November 14, 1998
By TIM WHITMIRE
AP Sports Writer
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) – Kentucky’s 55-17 victory over Vanderbilt was aforegone conclusion and quarterback Tim Couch was on the sidelines, his492-yard passing day done, when the chant began in the Commonwealth Stadiumstands.
“One more year! One more year!”
Couch, who says he has not decided whether to return for his senior year orenter the NFL draft, gave no visible response. But he heard the plea.
“Now I know they want me to stay,” Couch said. “That’s going to make ittough to make my decision. … It’s kind of neat – people actually caring aboutwhat I do, but there’s no pressure. You have to do what is good for you.”
With Kentucky (7-3, 4-3 Southeastern Conference) finishing the regularseason next Saturday at undefeated and top-ranked Tennessee, Couch’sperformance against Vandy (2-8, 1-6) may have been his home-field farewell.
“Towards the end of the game, it hit me: Could this be my last game atCommonwealth?” said Couch, who had five touchdowns on 44-of-53 passing.
Couch had little time for sentiment before being lifted midway through thefourth quarter. With Vanderbilt playing man-to-man coverage, keeping 10defenders on the line most downs, he was too busy putting numbers on thescoreboard.
The Wildcats rolled up 679 yards of total offense, scoring 31 points in afrantic third quarter, as Couch and favorite receiver Craig Yeast set SECpassing and receiving records.
Couch finished the day with 3,938 passing yards for the year, breaking theSEC single-season record of 3,884 he set in 1997.
Yeast had 16 catches for two touchdowns and 269 yards, breaking thesingle-game SEC yardage record of 263 yards set by Alexander Wright of Auburnin 1989. Yeast now has 201 career catches, one more than Vandy’s Keith Edwardshad in the early 1980s.
As the leader of a deep and talented Kentucky receiving corps, Yeast hassometimes had to fight for throws from the quarterback he calls “The Deuce.”(Couch wears No. 2.)
“I used to get on The Deuce’ to throw me the ball,” Yeast said. “Ididn’t have to get on him today.”
“What a magnificent performance by Craig,” Kentucky coach Hal Mumme said.”He stepped up and made the plays we needed him to make.”
Vanderbilt coach Woody Widenhofer labeled Couch and Yeast the two bestplayers in the SEC.
“I think Couch is best and Yeast is second. I don’t know, flip a coin,”Widenhofer said. “He needs Couch to throw it to him. They really play a lottogether. I think they complement each other.”
Leading 20-10 midway through the third quarter, Kentucky broke open the gamein a hurry.
Couch capped a nine-play, 89-yard drive with a 9-yard touchdown throw toJimmy Robinson, his second scoring catch of the game, with 6:26 left in thequarter. That gave Kentucky a 27-10 lead.
Vanderbilt’s Jimmy Williams ran the ensuing kickoff 96 yards for a touchdownto pull Vandy to within 10 again.
Starting from Kentucky’s 26 on the next drive, Couch hit Yeast with aline-drive strike at the Vanderbilt 30 and Yeast raced to the end zone for a74-yard play and a 34-17 lead. The teams combined to score 21 points in 36seconds of game time.
Couch added a 32-yard touchdown pass to Garry Davis later in the quarter.Linebacker Marlon McCree finished the third-quarter scoring by picking up afumble by Vanderbilt quarterback Greg Zolman, who had been sacked by defensiveend Dennis Johnson. McCree went 22 yards into the end zone for a 48-17 Kentuckylead.
The game was the third this season in which Couch has thrown for 490 yardsor more. He had 498 in Kentucky’s opening-day 68-34 pasting of Louisville and499 yards in a 27-20 loss at Arkansas in October.
Kentucky’s seven wins are the most in a season since 1984, when the Wildcatswent 9-3 and won the Hall of Fame Bowl.
“Seven wins also means we get to go to a good bowl game where it won’t besnowing or cold weather,” defensive tackle Marvin Major said. “Hopefully,we’ll be in Florida.”
Couch had his eye on ruining Tennessee’s undefeated season.
“It would be sweet to get that eighth victory against Tennessee atTennessee,” Couch said.
Kentucky was in control from start to finish, but shot itself in the footseveral times in the first half. The result was a 17-3 halftime lead that didnot reflect the Wildcats’ dominance.
Couch was 28-of-32 for 287 yards and two touchdowns in the first half, butkilled two Kentucky drives by throwing interceptions over the middle to Vandylinebacker Lamont Turner, who wears No. 44.
“Coach Mumme asked me if I know No. 44 personally,” Couch said.
A third drive ended when Couch’s sneak went for no gain on fourth-and-1 fromthe Vanderbilt 35.
Kentucky’s Seth Hanson also missed a 33-yard field goal attempt wide left asthe half ended.
Zolman was 7-of-22 for 165 yards. David Wallace came in late in the thirdquarter and was 7-of-15 for 20 yards.
