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Mississippi State’s Identity Provides Taxing Challenge for Kentucky

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2 years ago

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Mississippi State’s Identity Provides Taxing Challenge for Kentucky


No. 22 Kentucky’s two-game skid has the Wildcats’ backs towards the wall in the midst of the season. 

A highly-encouraging begin to the yr has shortly was a 4-2 report, with projections for the remainder of the 2022 marketing campaign shortly declining. The highway is not getting any simpler, both. 

The Cats will welcome the No. 16 Mississippi State Bulldogs (5-1, 2-1 SEC) to Kroger Area this Saturday, in what has turn out to be a must-win scenario for Mark Stoops’ crew. 

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“Transferring on to Mississippi State. Superb staff,” Stoops mentioned. “Clearly, any time you’re enjoying Mike Leach, he can transfer the soccer. They’re excellent at what they do.”

Leach, who’s amidst his third season as head coach of the Bulldogs, has received his air raid offense up-and-running in Starkville, slowly however absolutely selecting aside SEC defenses. Mississippi State leads the convention with 354.67 passing yards-per-game. 

On the helm of that depraved passing assault is extremely touted junior QB Will Rogers. By way of six video games, the Mississippi native has accomplished 202 passes for a grand whole of two,110 yards. His 71 p.c completion charge and 22 touchdowns via the air each lead the SEC. 

“Their quarterback, Will Rogers, is enjoying at a really excessive degree, extraordinarily comfy and in whole command of that offense,” Stoops mentioned of the QB. “Will may be very, very comfy again there. It’s exhausting, as a result of as you stress, they’ve solutions. They’re very environment friendly getting the ball down the sphere, so there’s all the time that high-quality line while you play them.” 

The air raid is not as huge and unhealthy as it might sound. Rogers will not be slinging the soccer 50 yards down the sphere on each different play. As a substitute, he’ll dink and dunk his away across the protection, permitting his receivers to do some heavy lifting, tiring defenses, ultimately establishing these huge pictures. 

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Six gamers have caught over 20 passes for the Bulldogs this season, proving simply what number of dependable targets persistently encompass Rogers on each drive. 

“They’ve two dynamic operating backs and all the time have playmakers on the perimeter,” Stoops mentioned. 

Leach is aware of tips on how to get his operating backs concerned in each side of the offense. Dillon Johnson and Jo’quavious Marks have totaled 647 dashing yards and eight touchdowns on the bottom. Within the passing sport, they’ve notched 50 receptions and 339 yards. 

The offense as a complete has put up not less than 30 factors in each sport this season, averaging 37.6 points-per-game in three contests towards SEC foes. 

However that is not the place it ends. The Bulldogs have developed a stable protection throughout Leach’s tenure, due to defensive coordinator Zach Arnett. 

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In response to Soccer Outsiders, Miss State boasts a top-20 protection within the nation. Whereas it would not notably excel in any metric, the Bulldogs know tips on how to discover the soccer and get it again to their offense. Their eight interceptions, 4 of which have come through junior cornerback Emmanuel Forbes, are tied for the SEC-lead.

Miss State has allowed 30 or extra factors simply as soon as this season, in Baton Rouge towards LSU. The stout group is led by many, many veterans. 9 of the 11 starters on protection are seniors in some, manner, form or type, whereas the opposite pair are juniors. 

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Stoops acknowledged that have on Monday at his game-week press convention. 

“Defensively, I believe they’re doing an excellent job. Zach Arnett (has) received these guys enjoying. Very skilled group, they’ve a bunch of men on their two-deep which have performed a boatload of soccer. I need to say perhaps eight returning starters and bunch of men within the two-deep which are juniors and seniors, so very skilled,” Stoops mentioned. 

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Arnett’s success stems from an intriguing 3-3-5 defensive scheme, one thing Stoops says offers many groups complications. 

“They create lots of havoc on lots of people. They do a pleasant job with it,” he mentioned. “I believe they’re very comfy, they’ve nice expertise, I believe Zach (Arnett) mixes it up and I believe their staff can deal with it.”

That very same protection held Kentucky to simply 17 factors in Starkville a season in the past, in what was the worst offensive sport of the season for the Wildcats. QB Will Levis threw for simply 150 yards, one landing and three interceptions. 

“They modify and make calls based mostly on formation generally and what you’re doing,” Stoops continued. “They’re environment friendly at what they’re doing, so anytime they’re in that form of configuration they will carry lots of havoc in lots of other ways.”

Mississippi State has an id on offense and protection. Kentucky can not say the identical coming into its greatest sport of the season. It is anticipated that Levis will return underneath middle, however following a clunky 24-14 loss at dwelling to South Carolina, who’s throwing the soccer could also be certainly one of a number of query marks in Lexington this Saturday. 

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The Bulldogs current a fork within the highway for UK: Get again on monitor and struggle for some respect down the stretch, or proceed to spiral downward.

