Kentucky 56, New Mexico State 16, Final: Get the latest live updates, scores & highlights

The Kentucky football team was able to snap its three-game losing streak with a 34-17 win over Vanderbilt last week, and now must welcome the visiting New Mexico State Aggies on Saturday.

UK (7-3, 5-3 in the SEC) clinched second place for the Wildcats in the SEC East after its win against Vandy, but the team must stay focused on a 1-9 Aggies team before turning its attention to the Governor's Cup against Louisville on Nov. 27 and an eventual bowl game appearance.

Mark Stoops has now led Kentucky to 5-3 records in SEC play in two out of the last four years. The Wildcats are 25-25 in SEC games in the last six seasons.

Wins in the final two regular season games against New Mexico State and Louisville and the bowl game would give Kentucky its second 10-win season since 1977, matching the 2018 squad's record, beat writer Jon Hale wrote.

Updates on the game can be found below.

Kentucky vs. New Mexico State football: What you need to know before picking the game

Final: Kentucky 56, New Mexico State 16

Kentucky improves to 8-3 on the season with the win, and several key players had career days.

Levis went 21 for 31 for 419 passing yards and four touchdowns, Rodriguez tallied 119 rushing yards and a score while Wan'Dale Robinson has 181 yards on 8 catches and Josh Ali had 164 yards on 7 catches and two touchdowns.

The Wildcats amassed 707 total yards of offense with 248 yards on the ground. UK has four turnovers in the game.

UK plays against Louisville next Saturday in the Governor's Cup with a time still to be announced.

2:26, 4Q- Tyler Markray fumbles, recovered by Aggies

The Wildcats began to eat up the clock with its ground game, and Markay was stripped on a two-yard run for the fumble. The ball was recovered by Dalton Bowles.

With a strong hold on the lead, the Wildcats were giving Markay and La'Vell Wright plenty of snaps at running back. Wright had a 52-yard run just two plays before the fumble.

11:40, 4Q- Backup Beau Allen scores on keeper, 56-16

With the game well out of reach for the Aggies, UK swapped in backup QB Beau Allen for Will Levis.

Allen completed three passes for 40 yards on his first drive, and with the help of a 29-yard run from Rodriguez and a 23-yard pass to Jordan Dingle, the Wildcats found themselves on the NMSU 3-yard line.

Allen then kept this one for himself and scored on a keeper.

0:18, 3Q- Kavosiey Smoke gets big run, 49-16

A short Aggies punt following Levis' interception but the Wildcats in great field position at the NMSU 33 yard line.

Three plays later, Kavosiey Smoke got in on the scoring action with a 23-yard TD run. It was just Smoke's third carry of the game.

2:52, 3Q- Levis throws first interception

The Wildcats got the ball back and went on another drive to put the game far out of reach. UK was moving the chains along nicely, including another complete pass from Levis to Ali for 2 yards.

But on first and 10 from the NMSU 31, Levis tied to find Chauncey Magwood in the end zone but the pass was picked off by the Aggies' JJ Dervil at the 1-yard line.

8:09, 2Q- Ali scores on big play, 42-16

It didn't seem like the Wildcats were able to get any big plays going on this drive, but Josh Ali stepped up to the plate.

On third and four from the UK 38, Levis found Ali for a 62-yard pass. Ali has 130 yards with two touchdowns while Levis has amassed 362 passing yards on 17 of 25 passing with four touchdowns.

0:05, 2Q- NMSU adds one more score before the half, 35-16

The Aggies were able to travel 55 yards in just 39 seconds to get on the board one more time before the half.

NMSU quarterback Jonah Johnson completed a pass to PJ Johnson for 26 yards to the UK14 and opted to go for the 30-yard field goal on first and 10 with the clock winding down.

0:46, 2Q- Rigg scores his second TD on senior day, 35-13

After completing 26 and 23-yard passes to Josh Ali and Wan'Dale Robinson, respectively, Will Levis ran for 14 yards then completed a 2-yard TD pass to Justin Rigg.

Rigg, a senior, scored for the second time today and Robinson has 176 yards through the first half.

