Tag: Kentucky

Nov 30, 2024; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Louisville Cardinals running back Isaac Brown (25) runs the ball against Kentucky Wildcats defensive back Alex Afari Jr. (3) during the first quarter at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Louisville ends losing streak to Kentucky in blowout fashion

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Louisville’s Issac Brown ran for a season-high 178 yards and also scored twice, and Duke Watson added 104 yards and two touchdowns on just six carries to lead the visiting Cardinals to a 41-14 victory over the Kentucky Wildcats in Lexington on Saturday.

Thanks to the freshmen running back tandem and a defense that forced five turnovers, the Cardinals (8-4) scored their first triumph in the Governor’s Cup rivalry since 2017.

Louisville jumped out to a 20-0 lead and outgained the Wildcats 241-61 through the first 25 minutes.

In all, the Cardinals racked up 486 yards on offense, including a season-high 358 yards on the ground behind the explosiveness of Watson, whose scores went for 58 and 24 yards, and Brown, who ran 26 times and capped off the scoring a with a 67-yard jaunt with 9:01 left in the game.

Brown, who also added a 1-yard score, became the first Louisville freshman to rush for 1,000 yards in a season, breaking Lamar Jackson’s record of 960 in 2015.

The Wildcats (4-8) finished with 328 yards on offense, but they failed to convert any of their nine third downs. The defense gave up a season-high in yards to Louisville’s rushing attack.

Freshman Cutter Boley struggled in his first start at quarterback for the Wildcats. He completed just one of his first seven passes for just 9 yards and an interception, which led to Brock Travelstead’s 20-yard field goal. The lone Wildcats’ drive that reached the red zone with Boley at quarterback ended in his second pick of the game.

Boley left the game in the third quarter after receiving a hit to the helmet. Gavin Wimsett replaced him and threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Ja’Mori Macklin to cut the deficit to 20-7 with 9:22 left in the quarter.

Kentucky’s defense then held Louisville on the ensuing drive, but Jamarion Wilcox fumbled on the Wildcats’ next offensive play. Defensive lineman Ramon Puryear scooped up the loose ball and returned it for a 20-yard touchdown to make it 27-7 with 4:59 left in the third quarter.

Boley finished completing just 6-of-15 passes for 48 yards. Wimsatt went 4-of-9 for 125 yards and two touchdowns. Macklin finished with 121 yards and both scores on three catches.

–Field Level Media

Nov 23, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Cutter Boley during the second half against the Texas Longhorns Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Kentucky embraces chance to close by serving ‘L’ to Louisville

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The Kentucky Wildcats end their season Saturday but before they go, a chance to extend their dominance over archrival Louisville in the annual edition of the Governor’s Cup game in Lexington.

The Wildcats (4-7) lost 31-14 at No. 3 Texas last Saturday to ensure their first season without a bowl game since 2015, which was also their last full regular season with a losing record. They have won five straight against the Cardinals (7-4) dating back to the 2017 season.

With an eye to the future, Kentucky coach Mark Stoops plans to feature true freshman Cutter Boley in a start at quarterback for the Wildcats. The in-state recruit has played in relief in three games this season, including the last two.

Against the Longhorns last Saturday, he completed 10-of-18 passes for 160 yards and threw an interception.

“We’ve made it a conscious effort to get Cutter some (first-team) reps the past couple weeks and get him time in practice during that bye week to get him prepped and ready for it,” Stoops said. “And ever since the bye week, I think you’ve seen him go out there and execute at a higher level.”

The Cardinals (7-4) will play in a bowl game for the fourth consecutive season, but coach Jeff Brohm said in his weekly press conference Monday that it’s important to finish the season on a strong note. Last year, Louisville led by 10 points late in the third quarter but fell 38-31 after Ray Davis ran for a 37-yard touchdown with 1:02 left in the game.

“If you don’t win it, man, it puts a sour taste in your mouth, and we had that feeling last year,” Brohm said. “It’s a bad taste. It stays there for a long time.”

Brohm’s team ranks 15th nationally in total offense, averaging 453 yards per game and will face a Kentucky squad yielding just 332.7, 37th among FBS teams.

