MSU homecoming week ends in painful football loss against Kentucky

Colin James, Staff Writer • November 7, 2023

Gabriella Sutherland | The Reflector

Mississippi State redshirt junior wide receiver Justin Robinson has appeared in 28 career games with seven career starts.

The epitome of brutality.
The Kentucky Wildcats, a team who previously had not beaten Mississippi State University in Starkville since George W. Bush was president in 2008, made their way to Davis-Wade Stadium and crushed the Bulldogs 24-3 to spoil their homecoming festivities Saturday night.
Bulldogs quarterback Will Rogers, who has not played since Oct. 7 against Western Michigan, was once again ruled out for Saturday night’s game, leaving Mike Wright as the starting quarterback. The Bulldogs were also missing running back Jo’Quavious Marks.
With key starters missing, the offense continued to stall in their absence. In his third start, Wright completed 11-of-21 passes for 78 yards and an interception that was returned for a touchdown by the Wildcats defense.
Fans got to see freshman quarterback Chris Parson make his debut on the field in the fourth quarter. Parson completed 6-of-14 passes for 68 yards in limited action.
The only score for Mississippi State came from a promising 88-yard drive in the first quarter that resulted in a 25-yard field goal, as the Bulldogs failed to reach the end zone.
The Bulldogs currently rank dead last in the SEC in points per game (22.7) and total touchdowns (24) with the team failing to score double digits in points within two of their last three games.
With the loss, the Bulldogs dropped to a 4-5 overall record, including 1-5 in SEC play this season. With the final stretch of the season coming up, head coach Zach Arnett preached to his team the importance of what is on the line as they battle for bowl eligibility.
“I think they’re all smart enough to understand that your starting quarterback and starting tailback are out, that means it’s a little more difficult for points to come by, but we know that if you want to get to postseason play you have to at least get to six victories,” Arnett said. “Those guys are all competitors. They know that ‘Hey, come back out, go to work.’ It’s the only way you’ll give yourself the best chance to progress and score more points.”
Up next, the Bulldogs go on the road for the last time this season Nov. 11 to take on Texas A&M in College Station, Texas. The game is set for a 6:30 p.m. kickoff and will be aired on ESPN2.