Bonner: Top-ranked Mississippi State survives its toughest test
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Dan Mullen huddled Mississippi State in the visitor’s locker room at halftime. The Bulldogs played their first 30 minutes in program history as the No. 1 team in the country.
The label didn’t describe their performance.
MSU held a seven-point lead.
“I said, ‘Everybody take a deep breath,’ ” Mullen said. “They did. And that sigh in that room. I said, ‘Good, it’s done with, you’ve played. Now let’s go out and play our football and start making plays.’ ”
Mississippi State opened the second half with a 75-yard touchdown drive. It helped the Bulldogs to a 45-31 win on Saturday, but it didn’t lessen Kentucky’s determination. MSU widened its lead to two scores twice in the third quarter after Mullen’s speech in the locker room. The Wildcats responded on the ensuing drive both times.
“We were a little tight, but I don’t think we ever flinched,” Mullen said.
The Wildcats pounded the No. 1 target on Mississippi State’s back all afternoon. The Bulldogs scored on their opening drive for the fifth time this season. Kentucky answered five plays later. It was the first time an opponent answered the Bulldogs’ opening score.
Saturday’s Southeastern Conference cross-divisional rivalry was also the first time this season MSU didn’t hold a 20-point lead at some point during the game.
“Every once in a while you’re going to hit it right, maybe the other team is off that day,” Mullen said. “Even the games we’ve been up, you still have to play for four quarters. That’s what this league is all about.”
MSU finally pulled away with 2:22 left in the game. Christian Holmes returned an onside kick attempt 61 yards to put the Bulldogs up 14. The unlikely closer scored his first touchdown since high school. When he reached the end zone, he forgot to hand the ball to the official.
“The referee was like ’44, you’ve never scored, huh?’ ” Holmes said.
New faces stepped up for Mississippi State while the usual contributors struggled. Dak Prescott threw an interception for the second time in as many games. The quarterback has three in the last two games. He had two in the first five. The junior also fumbled twice but recovered both.
Prescott completed his first five passes for 56 yards. Overall, he finished with 216 yards passing while completing 18 throws on 33 attempts.
“I just missed some throws,” Prescott said. “I got in a groove early and just missed some throws here and there.”
Josh Robinson carried the ball 23 times and didn’t look tight in any of them. He finished with 198 yards, one better than his former career-high that he posted against LSU.
“I’m trying to get (200). I could’ve had it,” Robinson said. “Maybe I’ll get 199, then 200.”
Robinson’s 73-yard touchdown looked to provide enough of a cushion for MSU with 11:37 left in the game. But Kentucky answered.
The Bulldogs allowed 401 passing yards, including two touchdowns of at least 58 yards.
“We seemed a little tight. What got us here is playing with juice,” linebacker Benardrick McKinney said. “I was telling everybody just have fun. I was seeing guys who make plays just standing around.”
Mississippi State escaped, though. It notched its seventh win of the season, but more importantly its first-ever as the No. 1 team in the country.
The target will still be associated with Mississippi State, but MSU knows what’s coming.
“Hopefully we can get all this ranking stuff behind us. I don’t know where we’ll be … I don’t really care,” Mullen said. “I think our kids now will probably be over it as well.”
Contact Michael Bonner at (601) 961-7289 or mbonner @jackson.gannett.com. Follow @MikeBBonner on Twitter.
Key Player
Josh Robinson, Mississippi State
Junior rushed for a career-high 198 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran over dozens of Kentucky defenders en route to broke tackles.
Key Figure
401
Mississippi State allowed 401 passing yards, including two touchdowns of 50 yards or more.