Ja’Corey Brooks leads the Atlantic Coast Conference with 1,013 receiving yards on 61 catches and nine touchdowns for Louisville. Isaac Brown has 896 rushing yards and nine scores. His 7.4 yards per carry leads the ACC and is third nationally. He needs just 65 yards to break Lamar Jackson’s team record for rushing yards as a freshman.

–Field Level Media

Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) passes the ball against Kentucky Wildcats in the first quarter during the first half of an NCAA college football game at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin, Texas, Saturday, Nov 24, 2024.

Hobbled Quinn Ewers leads No. 3 Texas past Kentucky

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Quinn Ewers passed for 191 yards and two touchdowns while playing the final two and a half quarters with a gimpy right leg as No. 3 Texas handled Kentucky 31-14 on Saturday in a Southeastern Conference dustup in Austin, Texas.

The Longhorns (10-1, 6-1 SEC) survived despite fumbling six times (they lost two of those) including one that was returned for a touchdown in the third quarter to give Kentucky some hope.

Quintrevion Wisner rushed for 158 yards on 26 carries that includes a 1-yard scoring dive off right guard with 3:10 to play, That rush culminated an 86-yard, 15-play drive (all runs) that consumed 8:22 of the fourth quarter and iced the win for the Longhorns.

Jaydon Blue added 96 yards and a TD and Matthew Golden caught seven passed for 86 yards for Texas.

Cutter Boley, who entered at quarterback for the Wildcats (4-7, 1-7 SEC) to start the second half in favor of starter Brock Vandagriff, passed for 160 yards. Kentucky amassed just 232 yards of total offense.

The Longhorns scored on their first possession, driving 75 yards in 11 plays to an Ewers-to-Gunnar Helm 3-yard TD pass on fourth down. Kentucky answered to tie the game with a 4-yard TD pass from Vandagriff to Josh Kattus – also on fourth down – with 11:36 to play in the second quarter.

Texas retook the lead at 14-7 via a 5-yard touchdown run by Blue at the 6:39 mark of the second quarter. The scoring play came one snap after a personal foul penalty by the Wildcats’ Maxwell Hairston on third down kept the Longhorns’ drive alive.

Ewers found Helm again for a 17-yard touchdown connection to expand Texas’ advantage to 21-7 with 3:12 remaining until halftime. The Longhorns’ drive began at the UK 34 after an interception by Jelani McDonald.

Bert Auburn ripped a 49-yard field goal with 10 seconds left in the second to push the Longhorns’ lead to 24-7 at the break.

Texas outgained the Wildcats 295-99 over the first two quarters while running twice as many plays and building a near 2-1 edge in time of possession.

The Wildcats missed out on a chance to cut into their deficit when Alex Raynor was wide left on a 33-yard field goal with 3:40 left in the third quarter after a fumble by Blue. But Kentucky’s defense continued to make plays, with Jamon Dumas-Johnson grabbing an Ewers fumble just a minute later and returning it 25 yards for a TD to whittle the Texas lead to 24-14.

–Field Level Media

Nov 2, 2024; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Brock Vandagriff (12) takes the snap against the Tennessee Volunteers during the first half at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Saul Young/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

Kentucky tries to get right vs. FCS foe Murray State

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Ever since a win at playoff contender Ole Miss on Sept. 28, the sky has fallen on Kentucky’s season.

The Wildcats (3-6) have lost four straight since then and will have to win their last three games just to gain bowl eligibility, starting with Saturday’s nonconference home game against Murray State in Lexington, Ky.

Coming off a bye week, talk of late has centered more on head coach Mark Stoops’ future rather than the last three games of the season.

At his weekly news conference on Monday, Stoops quickly debunked any rumors that he will step down after this season.

“Zero percent chance I’ll do that,” Stoops said.

The biggest issue for Kentucky this year has been its offense, given the Wildcats are last in the league in points scored and yards per game. Brock Vandagriff threw for just 123 yards with a touchdown and an interception in the Wildcats’ last game, a 28-18 loss to then-No. 7 Tennessee.

Kentucky has scored 20 or more points in just four of its games this year, but Stoops believes there is still time to salvage something out of the season.

