Mississippi State running back Kylin Hill 'back active' for Kentucky game

STARKVILLE – Mississippi State fans got good news this week. 

Senior running back Kylin Hill posted on his personal Facebook page that he is "back active." Hill left last week's game against Arkansas after one carry with an apparent head injury. 

Coach Mike Leach said Monday during his weekly press conference that he expects Hill to play Saturday against Kentucky. Hill has provided plenty of subtle hints that he will be able to suit up against the Wildcats in Lexington. 

Shortly after the loss to Arkansas, Hill tweeted that he was upset with himself and he apologized. Sunday, he tweeted that the team learned a valuable lesson and that they will respect each opponent going forward. Monday, he tweeted a picture of himself scoring a touchdown against LSU with the caption, "no more saving my opponents." 

Hill also wrote in his Facebook post, "drop 8 in coverage I'll kindly bless ya." Arkansas only rushed three players against Mississippi State's offensive line for most of the night. The Razorbacks sat in a zone defense, keeping the Bulldog wide receivers and running backs in front of them. 

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Hill has historically been successful in generating yards after the catch, so if Kentucky uses a similar defensive scheme it will be interesting to see what Hill can do with his catches.

Freshmen running backs Jo'quavious Marks and Dillon Johnson led Mississippi State in catches last week with 10 and eight, respectively, but neither tailback eclipsed five yards per reception. Hill averaged 19.8 yards per catch against LSU in Week 1. 

Mississippi State also missed Hill as a runner against Arkansas. Marks and Johnson were serviceable, but again, neither averaged more than five yards per carry. Hill is averaging 5.1 this season and 5.7 in his career. 

Kentucky is listed as a 2.5-point favorite according to BetMGM. Mississippi State lost 28-7 two years ago in Lexington but avenged that loss with a 28-13 victory in Starkville last year. 

Contact Tyler Horka at thorka@gannett.com. Follow @tbhorka on Twitter. To read more of Tyler's work, subscribe to the Clarion Ledger today!