(AP) - Rich Brooks spoke deliberately, just to make sure everyone got the point.

 "Kentucky has not been 1-0 in the SEC since 1987," Brooks said. "We have a chance to do that and we're at home. So yeah, it's a big game. Do I need to do a song and dance to say it's a big game? It's a big game."

There might not be a bigger one this season for the Wildcats (1-1) or Mississippi (1-1). Both young teams open SEC play on Saturday at Commonwealth Stadium desperately needing momentum heading into the teeth of their conference schedule.

With games on the horizon against SEC heavies like Florida, Auburn and LSU, Saturday is one of the few times the playing field will be level for the Wildcats and the Rebels.

"This is probably one of the biggest turning points we're going to have," said Kentucky defensive end Dominic Lewis. "If we win this game, it's definitely going to set the attitude for the rest of our season. And vice versa if we lose the game, it's almost like playing from behind. Winning this game would spark us and give us the boost to beat teams like Florida and LSU."

Mississippi coach Ed Orgeron isn't ready to call the game a defining point in his team's season, but understands how far a win could go.

"I don't believe in must wins and I don't want to tell my team that because we have a very long season," he said. "This is a game we should go up there and play very well and if we're capable of playing well we should go up there and have success."

The Wildcats have set lofty goals this season - namely winning six games and qualifying for a bowl game for the first time in seven years.

But to get to the big hurdles, they have to jump over the smaller ones first, like getting over .500, something they haven't done at any point in a season during Brooks' three-plus years at the helm.

To get there - even briefly - they'll have to find a way to beat the Rebels for the first time since 1993.

Two games into the season, both teams remain a bit of a mystery. The Wildcats got clobbered by Louisville in the season opener, then crushed an overmatched Texas State team last week. Mississippi held off Memphis two weeks ago, then was humbled in a loss at Missouri. "I think (the players) were shocked," Orgeron said. "I really believe our team thought we were going to go up there and win. We need to handle our losses as well as we learn how to handle a big win."

The Rebels are still having trouble adjusting to the offense installed by new offensive coordinator Dan Werner, who joined Mississippi in the offseason after spending several years at the University of Miami. Mississippi is 10th in the SEC in total offense and last in 3rd down conversions.

That inability to hold onto the ball has put the defense - led by middle linebacker Patrick Willis - at a disadvantage. Missouri jumped to a big early lead last week, forcing the Rebels to abandon their ball control offense and quarterback Brent Shaeffer to do things he's not yet accustomed to.

"He played like it was his first week," Orgeron said. "He made a lot of mistakes and didn't operate withing the framework of the offense like we wanted him to."

Still, Brooks said he's very wary of Shaeffer, who transferred to Mississippi after playing his freshman year at Tennessee in 2004. Throw in the fact the Rebels ran two entirely different offenses in their first two games - lining up with two running backs in the backfield against Memphis, then spreading the field against Missouri - and Brooks isn't sure what his young defense is going to see on Saturday.

"We're a little perplexed at what we need to prepare for," Brooks said. "They are going to present some problems just because we don't have a consistent read on what they do."

What the Wildcats can do, Brooks said, is play with more intensity than it showed against Louisville, which ran up 631 yards and 59 points against Kentucky. While there aren't many teams in the country equipped to handle the Cardinals, Brooks said he wants the defense to start matching the opposition's speed instead being a step behind.

"I hope we're playing faster, we played faster last week," Brooks said. "Now we have to show we're playing faster against a fast team. I know we're capable of doing it. Will we do it? That's why you to the games."

(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)