defeat vs. Tennessee has taken a lot of the juice out of the Big Blue Nation. What began as a season of high expectations for Kentucky is presently about the Wildcats trying to earn the sixth victory necessary for bowl-eligibility.

This story was originally published October 30, 2023 at 7:52 AM.

Mark Story

Lexington Herald-Leader

859-444-4731

Mark Story has worked in the Lexington Herald-Leader sports department since Aug. 27, 1990, and has been a Herald-Leader sports columnist since 2001. I have covered every Kentucky-Louisville football game since 1994, every UK-U of L basketball game but three since 1996-97 and every Kentucky Derby since 1994. Support my work with a digital subscription