It’s another week in the Southeastern Conference which, can only mean one thing, another weekend where all eyes will be turned to a southern campus on a Saturday night for yet another exciting College Football matchup. This week, it’s Kentucky traveling to Mississippi State to face the Bulldogs and their Cowbells. You better believe that both programs have an idea of everything that’s at stake on Saturday night in Starkville, Mississippi. Plus, Kentucky and Mississippi State have had a longstanding football rivalry that dates back to 1913.

For Mississippi State, Saturday’s matchup with the Kentucky Wildcats is one that the Bulldogs look forward to every year. Since 2008, Mississippi State has gone undefeated at Davis Wade Stadium against the Wildcats. Which, if you sit there and reflect on that, it’s a pretty impressive feat considering how good Kentucky has been over the last five years or so.

Not to mention, Mississippi State comes into the game with Kentucky with a record of 4-3 with a real possibility of going 5-0 to close out the season to finish with an impressive 9-3 overall record. If you take out the Alabama loss, Mississippi State is a few questionable calls away from being 6-1, much like their counterparts in Kentucky. Just last week, in their win over Vanderbilt, Mississippi State put up crazy amounts of offensive numbers, including 45 points on the scoreboard, all the while holding the Commodores to only six points.

For Kentucky, Saturday night is another opportunity for Mark Stoops and his Wildcats to take another step in the direction of earning a bid in a New Year’s Six Bowl. Kentucky heads to Starkville, Mississippi, ranked 12th in the country with an impressive record of 6-1 overall, and 4-1 in SEC play.

Unlike Kentucky teams in the past, this Kentucky team is different. For the first time in a very long time, Kentucky has a downfield passing game led by the standout transfer quarterback from Penn State in Will Levis. Since the arrival of Will Levis to Kentucky, the Wildcats have turned into one of the most offensive units in the Southeastern Conference.

On the defensive side of the ball, Kentucky takes its blue-collar approach to Starkville, Mississippi, as they look to slow down the potent Mississippi State offense. Just last season, Kentucky held Mississippi State to just two points. Kentucky will need an all-around effort again as they go all twelve rounds with Coach Mike Leach and his prized Mississippi State boxers.

As far as the matchup on the field goes, it will come down to the Mississippi State offensive unit going head to head with the physical Kentucky defense. According to the oddsmakers, Kentucky and Mississippi State will likely go down to the last possession, with the last team to touch the ball being the ones who come out on top and earn a massive SEC win that could shape how the rest of the season will go.

Kentucky and Mississippi State will kick off under the lights on Saturday night. College Football fans will be able to view the game on the SEC Network.