UK passed one test last Saturday when Jacksonville State came to town — that the team has the talent and maturity to win. Now, they must pass an even stiffer test this weekend when the Cats host Mississippi State — that the team can take it up another level and win in the difficult SEC.

UK is currently 0-3 in conference, being outscored in those three games against Florida, No. 1 LSU and No. 13 South Carolina by a combined 137-20.

Mississippi State, like UK, is winless in conference to this point in the season and desperate to get a win following its bye week. Unlike UK, however, Mississippi State has faltered in the SEC despite playing relatively competitive football.

The No. 24 team in the preseason Associated Press poll has not lost by more than 14 points in any of its four conference games, holding LSU to just 19 points and allowing just 14 points to South Carolina in a 14-12 loss before the bye without starting quarterback Chris Relf.

“They did a good job stopping the run against (LSU) and didn’t allow big plays,” UK head coach Joker Phillips said. “LSU, if you look, it stopped everybody. It wasn’t just us. They have done a good job on defense of stopping a lot of teams and LSU didn’t give up any big plays, which we have to do this week to keep the game in hand.”

The strength of the Mississippi State offense is its rushing attack with quarterback Chris Relf under center and tailback Vic Ballard in the backfield. In Rick Minter’s 3-3-5 defense, UK will likely bring a lot of different looks up front and swarm to the ball in order to slow the run game down.

“You can’t give up big plays,” Phillips said. “They are going to run the ball and they are going to try to run the ball at you, and we have seen that in the past, what they want to do against us is run more downhill stuff.  That’s been our game. We have been pretty good, when teams try to run downhill at us, the thing that we have had to struggle with is when people try to get out in space.”

The key to that defensive front will be senior linebackers Danny Trevathan, Winston Guy and Ronnie Sneed to roam from sideline to sideline and to attack ball-carriers in space. Guy and Trevathan are 1-2 in total tackles among all SEC defensive players, and Trevathan is the reigning total tackles leader from 2010.

Up front, it will be the responsibility of a number of defensive linemen to slow down the physical, downhill running style of Ballard.

“I think what’s helped us is getting Cobble and (Donte) Rumph, and now you’re starting to see, we are sprinkling in Christian Coleman, who is getting, playing about 25 snaps a game,” Phillips said. “(Mike) Douglas is playing well for us, also.”

“I’m just trying to do my job every week, just trying to continue to get better every week,” Rumph added. “(Mississippi State is) a great physical team. They’re coming off an open date so they’re going to be prepared, we just have to prepare this week.”

If UK can slow down MSU’s rushing attack, it is then critical the Cats establish a similar run game to the one they put on the field against Jacksonville State. Either way, it looks as though this matchup between two teams winless in the SEC could be won up front.

“We know they are a very physical ball-team, sophomore running back Jonathan George said. “They are a very good ball-team. We treat every team the same, every team is good.”

“Our philosophy around here has been throw it to run it (throw the ball to set up the run) and recently it’s starting to go to run it to throw it,” Phillips said. “I would like to get back to throw it to run it, okay, but have to feel comfortable with that.”