Greetings, BBN!

As we wait for the start of the 2022 Kentucky Wildcats football season, now’s a great time to look at the upcoming schedule and scout the opponents.

This time, we look at Week 7 when Kentucky faces the Mississippi State Bulldogs in their fourth SEC game and second SEC home game.

Mississippi State

• When: October 15th
• Where: Kroger Field
• All-Time Series: Mississippi State leads 25-24

Ever since Austin MacGinnis’s walk-off field goal that saved the Stoops Era from getting snuffed out eight years ago, Kentucky has traded blows with the Bulldogs every year.

In 2017, State won in Starkville, then UK defend home turf in 2018, then State won at home, then UK won at home, and then on Halloween last year Mike Leach’s pirates once again denied the ‘Cats in the cowbell-filled confines of Davis Wade Stadium.

None of the games have been close since then either, and in 2022, the big question will be if UK can keep it that way.

Mike Leach and the Bulldogs have been slowly growing in strength, but still are not striking fear into the hearts of all opponents just yet. Look at what happened the last time they took the field for instance—Texas Tech walked all over them in the Liberty Bowl 34-7.

Also, keep in mind that they will be battle-tested coming into this game, as it will be the seventh of the year. Perhaps they will be 2-4 and a broken team. Or perhaps they will be 4-2 and hungry for more.

However they come, UK better be ready—the SEC West does not go down easily.

Prediction: If Kentucky wants to take the SEC East from Georgia, they have to win games like this at home against the middle-tier. The Bulldogs are tough but UK has to be tougher and treat this like a must-win.

Cats win 31-27.