“We still have a quarter of the season left,” he said. “It’s up to us how we decide to finish. I trust in our team and I believe in our team.”

Kentucky figures to at least get on track against an FCS-level Murray State team that comes in 1-9 under first-year head coach Jody Wright.

The Racers have lost seven games in a row since recording a 59-8 win over Mississippi Valley State on Sept. 14.

In a way, Saturday’s game will be a matchup of weakness vs. weakness. While Kentucky has had trouble scoring points, Murray State has surrendered an average of 45 points a game this year.

“The main thing that keeps showing up on us is we are still missing too many tackles on some run fits,” Wright said. “We’re going to continue to practice physical and try to find guys who can do that. We definitely know we’ll have to have instant-impact guys to come in and help us for next year. But we’ve got to get the best we can for the last two games of football from what we have on this roster currently.”

Jayden Johannsen leads the Racers with 1,405 passing yards and seven touchdowns, but he has thrown 10 interceptions.

–Field Level Media

Nov 2, 2024; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers defensive back Andre Turrentine (2) celebrates with defensive back Jakobe Thomas (9), defensive back Christian Harrison (5), and defensive back Jalen McMurray (6) after making an interception against the Kentucky Wildcats) during the first half at Neyland Stadium.. Mandatory Credit: Caitie McMekin/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

Dylan Sampson sets TD mark as No. 7 Tennessee tops Kentucky

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Dylan Sampson ran for 141 yards and two touchdowns, setting Tennessee’s single-season mark for rushing scores, to help the No. 7 Volunteers beat Kentucky 28-18 on Saturday night in Knoxville, Tenn.

Nico Iamaleava completed 28 of 38 passes for 292 yards and one touchdown as the Volunteers (7-1, 4-1 SEC) won their third straight game. Miles Kitselman caught six passes for 97 yards and a touchdown and Peyton Lewis added a rushing score.

Sampson, who finished with 27 carries, established the mark with his 19th rushing touchdown of the season with 4:55 left in the game. He broke the record of College Hall of Famer Gene McEver (18 in 1929).

The Wildcats (3-6, 1-6) lost their fourth straight game.

Kentucky’s Brock Vandagriff completed 10 of 17 passes for 123 yards with one touchdown and one interception before leaving in the third quarter. He was injured while being sacked by Tennessee’s James Pearce Jr. with 7:11 remaining in the quarter.

Gavin Wimsatt took over at quarterback for Kentucky and was 4-of-10 passing for 69 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Jamarion Wilcox rushed for 102 yards on 17 carries for the Wildcats.

Tennessee took advantage of good field position twice in the third quarter to turn a three-point deficit into a 21-10 lead.

Joshua Josephs sacked Vandagriff and forced a fumble that was recovered by Jeremiah Telander at the Wildcats’ 28-yard line.

Five plays later, Sampson scored on a 7-yard run to put the Volunteers ahead with 8:28 left in the third quarter.

Later in the quarter, Wimsatt was at quarterback and the Wildcats were at the Tennessee 27. Wimsatt’s third-down throw was intercepted by Will Brooks, who sailed 67 yards to the Wildcats’ 10.

Two plays later, Iamaleava tossed a 6-yard scoring pass to Kitselman to give the Volunteers an 11-point lead with 33 seconds left in the quarter.

Kentucky pulled within three early in the fourth quarter when Wimsatt tossed a 32-yard touchdown pass to Ja’Mori Maclin and then connected with him again on the two-point conversion throw to trim the Wildcats’ deficit to 21-18.

Sampson scored on a 6-yard run with 4:55 left. He appeared to be stopped at the 3 before a rugby scrum ensued and several Tennessee players pushed him through for the score.

Kentucky led 10-7 at halftime.

Vandagriff connected with Josh Kattus on a 27-yard scoring pass with 5:28 left in the first quarter.

Sampson was benched for the second quarter after losing a fumble late in the first quarter so it was Lewis scoring on a 1-yard run to tie the score with 4:45 left in the first half. Kentucky’s Alex Raynor kicked a 32-yard field goal with 30 seconds left in the half.

