UK Wraps Up SEC Slate in Road Finale at Vanderbilt

Kentucky leads the all-time series with Vanderbilt, 42-41-4. The Commodores lead the series in Nashville, 26-19-2. Kentucky won the last meeting, 17-7 in 2014 in Lexington. The series began in 1896, with a 6-0 Vanderbilt win in Nashville. Since a two-year hiatus in the series from 1943-44, the teams have met each season since 1945. Biggest UK win: 49 (52-3) in 1978 in Lexington. Biggest Vanderbilt win: 50 (50-0) in 1897 in Nashville. Games decided by 7 points or less: Vanderbilt leads, 13-11-4. 

In the last meeting between the two teams, Kentucky posted a 17-7 win, riding a strong defensive performance to the first SEC win in the Coach Mark Stoops era. In a game with all the scoring done in the first half, UK’s defense pitched a shutout, with the only Vanderbilt points coming on an interception return for a TD from Darrius Sims to tie the game early in the second quarter. UK then scored the final 10 points on the game, with QB Patrick Towles pushing it in from a yard out with eight seconds in the half to complete a 12-play drive. UK held Vanderbilt to eight first downs, 54 yards rushing and 85 yards passing. UK totaled 384 total yards, including 201 in the air. TB Braylon Heard led UK with 15 carries for 62 yards, with TB Jojo Kemp rushing for 60 yards on eight carries. Towles was 23-for-30 for 201 yards, one TD and one interception, also rushing it 15 times. WR Javess Blue had a team-high four catches for 35 yards, with Towles connecting with 11 different receivers. Defensively, UK was led by 1.5 sacks from Bud Dupree, with Ashely Lowery, Marcus McWilson and A.J. Stamps each intercepting a pass. Vanderbilt’s ground game was led by Ralph Webb, who had 44 yards on 13 carries. QB Wade Freebeck was 8-for-25 for 85 yards, connecting three times to C.J. Duncan. 

Vanderbilt (3-6, 1-4 SEC) enters the game on a two-game losing streak, with both loses coming on the road. Last week, VU suffered a narrow 9-7 loss at No. 11 Florida, suffering the setback on a 43-yard field goal with just over two minutes remaining in regulation. Vandy has wins over Austin Peay and Middle Tennessee in non-conference play, owning a 10-3 win over Missouri on Oct. 24. The Dores are averaging 14.8 points per game, totaling 154.9 rushing and 184.9 passing yards per game. Defensively, VU has allowed 17.4 points per game, 112.4 rushing yards and 203.7 passing yards per game. Ralph Webb leads the team with 811 yards on 198 carries with five TDs. Darrius Sims has 216 yards on 33 carries. QB Johnny McCrary has thrown for 1,529 yards and six TDs in seven starts, with Kyle Shurmur making two starts. Trent Sherfield leads the team with 41 catches for 518 yards and two TDs. Steven Scheu and Webb each have 21 catches. Defensively, LB Zach Cunningham has 68 tackles, 12.5 tackles for a loss and 3.5 sacks. Darreon Herring has 46 tackles, with Oren Burks, Ryan White and Jahmel McIntosh (two) owning interceptions. Tommy Openshaw is 12-of-19 in field goal attempts, with a long of 49. Openshaw has also punted 54 times for 40.7 yards, with a long of 78 and 19 punts downed inside the 20-yard line. 

Tune in to the UK Sports Network for the “Texas Roadhouse Countdown to Kickoff” two hours before every football game. From Cat Walk to Cat Talk, host Christi Thomas and former UK Quarterback Freddie Maggard will focus on the X’s and O’s of the game and bring a little fun to pregame in the first 30 minutes of the show. Afterward, Host Neil Price is joined by Oscar Combs, Dick Gabriel, Tom Leach and Jeff Piecoro to continue the official pregame broadcast until kickoff. The show is broadcast in Lexington on 98.1 WBUL & 630 WLAP, UK Radio Network affiliates, online at ukathletics.com, and in the UK Gameday App. For the first time, the two-hour pregame show will be live streamed every home game for fans to watch on ukathletics.com.