JUSTIN ROWLAND:

This was a gritty win for Kentucky. I mentioned elsewhere that it's validation as a quality team on some level. Mississippi State is a team that has looked really good at times this year. They don't look so good against a Brad White defense at night time in Lexington. If that matchup happens again, roll with Kentucky. It was an absolute comedy of errors with all the penalties early in the game but nobody folded and they got it together to really turn into something of a machine. That was only the second time this year we've seen Levis and C-Rod together. The results: They should have defeated No. 9 Ole Miss, and they won by 10 against No. 16 in Lexington. Maybe the biggest development of the night was the best showing of the year for the Big Blue Wall. As always, we'll have to watch again paying closer attention to the trenches, but the numbers don't lie. Big win for Kentucky.

JEFF DRUMMOND:

It's hard to quantify how big that win was for Kentucky. It's only one game, but when it comes on the heels of two tough, deflating losses, it really gets magnified. The difference between 5-2 and 4-3 is immense when you look at the season moving forward. You have to tip your cap to Brad White and the defense. They put together a great gameplan for Mike Leach's version of the "Air Raid" offense, and the players really executed it well. With the exception of maybe the opening drive of the second half, Mississippi State looked like it was off-balance all night long. The defense held the Bulldogs at bay until the offense could finally string some good plays together. It was the best showing by the O-Line this season, and Chris Rodriguez punished the MSU defense with his downhill running. The final stats showed a season-high 239 in the rush column and 239 through the air, the most balanced performance you might ever see from the Cats. The open date comes at a good time. This team needs a couple of weeks to heal up before taking on an outstanding Tennessee squad.