LEXINGTON, Ky. — The game was over, but Mississippi State tailback Josh Robinson had a message for his coach.
Standing in the victory formation, MSU quarterback Dak Prescott prepared to take the Bulldogs’ final snap to secure a rugged 45-31 victory against Kentucky at Commonwealth Stadium on Saturday night. To Prescott’s left was Robinson, who frantically gestured in the direction of MSU coach Dan Mullen and held up two fingers.
Minutes after MSU’s victory, its 10th straight and seventh in a row to open the season, Robinson was asked about his signals to Mullen.
“I was telling him I needed two more yards,” said Robinson, who finished the win with a career-high 198 yards on 19 carries. “I looked on the scoreboard and saw I had 198. I wanted to get 200.”
It was that kind of day for Robinson, the junior tailback known as “Bowling Ball” to his teammates and MSU’s fans. Knowing his tailback, Mullen shot back with the perfect answer to Robinson’s plea.
“I told him he should have gotten 2 yards earlier in the game,” Mullen said with a smile. “He had 59 minutes to get that done.”
It was the kind of smile elicited by a 7-0 start and the nation’s No. 1 ranking. It also was the result of a career day by Robinson, who picked up a sluggish offense early in the third quarter and helped carry the Bulldogs to victory.
After rushing for 42 yards and a touchdown in the opening half to help MSU (7-0, 4-0 Southeastern Conference) build a 17-10 halftime lead, Robinson unleashed a flurry of jaw-dropping, highlight-reel runs in a breathtaking second half. The Franklinton, Louisiana, native darted in, around, and through the defense to the tune of 156 yards on 10 carries.
“He not only put our guys on his back and carried us to victory,” Mullen said, “but he put their guys on his back, too. He had a heck of a game.”
Robinson’s second-half masterpiece included two runs — a 22-yarder in the third quarter and a 73-yard backbreaking touchdown in the fourth — that will be part of MSU highlight films for years to come.
On the 22-yarder, Robinson took a handoff from Prescott and ran off tackle, gaining about 12 yards before the defense made contact. But Robinson refused to be tackled and escaped the grasp of eight Wildcats before reversing field to gain 22 heart-stopping yards.
Robinson, perhaps the most unique personality on a team full of unique personalities, was asked if he had ever pulled off a run like that in his days at Franklinton High School.
“Go to YouTube, search J-Rob and see what happens,” said Robinson, flashing his 100-watt grin.
What happened Saturday was a dominating performance by the 5-foot-9, 210-pounder. Robinson also delivered the game’s signature moment: a 73-yard touchdown romp three minutes into the fourth quarter. The run gave MSU a 38-24 lead, and gave Robinson his marquee moment on a day filled with them.
“He got some tough yards, got big plays, he did it inside, he did it outside,” Mullen said. “I thought he ran the football very well for us today.”
Robinson’s big day paved the way for MSU’s sixth-straight victory at Kentucky. It also lifted a team Mullen said “played a little tight” in its first game as the No. 1 team in the country, a nod given to the Bulldogs two weeks ago by The Associated Press Top 25 and Amway Coaches Poll (USA Today).
In addition to the 73-yard touchdown, Robinson added an 11-yard score that capped MSU’s first offensive possession.
“It was a great team win,” Robinson said. “That is all that matters. We came out with a ‘W.’ We faced adversity early and (in) the fourth quarter, but we came out on top.”
Although he stole the show, Robinson wasn’t alone. MSU’s offense topped the 500-yard mark for the sixth time in seven games. The exception is a 488-yard outing against No. 2 Auburn two weeks ago. Against the Wildcats, the Bulldogs had 542 yards, including a season-high 326 rushing. The Bulldogs also received 88 yards on 16 carries from Prescott, who had 304 total yards and three touchdowns.
MSU needed every bit of it against a Kentucky team that never went away. Quarterback Patrick Towles passed for a season-high 390 yards and rushed for 76 while accounting for four touchdowns. The Wildcats cut the Bulldogs’ lead to seven three times after the Bulldogs’ lead reached double digits.
“You give them a lot of credit,” Mullen said of Kentucky, which fell to 5-3 and 2-3 in conference play. “I don’t know if people are giving Mark Stoops enough credit for what he is building here. That is a heck of a football team.”
But the Wildcats never had an answer for Robinson, who extended his conference lead in rushing yards and added touchdowns No. 9 and 10. Robinson big day pushed his season total to 887 yards.
“Give Mississippi State credit,” said Stoops, who has Kentucky on the brink of bowl eligibility in his second season. “They are a very strong, very physical football team, deserving of that No. 1 ranking.”
Much of that physicality came from Robinson, but MSU’s defense also showed up when needed. Although Kentucky gained a season-best 504 total yards of offense against MSU, the Bulldogs’ front seven sacked Towles seven times and forced a turnover.
In the end, though, the night belonged to Robinson.
“Seeing him in person, he was very, very tough,” Stoops said. “He was compact, low to the ground. He was very strong, very tough runner.”
Robinson’s impact was emblematic of his effect on MSU’s start. He has eclipsed the 100-yard mark four times, and has topped the 190-yard mark twice. It has been part of a physical and emotional turnaround for Robinson, who always has had the talent but now seems to be putting everything together.
“He’s just come so far,” Mullen said. “Just his maturity, his on-field, off-field behavior. He has always been funny, goofy Josh. And he’s always going to be that fun-loving, goofy guy. But this offseason he started to really put in the work. He started to become what he needed to become in the workout room to become the player he is now. He learned you can be the fun-loving guy but get serious when he has to. He has become that guy.”
Robinson said his performance was another day at the office.
“You guys can call me the human Bowling Ball if you want,” Robinson said. “You guys gave me that name, so I try to live up to it and fit it the best way I can.
“They were a good defense, but we did what we had to do and played Mississippi State ball, so we came out on top.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brandon Walker on Twitter @BWonStateBeat
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