There are several big SEC games on the schedule for Week 4, but there may not be a matchup with bigger implications than Mississippi State’s trip to Lexington to face Kentucky. Both teams are undefeated after three weeks of play, and a win would provide both schools added momentum heading into the meat of conference play.

Hail State has yet to play a conference opponent this season, and this matchup is the first of five consecutive league games the program faces. Starting that stretch on the right foot will be critical for the team’s success in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, Kentucky already has one conference win and a second against one of the league’s best teams would validate the Wildcats as a serious contender in the East.

Kentucky’s big win at Florida opened eyes around the league, and that’s certainly the case in Starkville as the SEC opener for Joe Moorhead’s team is far more daunting than many would have expected heading into the season.

During his most recent press availability, Nick Fitzgerald was asked what stood out to him about Kentucky’s defense heading into Mississippi State’s trip to Lexington.

“A lot of different looks, a lot of different looks. They always seem to have six, seven dudes in the box. They make sure you are going to have to throw it if you are going to move the ball,” Fitzgerald said. “They are going to give you man-to-man coverage and say ‘beat us,’ and when you get them spread out, you have to take advantage of that.”

Last season, Hail State beat Kentucky 45-7 in Starkville. Of course, that was under a different MSU coaching staff, and that’s something the team’s quarterback noted when asked what similarities he sees in this Wildcat defense.

“Well, it’s the same defensive coordinator. I think eight returning starters from last year, so they are running the same schemes,” he said. “Obviously, we are running a different offense so they’ll give us different looks and have a different gameplan for us but it’s the same guys and overall the same scheme.”

One big key to Mississippi State’s early-season success has been the ease of which the team is converting third down opportunities. Heading into the Kentucky game, Hail State ranks second in the nation with a 61.1% conversion rate on third down on 36 attempts — only UCF has a higher third down conversion rate heading into Week 4.

“If you aren’t converting third downs, you are killing yourself on drives, you aren’t giving yourself shots at the end zone, and that’s what this offense needs,” Fitzgerald added. “We are going to take big shots, big chunks which means sometimes we are going to end up in third and medium, third and long, you have to convert those and keep going with it.”

Converting on third downs could be the difference in winning and losing on Saturday for the Bulldogs. If they keep up those numbers heading into SEC play, this season could be a special one for fans in Starkville, but doing so when it matters most starts Saturday night in Lexington.