–Field Level Media

Oct 19, 2024; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers running back Dylan Sampson (6) runs the ball against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the second quarter at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Alan Poizner-Imagn Images

No. 7 Tennessee focuses on preparation ahead of matchup vs. Kentucky

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Tennessee has five games remaining in its regular season, and coach Josh Heupel would prefer to avoid discussion about the 12-team postseason playoff.

Of course, that’s a hard issue to sidestep these days.

What Heupel knows is that the No. 7 Volunteers need to keep winning and can’t avoid a stumble when they battle Kentucky on Saturday night in Southeastern Conference play at Knoxville, Tenn.

Tennessee (6-1, 3-1 SEC) was upset by Arkansas on Oct. 5 and has a mid-November matchup at No. 2 Georgia. So leaving the field victorious this weekend is paramount as the Volunteers look to brighten their resume.

“You make your case by going and controlling what you control, which is your performance on Saturdays,” Heupel said Monday at his press conference. “Your preparation takes you there. We’re halfway through the conference schedule. There’s a ton of football left.

“If you are worried about the end result, you’re going to make the mistakes you can’t afford on the way to the end. … You guys hear me say it, players hear me say it: Good teams continue to get better. Our best football is still out in front of us, and we have to go chase that.”

Tennessee is coming off a bye after posting a 24-17 home win over then-No. 7 Alabama on Oct. 19.

The Volunteers have won 36 of the past 39 meetings against Kentucky (3-5, 1-5), including one victory that was vacated due to NCAA sanctions.

The Wildcats have lost their past three games.

Kentucky fell 24-10 to visiting Auburn last Saturday as Jarquez Hunter shredded the Wildcats’ defense with a career-high 278 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He had a 45-yard scoring run and non-scoring jaunts of 50 and 46 yards.

Wildcats defensive coordinator Brad White was direct on Monday when he and offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan handled the press conference duties with head coach Mark Stoops away to attend his mother’s funeral.

“Collectively, we’re all embarrassed by that performance, especially against the run,” White said.

He said he expects an improvement this weekend despite Tennessee’s long dominance of the series.

“Regardless of the team that we’re playing on Saturday, we have to play better,” White said. “We have to be efficient in terms of how we play defense. We can’t have a couple of good plays, then we give up an explosive one.”

Tennessee star running back Dylan Sampson likely will be eager to see the Kentucky defense on the field. He has topped 100 yards on six occasions this season, ranks third nationally with 17 rushing touchdowns and has 838 rushing yards.

The Volunteers’ defense ranks third nationally in opponents’ scoring (average of 11.6 points per game) and total defense (259 yards per game).

Linebacker Kalib Perry expects a big effort against the Wildcats, who are dealing with a quarterback quandary.

“When we give up points, we are not satisfied,” Perry said. “It just makes us more hungry. We know it is just little things that go a long way in a game, so we cannot give the opponents a step.”

Stoops pulled starting quarterback Brock Vandagriff at halftime against Auburn with the score tied at 10 after the junior threw for 120 yards and one interception on 9-of-17 passing.

However, backup Gavin Wimsatt fared even worse, going 3 of 10 for 34 yards and one interception. Kentucky didn’t score in the second half.

Hamdan wasn’t ready to anoint a starter on Monday.

“We’re evaluating everything,” he said. “We’re getting back with those guys and want to get face-to-face with them. We’ll address that moving forward.”

–Field Level Media

Oct 5, 2024; Athens, Georgia, USA; Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze on the field against the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Auburn coach Hugh Freeze (illness) joins team in Kentucky

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Auburn coach Hugh Freeze is expected to be on the sidelines Saturday night in Lexington, Ky., when his team faces Kentucky.

Freeze, 55, remained in Auburn Friday when his Tigers departed for Lexington because of an illness. ESPN reported that he took a different flight to the game because of a bout of what is believed to be food poisoning.

Auburn (2-5, 0-4 Southeastern Conference) has lost four conference games in a row — three of them to ranked opponents. Freeze’s team was up 17-6 before losing to No. 19 Missouri 21-17 last Saturday.

The Wildcats are 3-4 (1-4 SEC) on the season and with Auburn, make up two of the bottom three schools in the conference standings.

