Mississippi State's defense played a phenomenal second half in its 27-13 loss to Auburn loss to last week, but a lack of intensity dug them in too big of a hole to pull out a win on The Plains.
Zach Arnett's Bulldogs now have their sights set on their Homecoming matchup with Kentucky, a program who has built a brand of physicality under head coach Mark Stoops over the past decade. The Wildcats are stout in the trenches, so the Bulldogs going to need to put together a four quarter game in order to bring a different energy than they did against the Tigers.
"We couldn’t stop anything in the first half, couldn’t stop the run or the pass. You can’t win a football game playing a half of football,' Arnett said following Saturday's loss. "I appreciate the guys’ efforts in the second half, but I’m not particularly interested in moral victories. We’ve struggled to put a full game together all year, and that’s my fault."
The Mississippi State secondary allowed some big plays through the air early on, and staying steady in coverage will be a point of emphasis against Kentucky. Big Blue quarterback Devin Leary ranks second in the SEC with 16 passing touchdowns, and he isn't afraid to take shots down field as Dane Key and Tayvion Robinson are each averaging over 14 yards per reception.
"He has a big arm, can make all the throws, and he has really talented guys on the outside," Arnett said of Leary.
Saturday will be the second time the Bulldogs have faced Leary, as the fifth year senior was NC State's starting quarterback when the Wolfpack traveled to Starkville in 2021. The Bulldogs shut down NC State's running game in a 24-10 win, but Leary still managed to throw for 303 yards against the Mississippi State secondary.
The Bulldog run defense might not be as fortunate this go around, as Kentucky has one of the most potent rushing attacks in the SEC. Vanderbilt transfer Ray Davis leads the conference with 823 rushing yards and has accumulated 14 total touchdowns, giving Leary a true bell cow behind him.
"He’s a great quarterback. He can throw, he can run. He’s smart. He’s played a lot of ball," MSU linebacker Jett Johnson said. "He’s a great player with a great rushing attack behind him, so it just kind of opens up a lot of things."
When Mississippi State's defense is at its best, its been when they're getting pressure on the quarterback. Graduate middle linebacker Nathaniel Watson leads the SEC with 8.0 sacks, while young talent like Donterry Russell and Deonte Anderson have shown flashes of brilliance off the edge. The Bulldogs weren't able to get home against Auburn's Payton Thorne after sacking Arkansas' K.J. Jefferson four times and they'll need to bring back the intensity they had against the Razorbacks Saturday.
"There is an edge you have to play this game with," defensive coordinator Matt Brock said. "It’s always concerning when you don't do that. You have to learn from it, and you can’t let it happen. It’s as simple as that."
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