Three Takeaways From Kentucky's 27-17 Win Over Mississippi State
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Kentucky conquered Mississippi State on Saturday night in Lexington, staving off the Bulldogs for a 27-17 win.
From winning in the trenches to making a statement on defense, here are three takeaways from the Wildcats' important SEC victory:
Offensive Line Comes Through
I've been as critical of the offensive line as anyone this season. Saturday night was far and away the best performance of the season for the Big Blue Wall. Will Levis was sacked just one time, Chris Rodriguez had all sorts of holes to run through, and after the beginning of the game, the penalties really subsided.
This was a big test for that group. Mississippi State doesn't have the best front seven in the world, but if South Carolina could sack the QB six times, then it seemed like the Bulldogs were also going to be able to do it. Even when Jeremy Flax went down with an injury, Deondre Buford stepped up in a big way over at right tackle.
"That's a really good defense. You know, they're really disruptive and they do a really good job in creating pressure. And I thought they really did some good things," Mark Stoops said of the offensive line after the game.
With the bye week coming up, this is a good time for the big guys to get some rest and get healthy for a powerful run defense coming up over at Tennessee. Assuming they can get everyone at full strength, they may finally be able to build some of that momentum and continuity that's been spoken about over the past couple of months.
And if all else fails, this glorious flop from Tashawn Manning stole the show on social media:
Will Levis is Nails
There's so much more that Will Levis brings to the table for Kentucky than what you see on a box score. That guy is the life of this Kentucky team. It was obvious against South Carolina, when they had to play without him, but it was even more obvious on Saturday, when he came back out to finish the game after getting his shoulder examined.
Big Blue Nation went crazy when Levis ran back out, giving the team that spark to get across the finish line and get a win over a good Miss State squad that had just taken the lead.
The throw to JuTahn McClain at a weird angle, the dot to Dekel Crowdus for 50 yards, making things happen off his back foot. You get a few plays from Levis every game that remind you, "oh yeah, that's why this guy is a future first round draft pick." His heart, his energy and everything that comes with being both a football player and a leader, Levis has it in spades.
While Rodriguez willed the Wildcats to a win, Levis' persona on the field adds that extra layer that a team like Kentucky needs to get over the hump against stout SEC competition.
Defense Wins Championships
Not to say that Kentucky is on its way to doing that, because it isn't, but if the Wildcats play like that on defense every night, they'll have a chance in every game they play in.
Whether you attribute it to Brad White's game plan, the team just not missing tackles or the group's will to win by any means, it's special when UK's defense gets rolling.
Jacquez Jones' absence was hardly noticeable, as DeAndre Square picked up the slack and then some, while D'Eryk Jackson turned in another good performance. Deone Walker continues to grow as a menace on the defensive line, while guys in the secondary like Jordan Lovett and Carrington Valentine make big plays against a pass-first offense that attacked them all night.
Holding that offense to 10 points and only 225 yards is beyond impressive. This is the same team that just destroyed Arkansas and Texas A&M. The task almost seemed too tall for a defense that was injured and playing its seventh game in a row.
Even when you think offense has overtaken defense at Kentucky, a game like Saturday's will happen, reminding you where the money gets made during crunch time.
For more on Kentucky's 27-17 win, click here.
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