3 Kentucky players to watch against Mississippi State

Kentucky is hitting the road in Week 10 after a three-week stint at home went loss, bye, loss. The Wildcats are currently sitting on a three-game losing streak and need to get this season back on track. Mark Stoops and his team will have to do that in a venue that has not treated them well.

Davis-Wade Stadium has been a house of horrors for Kentucky football for 15 years now. The Wildcats have lost six straight in Starkville, and the last three have been by double-digits despite the Bulldogs having three separate head coaches for each meeting. However, this year could be different.

Kentucky is laying points on the road in this matchup for the first time since the losing streak began, and Mississippi State will be without some key players. However, the game must be won. The Wildcats will need some of its best players to step up and play well on Saturday night.

These are the Wildcats we will be watching closely in this SEC matchup.

Still waiting on a big game from Barion Brown

Barion Brown entered his sophomore season with very high expectations. The former top-100 recruit out of Nashville (Tenn.) Pearl-Cohn flashed some big-time potential as a true freshman. Brown flashed explosiveness as a run-after-catch threat and returner against Ole Miss. In a Week 12 contest against Georgia, the true freshman looked like the best player on the field for a few snaps.

There was a belief that Brown could make an All-SEC run in 2023. That has not happened as there has been somewhat of a sophomore slump with a high drop rate (9.1%). However, Brown has battled through a hamstring injury and now appears to be healthy.

Against Tennessee, the sophomore was used on kickoff return for the first time since Week 5 and made a competitive catch on a go-route to begin a Kentucky touchdown drive. The Wildcats will need more of that from No. 7 down the stretch.

Mississippi State presents a great opportunity for Brown and the Kentucky passing game. The Bulldogs have the worst completion percentage defense in college football, and numerous quarterbacks have had career games throwing the football against this secondary. This feels like a breakout spot for Brown who has only gone over 60 receiving yards once this season.

A big day for Barion Brown likely equals a big day for the Kentucky offense.

Contain QB run

On Saturday morning, news leaked out that Mike Wright will get his third consecutive start at quarterback for Mississippi State. The Vanderbilt transfer has accumulated 2,374 passing yards, 1,166 rushing yards, and 34 total touchdowns in his career. Under offensive coordinator Kevin Barbay, the QB run game has been a focal point with Wright in the lineup.

In two starts, Wright has logged 23 carries. In last week’s loss to Auburn, the senior logged a career-high 14 carries. In Vanderbilt’s road upset win over Kentucky last season, Wright took a zone read to the house for the biggest offensive play of the game.

Mike Wright takes the ball 59 yards for a @VandyFootball TD 💨 pic.twitter.com/Bw7ugIzTeN

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) November 12, 2022

Mississippi State will likely utilize a run-heavy game script against Kentucky. That means that Brad White‘s defense must be on point in run fits. Kentucky must show good eye discipline and gap integrity. A lot will fall on the linebackers’ plate.

Last week was not a good game for Kentucky’s linebackers. Most notably, Trevin Wallace looked limited after missing the Missouri game with an unspecified injury. The Wildcats need their star junior and running mate D’Eryk Jackson to play better.

When Wright moves around, Kentucky must get the dual-threat quarterback on the ground and limit explosives. That means linebackers must read keys and get to the football. A good game from Kentucky’s second unit likely means a long day for Mississippi State’s offense. A big game from Wallace could limit Barbay’s offense.

Create clean pockets

Kentucky’s offensive line has undoubtedly improved from 2022. Most notably, the Wildcats are creating clean pockets for Devin Leary. After Will Levis had an absurdly high sack rate (11.6%) in 2022, we’ve seen that number drop in a big way for Leary (4.9%).

In SEC play, Kentucky’s offensive line has only allowed more than nine pressures once in five games this season, and that has led to some good things. However, this is a group that struggled with some pre and post-snap movements against Missouri. The Big Blue Wall will see a ton of that at Davis-Wade Stadium.

Mississippi State’s 3-3-5 stack defense runs a ton of games upfront and will send linebackers and safeties as pass rushers constantly. This is a defense that thrives on movement, and that plays out in the data as Nathaniel Watson is this team’s best pass rusher (7.5 sacks on 24 pressures) as an off-ball linebacker. Communication will be key for Kentucky’s offensive line to prevent free runners.

There will be a lot on Eli Cox‘s plate this week.

The redshirt senior moved back from guard to center in Week 4 and has played good football for the Wildcats through five SEC games. On Saturday night, Cox must communicate with the four guys around him while cowbells ring. Identifying the front and getting calls established will be critical for the Kentucky offense. If the Wildcats can protect Leary, some big things can happen. But that might be easier said than done.

Mississippi State enters Saturday with a very good pressure rate (32.7%). The best thing this defense does is rush the passer. If Kentucky labors on offense, State’s pass rush is likely a major reason why. Cox and the rest of the Big Blue Wall must be organized and execute calls. If they do that, big things will follow.

Creating some room in the run game will also help take the crowd out of the game. A good game from the Kentucky offensive line likely equals a huge day for the offense.