Mississippi State – Kentucky Football Success are Tied to One Another

Number-1 ranked Mississippi State is back on the gridiron this week and on the road for a 2:30 PM CT kick at Kentucky (5-2), and for the Bulldogs, every game from here on out is a huge game, if the Bulldogs want to stay on top of the college football world and be a player on the national scene.

But – for the Bulldogs and Wildcats, their yearly matchup has been a big part to both team’s success, and lack thereof, for almost a decade.

The Cats lead the overall series with the Bulldogs 21-20 and while neither team has a storied football past, this cross-divisional rivalry in the SEC has become one that means a ton to both teams.

Former Kentucky head coach Rich Brooks brought his winning ways to the Blue Grass State in the mid-2000’s and made it a point to circle the Mississippi State game as a season changing game when he got there.

In 2006, the Cats defeated the Bulldogs 34-31, in route to an 8-5 season and a post season bowl game.  That game also was one of many frustrating losses for then head coach Sylvester Croom.

The Bulldogs got the win over Kentucky in 2007, 31-14, which helped propel the Bulldogs to a 7-4 record and punch their ticket to the Liberty Bowl and State’s first winning season since 2000.

2008 saw Kentucky win a one-point ballgame 14-13 and that game eventually started the end of the Croom era in Starkville, while it propelled the Cats to bowl eligibility at 6-6.

Since that time, Dan Mullen has reeled off five – straight wins over the Cats and those wins have been monumental in the grand scheme of things for the Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs 28-16 victory in 2011 went a long way to State punching their ticket to a second straight bowl game, while the Cats finished 5-7, one game off the pace for bowl eligibility.

And – just last year, the Bulldogs defeated Kentucky in a very close game in Starkville 28-22, which eventually was paramount as the Bulldogs ended up 6-6 and eligible for post-season play for the fourth straight year.

This week’s game is again another huge game in the series between the Dogs and Cats.  Kentucky can become bowl eligible for the first time since 2010 with a victory over Mississippi State and for the Bulldogs a victory means they are one step closer to claiming the Western Division Title and punching their ticket to Atlanta.

A Bulldog victory this weekend would also even the series at 21-apiece and likely keep Mississippi State at the top of the polls for a third straight week.

Mississippi State and Kentucky have never had the history of some of the bigger football programs in the country, but over the last ten years this ballgame has become paramount to both teams success.

Saturday’s ballgame is no different as the stakes are super high, with the winner probably headed on to bigger things down the road.

Make no doubt; Dan Mullen knows just how important this game is with the Wildcats.  This year it’s super big and the stakes are super high and I can promise you the Bulldogs are not sleeping on the Cats.

They know just how much this game means in the grand scheme of things.