Kentucky Soccer Information

Mississippi State Opened as a Betting Favourite Over the Wildcats

Jacquez Jones is the Largest Title Lacking From the Week Seven Depth Chart

Extra on Kentucky’s Accidents right here

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Present Bowl Projections for Kentucky

The Cats Picked Up a Dedication From an In-State Punter on Monday

Need the newest on nationwide soccer and basketball recruiting, together with Cats targets? Head over to SI All-American for the newest information, blogs, and updates in regards to the nation’s greatest prospects.

Sports activities Illustrated additionally affords perception, data and as much as the minute particulars for gamblers. Test it out right here.



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Kentucky State Police asking for help to find suspect in Breckinridge County ‘domestic incident’

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11 hours ago

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January 12, 2025

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Kentucky State Police asking for help to find suspect in Breckinridge County ‘domestic incident’


LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – Kentucky State Police and the Breckinridge County Sheriff’s Office are asking for the public’s help in finding a suspect from a domestic incident that happened Saturday night.

KSP spokesperson Scotty Sharp said they’ve been looking for Julio Morales throughout the night and into Sunday.

They describe Morales as a 186-pound, 5′ 8′’ man with gray hair and brown eyes. He’s 53 years old and was last seen wearing dark clothing. Police said he is considered armed and dangerous.

Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff’s office at (270) 756-2361 or KSP at (270) 766-5078.

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This is a developing story.

Copyright 2025 WAVE. All rights reserved.



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Kentucky has more Top 15 wins than any team in the country

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21 hours ago

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January 12, 2025

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Kentucky has more Top 15 wins than any team in the country


The start of Mark Pope‘s head coaching career at Kentucky couldn’t be off to a better start.

Sure, the Wildcats have taken some lumps as we’re roughly halfway through the 2024-25 season. But when the moment is the brightest or when Kentucky desperately needs a bounce-back win, Pope’s team continues to find ways to pull out massive victories.

Following Saturday night’s 95-90 road win in Starkville over No. 14 Mississippi State, Kentucky is up to a 13-3 record (2-1 SEC). Four of those 13 wins have come against teams that were (and still are) ranked among the AP Poll’s Top 15 in the country at the time. UK has taken down No. 6 Duke, No. 7 Gonzaga, No. 6 Florida, and now the 14th-ranked Bulldogs. The wins over Duke and Gonzaga required huge halftime comebacks, as well.

Kentucky’s 4-0 mark against Top 15 teams is best in the country. UK is also now 4-3 in Quad 1 opportunities. After all three of the Wildcats’ losses this season, Pope has coached his team to bounce back wins in all of them. Two of those were against the aforementioned Top 15 opponents: Gonzaga and Mississippi State.

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The schedule (somehow) only gets tougher from here too. Up next? Two more Top 15 matchups next week at Rupp Arena. Kentucky will host No. 10 Texas A&M on Tuesday and then No. 5 Alabama on Saturday. The ‘Cats also have to take on top-ranked Tennessee twice, Alabama a second time, and No. 2 Auburn later in conference play. Not to mention showdowns with No. 23 Ole Miss and No. 17 Oklahoma.

But if we’ve learned anything from the first 16 games of the Pope era, it’s to never count out this group of Wildcats.



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Kentucky vs Mississippi State score today: Updates, highlights from UK basketball game

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1 day ago

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January 11, 2025

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Kentucky vs Mississippi State score today: Updates, highlights from UK basketball game


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Mississippi State, Mark Pope joked, has “the bio” of seemingly every team in the SEC.

The Bulldogs are aggressive, offensively and defensively. They induce turnovers at a high rate. And they excel at offensive rebounds.

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But they have two individuals that are hard to approximate elsewhere in guard Josh Hubbard and forward Cameron Matthews.

A 5-foot-11, 190-pound sophomore, Hubbard was one of the league’s best players as a freshman last season. He’s only built off that in 2024-25. He leads the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (4.90). And he ranks among the top 10 in the conference in multiple categories, including 3-point percentage (38.2) and 3-point makes per game (3.13) entering tonight’s game versus Pope’s Kentucky squad.

“He is a real talent,” Pope said. “He’s been doing it for a while. He’s really, really dangerous.”

Matthews, meanwhile, reminds Pope of one of the NBA’s most well-known players of the past decade.

“He’s very much a Draymond Green vibe,” Pope said. “He’s a really terrific, creative passer. He’s got an unbelievable sense of space and time away from the ball. He can see cutters. He can pass off the bounce. He can be really aggressive to the rim. He plays like a really, really big point guard. So he’s a unique piece for them.”

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It’ll be a matchup of ranked squads tonight at Humphrey Coliseum: The Wildcats are No. 7 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll and No. 6 in the Associated Press Top 25, while the Bulldogs are 13th and 14th, respectively.

Here’s what you need to know to follow today’s game from home:

The contest between the Wildcats and Bulldogs will air on SEC Network. Dave Neal (play-by-play) and Jon Sundvold (analyst) will have the call.

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Authenticated subscribers can access SEC Network via TV-connected devices or by going to WatchESPN.com, the WatchESPN app or ESPN+.

