Coming off a three-game losing streak, Kentucky faced yet another ghost of its past: Davis-Wade Stadium in Starkville. The Wildcats had no choice but to right the ship in cowbell hell, an environment the program had not found a win in since 2008.
Missing starting quarterback Will Rogers and star running back Jo’Quavious “Woody” Marks, among other glaring roster holes, Mississippi State had talent vulnerabilities to attack. And Kentucky did just that en route to a convincing 24-3 victory, earning bowl eligibility for an eighth consecutive season in the process.