OXFORD, Miss. (AP) – Kentucky dragged another top-ranked opponent into the mud, and this time coach Mark Stoops and the Wildcats sealed the deal.

Kentucky upset No. 6 Mississippi 20-17 on Saturday, when Rebels kicker Caden Davis hit a 48-yard field goal attempt well wide with 48 seconds left in the fourth quarter, giving the Wildcats their highest-ranked win of Stoops’ 12 years career.

“It was our kind of game. A dirty, ugly, hard-fought match,” Stoops said. “We went out and did what we had to do. We played our way. I know it’s only one game, but it was a very important game for us. Obviously I couldn’t be more proud of this team.”

The Rebels (4-0, 0-1 Southeastern Conference) were riding a seven-game winning streak and were shocked as double-digit favorites in their SEC opener.

“More than disappointing. It’s a disappointing day,” Mississippi coach Lane Kiffin said. “The game ends at the end and we have a chance to win at every stage, but we didn’t. I have to give Stoops credit.

The Wildcats (3-2, 1-2) took a three-point lead with 2:25 left in the fourth quarter with a bit of clumsy luck. Backup quarterback Gavin Wimsatt was heading toward the goal line with a goalie when an Ole Miss defender knocked the ball free — right to Josh Kattus, who fell into the end zone.

Two weeks after Stoops was criticized for not being aggressive enough late in the game on fourth down in a 13-12 loss to then No. 1 Georgia, the Wildcats go-ahead drive was kept alive with a 63 completion meters from Brock Vandagriff to Barion Brown on fourth and seventh on the Kentucky 20.

Vandagriff passed for 243 yards and a touchdown, allowing Kentucky to stay away from the Rebels’ high-powered offense. The Wildcats held the ball for nearly 40 minutes.

Jaxson Dart converted a fourth-and-11 with a 42-yard pass to Caden Prieskorn on the Rebels’ final drive, but two plays later Dart took a sack that sent Ole Miss the wrong way as he tried to get into field goal range . .

Davis’ potential game-tying goal came on a fourth-and-7.

Dart finished with 261 yards passing, but after Ole Miss averaged 55 points against overmatched non-conference opponents, the Rebels found the end zone just once on an opening drive touchdown.

Tre Harris led the Rebels with 11 receptions for 176 yards, including a 48-yard touchdown that gave the Rebels a 17-13 lead.

Dane Key had eight catches for 105 yards and a touchdown to give Kentucky a 10-7 lead at halftime.

“All I can tell you is Stoops is hanging in the locker room,” Key said. “That’s a very good thing.”

THE TAKEAWAY

Kentucky: The combination of winning the turnover battle (1-0), effectiveness in the red zone (3-for-3) and converting on fourth down (3-for-3) proved to be the difference. The defense has given up just 36 points in the last three games.

Kentucky hadn’t defeated such a highly ranked team on the road since 1977, when the Wildcats won at No. 4 Penn State.

“We made the crucial plays at the critical moments,” Stoops said. “We weren’t sloppy, we were getting turnovers and we were getting better every week.”

Mississippi: A season of high expectations fueled by a star-studded transfer portal class has already hit a bump. Ole Miss will need a strong rebound in October against a schedule that includes three road games and home dates with No. 21 Oklahoma and No. 2 Georgia.

GREAT PLAY DEFENSE

Kentucky’s defense limited Ole Miss to season lows in almost all statistical categories, allowing 353 total yards. The Wildcats had seven tackles for loss, four sacks and held the Rebels to 1 of 10 on third down.

“Our coaches preached consistency and we really had a lot of confidence going into this game,” said Octavious Oxendine, who had two sacks.

IMPLICATIONS OF THE POLL

How far will the Rebels fall after losing an SEC home opener? The highest-ranked team with one loss is No. 12 Michigan. The Top 25 poll lists nine other teams with one loss, so Ole Miss thinks it can get by there.

NEXT

Kentucky is inactive.

Ole Miss visits South Carolina on Saturday.

____

Receive poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 all season long. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll And https://apnews.com/hub/college-football