Quick Hits: Mississippi State 45, Kentucky 31

My goodness, that was an ulcer-inducer. Mississippi State hardly played its best game, but the Bulldogs came up big when it mattered to come away with a 45-31 win over the Kentucky Wildcats. Here are a few quick thoughts:

• A profound hat tip to Kentucky. MSU did not play its best, but Kentucky absolutely came to play today. After Mississippi State scored with authority on its first drive, Kentucky's defense played well. They forced Dak to play very un-Daklike today in spots, On offense, what an impressive game by Patrick Towles. He made some impressive throws down the field, and he surprised the Bulldogs with some really good runs too. This Kentucky team isn't your Kentucky team of yesteryear. Now, onto us...
• Allie LaForce commented that MSU looked relaxed on the sideline, but it was almost a bit too relaxed in spots. The playcalling got weird, and the subbing on defense continued despite 1b's struggles today.
• We have spent way too much time talking about Dak instead of Josh Robinson. No, I'm not saying Dak hasn't been great this season, but I am saying that Josh has quietly put himself on pace for something like 1,500 yards this year. The guy is absolutely the toughest RB to tackle in college football. We'll post all of the .GIFs later, but he had several just unbelievable runs. None was bigger than his late touchdown when MSU really needed a score.
• Not Dak's best game, but he made some plays when State needed it. That was really the theme across the board today.
• The defense got gashed in the stat line, but every time the MSU offense turned it over or Kentucky's defense made a big play, State's defense countered to force a three and out. It cannot be overstated how big those were.
• There's a thousand more things to talk about and we'll do that over the day tomorrow, but let me wrap with this: this was a good win. It wasn't oretty, and it was far from MSU's best performance. But the Bulldogs went on the road and survived in big game; their first game with the target on their backs. Stats be damned, this was a good win.
• What were y'all's thoughts on the game?