–Field Level Media

Oct 5, 2024; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway (2) scrambles past UCF Knights defensive back Chasen Johnson (27) and UCF Knights defensive end Malachi Lawrence (51) during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Florida turns to DJ Lagway in clash vs. Kentucky

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Kentucky and Florida have been sorting through problems this season, but one of these teams should feel better by the end of the weekend.

The Wildcats and Gators will meet in a Southeastern Conference game Saturday night in Gainesville, Fla.

Both teams are stinging after disappointing losses last week.

Florida (3-3, 1-2 ) has to figure out how to move forward without quarterback Graham Mertz, who sustained a season-ending ACL tear in Saturday’s 23-17 overtime loss at Tennessee.

So the pain is compounding for the Gators, who will try to grab a homecoming triumph.

It means that freshman DJ Lagway will move into a starting role at quarterback. He completed 9 of 17 passes for 98 yards and a touchdown with one interception in relief against Tennessee.

“I think there’s some excitement in terms of DJ and what he has been able to accomplish,” Florida coach Billy Napier said, pointing out that Lagway had played in every game. “I think he’ll be much better prepared. … He will benefit from taking all the first-team reps for the entire week.”

Kentucky (3-3, 1-3) was unable to build off its upset at then-No. 6 Ole Miss on Sept. 28 and lost 20-13 at home to upstart Vanderbilt last week. This will be the second road game of the season for the Wildcats.

“Our team has responded before, and I anticipate we’ll do the same thing,” Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said. “We have a big challenge playing in the Swamp and playing a Florida team that is getting better and better.”

The Wildcats compiled 23 first downs last week but managed only 13 points. It marked the third time this season that Kentucky scored 13 points or less.

“You obviously need to get the ball in the end zone,” Stoops said. “You just got to punch it in.”

The Wildcats committed a season-high 12 penalties vs. Vanderbilt.

“Offensively, we’re falling short,” Stoops said. “There’s a very fine line between success and failure, and we are definitely shooting ourselves in the foot.”

Demie Sumo-Karngbaye is Kentucky’s top rusher with 380 yards, with almost twice as many yards as any other player on the team.

“I see a guy who’s gaining more confidence and getting better,” Stoops said.

The coach said there are similarities between Kentucky and Florida.

“They’re a team much like ours; it’s a very thin line between success and failure,” Stoops said.

Napier knows this is a crucial game for the Gators as well.

“There will be an opportunity here for our team to learn and respond,” he said.

–Field Level Media

Wide receiver Richie Hoskins (5) of the Vanderbilt Commodores celebrates his late second quarter touchdown to put Vandy up over host Kentucky 13-7 Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024 in Lexington, Ky.

Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt knock off host Kentucky

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Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia played through pain to throw for 143 yards and two scores, helping the Commodores to a 20-13 upset over Kentucky in Lexington, Ky., on Saturday night.

The Commodores (4-2, 2-1 Southeastern Conference) held the ball for 34:35 while their defense limited Kentucky (3-3, 1-3) to 322 total yards and forced two turnovers.

Pavia visited the injury tent twice and returned with a knee brace for the first play of the fourth quarter. Still, he hit 15 of 18 throws while adding 53 yards on the ground.

Vanderbilt held the ball for the first 7:09 of the second half, leading to Brock Taylor’s 49-yard field goal and a 17-7 lead.

The Wildcats then went on their own march, covering 51 yards in 12 plays before coming up empty. They had a first-and-goal inside Vanderbilt’s 1 but went back 5 yards on a false start and eventually lined up for a 23-yard field goal.

But the holder, Kentucky punter Wilson Berry dropped the snap and heaved a prayer of a pass toward the end zone, which Vanderbilt’s De’Rickey Wright picked off at the 1 and returned to the 10.

The Commodores ran about eight minutes off the clock before Taylor drilled a 50-yard field goal with 8:47 remaining.

Kentucky struck back with its best drive of the night, capitalizing when Brock Vandagriff hit Dane Key for a 22-yard touchdown with 7:02 left.

But again, Berry couldn’t handle a low snap on the point-after kick, and the Commodores stopped his ensuing rush short of the goal line.

