Kentucky coach Rich Brooks considers Mississippi State a mirror image of the Wildcats.
In terms of supremacy in the Southeastern Conference, Brooks is correct. Mississippi State is trying to climb the ladder in the Western division of the Southeastern Conference. Kentucky is attempting to do likewise in the Eastern division.
It’s the one game on the schedule Kentucky thinks it can win. So does Mississippi State. Both teams have the same goal in mind when they play each other.
“Mississippi State and Kentucky have been like each other for quite a while, and the team that wins has an edge up of being able to climb that ladder a little bit,” Brooks said Monday. “It's difficult to do. You look at your schedule and whether you are favored, or not going to be favored, or going to be favored, and you look and say you can beat this team and that team, but you have to beat this team and this team. Guess what?  They are looking at you the same way - we have to beat that team. It's hard.”
Brooks said beating teams such as the Bulldogs give his team more supremacy in the conference. To move closer to the top in the conference, that is what Kentucky has to do. Mississippi State feels the same way.
“I think that when you are in the lower half of the league historically, to get to the upper half, you not only have to knock off some of those big guys, but you have to beat the guys that are like you,” he said.
Mississippi State is in the first phase of a rebuilding project engineered by former Florida offensive coordinator Dan Mullen. The Bulldogs are 3-5 this season, but have been “competitive” in the five losses. The Bulldogs gave Florida a fight before dropping a 29-19 setback against the Gators in Gainesville last week.
Despite the five setbacks, Mullen has been pleased with his team’s progress. Four of this team’s five losses have been at home against ranked opponents.
“They came out to practice yesterday and continued to maintain their focus and had the mentality to improve every day,” he said. “Each individual on this team is trying to make themselves a better football player, and we will, as a team, continue to try and improve.”
Mullen said his top concern was limiting the production of Kentucky’s multi-standout Randall Cobb and added that he hopes his team can slow down the Cats’ momentum.
“They (Kentucky) are coming off two big wins, and they've been successful over the last couple of years,” he said. “They've got talented players in (Derrick) Locke and (Randall) Cobb. Cobb causes matchup issues for us, because he is a weapon all over the field, so we will have our hands full this weekend.”