3 takeaways: Kentucky football, Chris Rodriguez grind down Mississippi State in SEC clash

LEXINGTON, Ky. — On the verge of losing three consecutive Southeastern Conference games for the second time in as many seasons, the Kentucky football team delivered a bounce-back win Saturday night at Kroger Field.

The No. 22 Wildcats (5-2, 2-2 SEC) knocked off No. 16 Mississippi State 27-17 behind a gritty performance from quarterback Will Levis, a dominant night from tailback Chris Rodriguez and an impressive defensive showing against the nation’s leading passer, Will Rogers.

UK trailed the Bulldogs 10-6 with less than nine minutes remaining in the third quarter but outscored head coach Mike Leach’s squad 21-7 from there.

Levis threw for 230 yards and a score in his return to the starting lineup from a reported case of turf toe, but Rodriguez stole the show with 196 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries. The tailback was seen cramping multiple times Saturday night but powered through the discomfort en route to his best game since returning to action in Week 5.

Kentucky vs. Mississippi State: Highlights from the Wildcats' second SEC win

Much-needed boost:How Barion Brown, Chris Rodriguez provide hope to UK's offense

With Rodriguez leading the way, the Wildcats rushed for 239 yards on 48 attempts. Their defense returned the favor by holding the Bulldogs' run game to 22 yards on 10 carries.

"I knew we would play like that," head coach Mark Stoops said after the victory, "I knew we'd play like we play: tough, resilient, together."

Here are three observations from the game, which marked the eighth year in a row that the home team has won the cross-division matchup:

Will Levis returns, leaves and returns again to lead comeback vs. Mississippi State

With 13:48 remaining in the third quarter, Levis ran off the field and into Kentucky’s locker room favoring his left, non-throwing arm. The projected first-round NFL draft pick fell hard to the ground on the previous play after completing a 33-yard pass to Barion Brown.

After watching the Wildcats struggle offensively during a lopsided loss to South Carolina with Levis on the sideline, the Big Blue Nation had every reason to hold its collective breath.

"I didn't really know what it was or how serious it was," Levis said after the game. "It hurt enough to not be able to keep playing, so it wasn't great."

Levis remained in the locker room long enough for an X-ray to come back negative on his shoulder and to get what he called "the magic shot" on the SEC Network after the game.

Almost on cue, he returned to the field and a chorus of cheers after Mississippi State took its final lead of the night and proceeded to orchestrate an eight-play, 76-yard drive capped off by a touchdown pass to Rahsaan Lewis.

Living up to standards:After South Carolina loss, UK isn't living up to new, higher standards

Levis completed 17 of his 23 pass attempts and didn't shy away from throwing the ball when he reentered the fray. His lone blemish was throwing a pick-6 when UK made a questionable decision to go for it on fourth down and 2 with a 10-point lead and less than nine minutes remaining in regulation.

As for the turf toe, Levis said on the SEC Network that his left foot felt "good" after the game. After sitting down to answer questions from the media with a sling on his left arm, he went outside the Joe Craft Football Training Center to sign autographs for fans.

Mississippi State's high-powered offense stalls vs. Kentucky’s defense

How do you stop Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers? Stoops called it a “million-dollar question” on Thursday.

"Have you watched much film of them?" he asked. "People have tried everything."

Rogers entered Saturday’s game averaging more than 350 yards and three touchdowns through the air per contest. Kentucky’s defense held the SEC’s leader in career completions to a season-low 203 yards and one score despite tallying just one sack and allowing Rogers to convert 68% of his passing attempts.

So, how did the Wildcats stop Rogers? Stoops said it was a "team effort." The head coach credited his offense for winning the time-of-possession battle (39:22 to 20:38) and praised defensive coordinator Brad White's game plan.

Jacquez Jones:How UK linebacker formed 'a bond for life' by mentoring a boy from Lexington

Linebacker DeAndre Square, who effectively iced the game by picking off Rogers with 4:01 remaining in the fourth quarter, said the defense knew heading into the matchup it was going to have to rely primarily on a three-man pass rush. From there, it all came down to breaking on the ball and wrapping up tackles to limit the Bulldogs' yards after catches.

"What hurt us was the 21 missed tackles we had last year," said Square, who was referring a 31-17 loss on Oct. 30, 2021, in Starkville, Mississippi. "We knew this year that we just had to tackle. We knew that they're gonna drop it off; they're gonna get big plays; but as long as we tackled we'll be fine."

"I'm beaming with pride for this guys," White added. "It had nothing to do with the stats. It had nothing to do with the score. It's how they play. ... This was the most complete game we've played to date."

Flags litter Kroger Field, derail Kentucky’s chances at an early lead

Kentucky and Mississippi State entered halftime tied 3-3 after penalties negated several early opportunities for the Wildcats to reach the end zone.

Heading into Saturday’s game, UK led the country with just 27 penalty yards per game. In the first quarter alone, the Wildcats were flagged eight times for a net loss of 60 yards, spoiling multiple chances to strike first in the top-25 showdown.

The most glaring missed opportunity came when an illegal block in the back erased a 78-yard punt return for a touchdown by freshman wideout Barion Brown with less than seven minutes to play in the first period.

The Wildcats' offense averaged 5.1 yards per play and reached Bulldogs territory on each of its four drives before the intermission. Flags for holding and having 12 men on the field, however, forced Will Levis and company back to their side of the 50-yard line on two of those drives, and another ended with Matt Ruffolo’s third missed field goal in as many games.

UK finished Saturday’s game with 11 penalties for a net loss of 81 yards. The program record for most penalties in a game is 18, which occurred against Arkansas in 1998 and against Georgia Tech in 1951.

Mississippi State committed 13 infractions for 109 yards.

Reach recruiting and trending sports reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @brooksHolton.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky football beats Mississippi State: 3 takeaways from SEC win