If one game was all it took for the air raid offense to set records, then I guess it only took two games to figure out how to defend it. After setting records in a historic upset against the defending national champion LSU Tigers, Mississippi State football looked flat in its loss to Arkansas. The Arkansas Razorbacks upset the then-No. 16 Mississippi State Bulldogs 21-14 in head coach Mike Leach’s home opener for the maroon and white.
This Saturday, Mississippi State heads to Lexington, Kentucky to face off against the 0-2 Kentucky Wildcats. The game will be televised on SEC Network at 7:30 p.m. ET. According to ESPN, Kentucky has a 64.7% probability to win with a -1.5 spread.
Preview
Quarterback K.J. Costello made national headlines after defeating LSU but against Arkansas, he looked like a fish out of water throwing for 313 yards and three interceptions. With five interceptions and two fumbles so far, Costello has struggled mightily with the turnover bug. If Mississippi State wants a win against Kentucky, Costello will have to figure out how to throw against zone defenses.
Costello has the chance to have a huge rebound game as the Kentucky defense has allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 71% of their passes for 553 yards and seven touchdowns so far this season.
“Just be patient,” Leach said earlier this week. “Stretch the field, which you have to do aggressively.”
Mississippi State fans won’t have to worry about the health of All-American running back Kylin Hill against Kentucky following his scary head injury against Arkansas. Leach reported on Oct. 8 that Hill will be a full participant this week in practice and will be available to play against Kentucky. No specifics about the exact nature of Hill’s injury were ever released but the news of his availability to play is great news for the Bulldogs.
While Mississippi State’s defense has been the surprise this season starring in both games so far, Kentucky quarterback Terry Wilson is a dual-threat weapon with a skillset the Bulldogs have not seen yet this season. Wilson has thrown for 390 yards and ran for another 171 yards and four total touchdowns.
The battle in the trenches is the key to the game. Kentucky has the No. 1 rushing offense in the SEC with 276.5 yards per game while Mississippi State comes in with the No. 2 rushing defense in the conference, only allowing 71.5 yards per game. Mississippi State is also the conference leader with 10 sacks.
Prediction
Kentucky is desperate for a win, especially after a close loss in overtime to Ole Miss last week, but Mississippi State is even more desperate to prove it’s not a one-game wonder.
Costello is going to have a rebound game and light up a weak Kentucky pass defense. He may not break records like against LSU but he’ll make more than enough big throws to start racking up points.
With Hill returning, Mississippi State will have the predicted focal point of its offense back and a huge performance could be coming from the star Bulldog. It is easily achievable for Hill to pull off a 200-plus yard game.
Wilson should make a few big plays against the Mississippi State defense but by halftime, it will figure out how to slow down his legs. By forcing him to throw, he’ll have to outplay the No. 1 passing offense in the conference, something he won’t be able to do. The Mississippi State defense will pile sacks on Wilson as well.
In the end, the high-powered air raid offense will prove itself worthy in the SEC and get Mississippi State football its second win in three tries.
FINAL SCORE: Mississippi State 45, Kentucky 31
Photo courtesy of MSU Athletic Communications
My name is Colin Bailey and I’m a Los Angeles native and currently a Journalism Major/Sports Media Minor at the University of Colorado Boulder.