Mississippi State finished the 2016 regular season 5-7, losing several close games that could have turned their season into a winning one. One of those was against Kentucky.
Kentucky snapped an eight-game losing streak to the Bulldogs last season when Austin MacGinnis kicked a 51-yard field goal on the final play for a 40-38 win that helped the Wildcats to their first winning season since 2009. The teams are annual division crossover opponents, and as often as not, this game has proved important when talking about winning seasons and bowl games.
The teams meet Saturday in Starkville, and Mississippi State needs to beat Kentucky more than Kentucky needs to beat Mississippi State.