Three Storylines to Follow As Mississippi State Football Faces Kentucky on Saturday

Pay attention to these storylines as the Bulldogs and Wildcats face off in Lexington.

Mississippi State (5-1) and Kentucky (4-2) will battle in a highly-anticipated contest on Saturday night in Lexington.

The game is important for the two teams, as both are looking to rise in the rankings and stay in the fight for a potential SEC Championship appearance later in the year.

Here are three storylines to follow as the programs compete on the gridiron. 

1. Mississippi State could make a big jump in the AP Poll with a victory.

The Bulldogs are currently the No. 16 team in the nation and should expect to rise even more if they walk away with a victory. The last time the team was ranked higher than 16th in the AP Poll was early in the 2018 season when it reached No. 14. MSU's 40-17 win over an unranked Arkansas team last weekend helped boost the program up seven spots. With a win -- especially a big one -- against a 22nd-ranked Kentucky squad, reaching the Top 15 is feasible.

2. Will Levis is arguably the toughest quarterback that the Bulldogs' defense has faced so far.

Mississippi State has faced a few solid quarterbacks on the season, but none are at the level that Wildcats' signal-caller Will Levis is. Levis has struggled some down the stretch, but he has posted a completion percentage of 68.8 percent for 1,405 yards with 12 touchdowns and four interceptions on the year. He missed his team's most-recent matchup against South Carolina and will be itching to reestablish himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the nation with only six games left. Levis could mean trouble for the Bulldogs' defense, but it has done a great job of limiting opposing to 21 points and 219.50 passing yards per game.

3. How much will Mike Leach continue to utilize the run game in the Air Raid?

Although Leach's Air Raid offense is very pass-happy, the head coach has begun to incorporate more rushing plays over the last few games. Part of this is likely due to the level of talent that the team's running backs have: Dillon Johnson, Jo'quavious Marks and Simeon Price have looked almost unstoppable this season. The Bulldogs are averaging 106.7 rushing yards per game, which is at least 50 yards more than they've averaged in any other season under Leach. Along with a strong attack through the air, Mississippi State seems to have a few secret weapons on the ground that will likely play a huge role in leading the Bulldogs to victory.