In one of the most anticipated early season Southeastern Conference matchups, 14th-ranked Mississippi State welcomes 6th-ranked Kentucky to the Hump for a Saturday night showdown.

Mississippi State comes into the Kentucky game fresh off a gutsy road win over Vanderbilt on Tuesday night, where the Bulldogs improved to 14-1 overall, with a 2-0 record in the Southeastern Conference. Last Saturday, the Bulldogs dominated South Carolina 85-50 at the Hump. Last Saturday’s beat down of South Carolina was 4th beat down of a quad two or higher opponent this season; Memphis, South Carolina, UNLV, and Pittsburgh are the four blowout wins for Coach Jans and the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

For the visitors from Lexington, Kentucky, the Wildcats come to the Hump looking for a get-right game after a challenging road loss to the Georgia Bulldogs on Tuesday night. This year’s Kentucky team might look slightly different than last year, with the addition of Head Coach Mark Pope, who brought in a talented roster from the transfer portal, and the addition of upperclassmen with several years of playing experience. However, Kentucky has failed to find an identity this season, dropping to 12-3 overall and having an average 1-1 start in Southeastern Conference play.

Kentucky took both matchups last season, escaping with a two-point win in Starkville on a brisk February Tuesday night.

Regarding this season’s matchup, Mississippi State and Kentucky have been preparing for an all-out war on Saturday night. Mississippi State comes into the Kentucky game with an identity as one of the most physically talented rosters in the country. Mississippi State has a roster good enough to win the Southeastern Conference and compete for a National Championship. Kentucky has a talented roster, but the Wildcats have yet to find their identity and are walking into a frenzy on Saturday night as the Hump will be rocking yet again this season. Mississippi State is a perfect 7-0 at home this season with the chance of making that 8-0.

Life on the road in the Southeastern Conference is highly challenging; if you’re Kentucky, you can’t afford to let Mississippi State get in a grove because if they do, Saturday night can be a long night for the visiting Wildcats. According to the Mississippi State ticket office, all but one Southeastern Conference game is a hard sell, with the Mizzou game being the exception.

Mississippi State and Kentucky will tip off on Saturday night at 7:30 on the SEC Network.