You also can stream SEC Network on Fubo, which offers a free trial.

Tom Leach (play-by-play) and Jack Givens (analyst) will have the UK radio network call on 840 AM in Louisville and both 630 AM and 98.1 FM in Lexington.

You can also listen online via UKAthletics.com.

Betting odds: Kentucky is a 5⅟₂-point road underdog (-110) on DraftKings, which set the over/under at 161 points (-110). The money line odds are Kentucky +190, Mississippi State -230. 

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  • Oct. 23: exhibition vs. Kentucky Wesleyan ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 123, Kentucky Wesleyan 52
  • Oct. 29: exhibition vs. Minnesota State Mankato ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 98, Minnesota State Mankato 67
  • Nov. 4: vs. Wright State (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 103, Wright State 62
  • Nov. 9: vs. Bucknell (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 100, Bucknell 72
  • Nov. 12: vs. Duke (Champions Classic; State Farm Arena, Atlanta) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 77, Duke 72
  • Nov. 19: vs. Lipscomb, (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 97, Lipscomb 68
  • Nov. 22: vs. Jackson State (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 108, Jackson State 59
  • Nov. 26: vs. Western Kentucky (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 87, Western Kentucky 68
  • Nov. 29: vs. Georgia State (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 105, Georgia State 76
  • Dec. 3: at Clemson (ACC/SEC Challenge) ∣ SCORE: Clemson 70, Kentucky 66
  • Dec. 7: vs. Gonzaga (Climate Pledge Arena; Seattle) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 90, Gonzaga 89 (OT)
  • Dec. 11: vs. Colgate (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 78, Colgate 67
  • Dec. 14: vs. Louisville (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 93, Louisville 85
  • Dec. 21: vs. Ohio State (CBS Sports Classic; Madison Square Garden, New York) | SCORE: Ohio State 85, Kentucky 65
  • Dec. 31: vs. Brown (Rupp Arena) | SCORE: Kentucky 88, Brown 54
  • Jan. 4: vs. Florida (Rupp Arena) | SCORE: Kentucky 106, Florida 100
  • Jan. 7: at Georgia | SCORE: Georgia 82, Kentucky 69
  • Jan. 11: at Mississippi State, 8:30 p.m., SEC Network
  • Jan. 14: vs. Texas A&M (Rupp Arena), 7 p.m., ESPN2
  • Jan. 18: vs. Alabama (Rupp Arena), noon, ESPN
  • Jan. 25: at Vanderbilt, 2:30 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2
  • Jan. 28: at Tennessee, 7 p.m., ESPN
  • Feb. 1: vs. Arkansas (Rupp Arena), 9 p.m., ESPN
  • Feb. 4: at Ole Miss, 7 p.m., ESPN
  • Feb. 8: vs. South Carolina (Rupp Arena), noon, ESPN/ESPN2
  • Feb. 11: vs. Tennessee (Rupp Arena), 7 p.m., ESPN
  • Feb. 15: at Texas, 8 p.m., ESPN
  • Feb. 19: vs. Vanderbilt (Rupp Arena), 7 p.m., SEC Network
  • Feb. 22: at Alabama, 6 p.m., ESPN
  • Feb. 26: at Oklahoma, 9 p.m., SEC Network
  • March 1: vs. Auburn (Rupp Arena), 1/4 p.m., ABC/ESPN
  • March 4: vs. LSU (Rupp Arena), 7/9 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU
  • March 8: at Missouri, noon, ESPN/SEC Network

Record: 12-3 (1-1 SEC)

  • Ansley Almonor (forward, senior)
  • Koby Brea (guard, graduate)
  • Lamont Butler (guard, graduate)
  • Andrew Carr (forward, graduate)
  • Collin Chandler (guard, freshman)
  • Grant Darbyshire (guard, junior)
  • Brandon Garrison (forward, sophomore)
  • Walker Horn (guard, junior)
  • Kerr Kriisa (guard, senior)
  • Trent Noah (forward, freshman)
  • Otega Oweh (guard, junior)
  • Travis Perry (guard, freshman)
  • Jaxson Robinson (guard, graduate)
  • Zach Tow (forward, junior)
  • Amari Williams (center, graduate)

Mississippi State went 21-14 overall last season, posting an 8-10 mark in SEC play. Its season ended in an 69-51 loss to Michigan State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Bulldogs are 14-1 this season. Their lone loss was an 87-77 setback to Butler on Nov. 29 at the Arizona Tip-Off event in Tempe, Arizona. MSU is 2-0 in conference competition, routing South Carolina by 35 points (85-50) at home last week and topping Vanderbilt on the road, 76-64, on Tuesday.

Though UK has beaten Mississippi State nine straight times at Humphrey Coliseum, the Bulldogs haven’t lost at home this season, sporting a 7-0 record entering tonight’s game.

Click here to see the Bulldogs’ full 2024-25 schedule.

Want to learn the Bulldogs’ roster?

Click here for player bios and more.

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Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.



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