D’Eryk Jackson sacked Pavia for a 15-yard loss at the Vanderbilt 31 to end the next drive. Barion Brown returned the ensuing punt to the Commodores’ 46, but a block in the back started the drive at the Wildcats’ 20.

But after a sack by Nick Rinaldi slowed Kentucky on its final drive, Vandagriff threw incomplete on fourth-and-21 to seal the upset.

The first half featured just 58 plays. Kentucky had the ball for 16:15 but trailed 14-7 at half.

On Vanderbilt’s first drive, Pavia led the Commodores 97 yards in eight plays, ending the drive when he found a AJ Newberry wide open for a 20-yard touchdown pass.

Demie Sumo-Karngbaye scored a 1-yard touchdown run on Kentucky’s next drive.

The teams traded turnovers — Kentucky’s Jackson had an interception and then Rinaldi a fumble recovery at the Vanderbilt 34. But Kentucky’s Jamon Dumas-Johnson wrecked the Commodores’ drive with a 12-yard sack on second down that eventually forced a punt.

However, Vanderbilt got the half’s final score when Pavia hit former walk-on Richie Hoskins with an 18-yard toss with 13 seconds left in the half.

Both teams played without a defensive star as Vanderbilt linebacker Langston Patterson and Kentucky cornerback Max Hairston were absent with injuries.

Vanderbilt starting defensive end Miles Capers was carted off on a stretcher with 10:19 left in the second quarter after a delay of several minutes. He returned to the sideline in street clothes in the second half.

–Field Level Media

Oct 5, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia (2) passes the ball against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the first half at FirstBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Resurgent Vanderbilt poses tough test for Kentucky

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Two teams coming off monumental wins will meet Saturday night in Lexington, Ky., when Kentucky hosts Vanderbilt in a Southeastern Conference clash.

Vanderbilt (3-2, 1-1) scored the biggest win in program history last Saturday, shocking then-No. 1 Alabama 40-35.

Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia was 16-of-20 passing for 252 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 56 yards. Vanderbilt didn’t turn the ball over and held it for just over 42 minutes.

Kentucky (3-2, 1-2) stunned then-sixth-ranked Ole Miss 20-17 in Oxford, Miss., in its most recent game Sept. 28.

Quarterback Brock Vandagriff (243 yards, one touchdown) had his best game in his first season with the Wildcats, and the defense held the Rebels to 353 yards.

Both teams also have felt the sting of disappointment.

For Vanderbilt, that came in a 36-32 loss at Georgia State on Sept. 14.

“We’ve got to double down on our technique, double down on what we do regardless of who we play because everybody is going to play hard no matter what the type of game it is,” Commodores running back Sedrick Alexander said.

Kentucky has come a long way since losing 31-6 in its conference opener to South Carolina on Sept. 7, and Wildcats coach Mark Stoops acknowledged this week to reporters that Vanderbilt has, too. The Commodores haven’t had a winning season since 2013.

“Coming into this press conference, I don’t have to work about selling Vanderbilt anymore and telling you how good they are, how good (coach) Clark Lea has done,” Stoops said, referencing the Commodores’ big win.

Vanderbilt’s offense vs. the Wildcats’ defense will be the strength-on-strength matchup everyone wants to see.

Kentucky has allowed an average of just 13.4 points per contest, ranking 11th nationally.

The Wildcats feature standouts across the field, including 6-foot-6, 345-pound defensive tackle Deone Walker, experienced edge players in D’Eryk Jackson (a team-leading 26 tackles) and J.J. Weaver (three sacks), along with cornerback Maxwell Hairston, who had a pair of pick-6s against the Commodores last season.

Alabama never solved Vanderbilt’s option-based plays last week and also had trouble with shovel passes to tight end Eli Stowers (25 catches, 333 yards), who’s also thrown a touchdown this season.

Kentucky receivers Dane Key, Barion Brown and Ja’Mori Maclin could cause issues against a defense that’s had trouble with athletic wideouts.

However, the Wildcats have allowed 15 sacks and thrown four interceptions, which could be an issue against a defense that forced two turnovers (one, a Randon Fontenette pick-6) vs. Alabama.

–Field Level Media