LEXINGTON, Ky. —The University of Kentucky football team will host Vanderbilt at Kroger Field in a battle of two Top 25 giant killers this Saturday.
What You Need To Know
- Kentucky plays Vanderbilt at Kroger field with a 7:45 p.m. ET kickoff
- Both programs are coming off historic wins; Kentucky downed No. 6 Ole Miss on Sept. 28 and Vanberbilt nabbed a thrilling victory over No. 1 Alabama
- It may be another test for the Wildcats' stout defense against a high-powered offense
- Kentucky is a 13.5-point favorite according to BetMGM
Both teams are coming off historic Southeastern Conference wins, with Kentucky downing No. 6 Ole Miss on the road on Sept. 28 and Vanderbilt knocking off No. 1 Alabama in Nashville on Oct. 5. The Wildcat victory is the team’s highest-ranked SEC road win in program history, while the Commodores notched their first win ever over a No. 1-ranked team.
Kentucky will be fresh off their bye week after the big win. Head coach Mark Stoops said in his weekly news conference he has focused on keeping up the same work ethic with the team, despite the week off. “It’s just preparation for us. The past several weeks, we’ve all seen improvement,” he noted. “They have to handle their business, and that’s the bottom line.”
It will be another test for Kentucky’s stout defense against a high-powered offense. Defensive coordinator Brad White’s defense ranks among the top 15 in the nation in six categories: first down defense (2), total defense (5), rushing defense (6), Red Zone defense (10), scoring defense (11) and 3rd down conversion defense (14). Ole Miss was the first opponent to rack up over 300 yards of offense against the Cats. They still kept the Rebels in check for the most part, holding them to just 17 points and 262 yards passing.
That’s despite being without standout corner Maxwell Hairston, who sat out due to injury. Stoops did not give an update on Hairston’s status at his Monday news conference, but he is listed as the top cornerback on the UK depth chart. The junior had a pair of pick sixes against Vanderbilt in last year’s matchup, one for 29 yards and one for 54 yards.
Don’t sleep on the Kentucky offense, however, who has made big strides since a poor Week 2 showing against South Carolina. In the past two games, junior wide receiver Dane Key has caught 15 passes for 245 yards and a touchdown, including a career-high eight receptions for 105 yards with a score that helped the Wildcats beat Ole Miss.
The offense has been helped by the dynamic rushing attack from Demie Sumo-Karngbaye and Jamarion Wilcox, who has filled in the RB 2 role while Jason Patterson has been dealing with an injury. The Cats' offense has also worked in Gavin Wimsatt as part of their ground game. The backup QB carried the ball 18 times in the past two games and scored a rushing touchdown against Ohio.
A lot of attention will be on Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia, whose swagger and confidence helped lead the Dores to victory over the Crimson Tide. Pavia is why Vandy ranks 22nd nationally in scoring at 37.6 points a game. He completed 80% of his passes against Alabama for 252 yards and two touchdowns.
The Dores have a lot of moving pieces to their offense, including standout play from tight end Eli Stowers. The converted quarterback led the team with six catches for 113 yards against Alabama and leads SEC tight ends with 333 receiving yards.
A spot in the AP Top 25 is possibly on the line for the winner. Recent history favors the visitor, who has won the past two meetings. The last time Vanderbilt won consecutive SEC games was in 2022 when they won at Kentucky, then beat Florida.
The Wildcats are a 13.5-point favorite in Vegas, according to BetMGM. Kickoff is set for 7:45 ET and the game will be televised on the SEC Network.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