Levis has 287 passing yards and three touchdowns, and Rodriguez has 73 yards and a score.

4:09, 2Q- UK fumbles in red zone, Aggies recover

The Wildcats burst through the seam on the first play of this drive with a 79-yard pass from Levis to Wan'Dale Robinson.

From the NMSU 4, Chris Rodriguez ran for two yards before fumbling just in front of the goal line and the Aggies recovered.

5:16, 2Q- NMSU scores another field goal, 28-13

The Aggies put together 60 yards in 10 plays to get down to the UK 12-yard line. Instead of going for it on fourth and goal, NMSU opted to kick the 30-yard field goal to inch them within two scores of the Wildcats.

9:19, 2Q- Josh Ali scores on cross route, 28-10

The Wildcats quickly created more distance from the Aggies on a five-play scoring drive.

Levis found Robinson for a 37-yard pass to the Aggies' four-yard line but false start brought UK back to the 9-yard line.

No worries, though, as Levis hit Ali with a 9-yard pass on the next play for the easy score.

Levis is 9 of 11 so far in the half with 157 passing yards and two touchdowns. Rodrigues has 71 yards on the ground with a score, Wan'Dale Robinson has 74 receiving yards and Ali has 34 with a TD.

12:06, 2Q- Aggies' 50-yard field goal barely crosses, 21-10

New Mexico State traveled 43 yards in nine plays before opting to kick a field goal from UK's 32-yard line.

The 50-yard kick barely clears the crossbar, and brings the Aggies within 11.

0:02, 1Q- Chris Rodriguez finds the end zone, 21-7

Chris Rodriguez got in on the action near the end of the first quarter with a 6-yard run to cap off a 91-yard drive by the Wildcats.

Wan'Dale Robinson got UK into prime field position on his toe-tapping first down catch near the right sideline to spot the Cats at the NMSU 6.

5:54, 1Q- Quandre Mosely gets pick six on his (super) senior day, 14-7

Mosely capped off his collegiate career at Kroger Field with a pick six on Saturday. The Aggies were set at their own 32-yard line when Mosely jumped a pass and returned the pick for a touchdown.

Mosely elected to return to UK as a "Super Senior," taking advantage of the NCAA's ruling to grant an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the school's website.

He has seen action in 23 career games with two starts.

9:27, 1Q- UK responds with Levis to Rigg TD, 7-7

It didn't take long for the Wildcats to respond.

Will Levis shot out for a 16-yard run before making a 25-yard pass to Josh Ali to get the Wildcats rolling. Then the quarterback found Justin Rigg for a 32-yard scoring strike to even things here at Kroger Field.

12:18, 1Q- Aggies recover fumble and score on bad snap, 7-7

At its own 46-yard line, Kentucky had a bad snap that flew past Will Levis from the shotgun formation on its opening drive. Levis tried to recover the ball, but NMSU's Trevor Brohard scooped up the ball for the score.

How to watch the game

Kentucky vs. New Mexico St kick off at noon, Saturday at Kroger Field.

Taylor Zarzour (play-by-play), Matt Stinchcomb (analyst) and Tera Talmadge (sideline) will have the call on the SEC Network. That's DirecTV 611, Dish 408 (Hopper 404), U-Verse 607/1607, FiOs 75/575 and Spectrum Cable 516/517 in Louisville and Lexington.

Eligible subscribers can stream the game online via WatchESPN. Read more here on how to watch, stream or listen to the game Saturday.

Could UK see 2022 super seniors?

UK plans to honor 22 seniors before the 2021 home finale on Saturday.

Among that group are two players who already participated in senior night last year, beat writer Jon Hale wrote. Three scholarship players listed as seniors on Kentucky’s roster are not planning to participate in senior day. Most of the players participating in the ceremony can return to school next year.

The NCAA granted all fall and winter athletes on campus for the 2020-21 school year an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Linebacker Jacquez Jones, wide receiver Clevan Thomas and offensive tackle Naasir Watkins are listed as seniors this season but are not listed as honorees Saturday.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky football vs. New Mexico State: Updates, scores, highlights