Through 3 Quarters
Only one more quarter stands between the Kentucky Wildcats and the win they were favored to collect going into this night. Three quarters in and their offense has really been able to impose its will, dominating the Vanderbilt Commodores 31-11. RB Chris Rodriguez Jr. has led the way so far for UK, as he has rushed for one TD and 110 yards on 15 carries.
The Wildcats have been a nightmare for Vanderbilt’s offensive line with four sacks already. We’ll see how many sacks UK can scare up the rest of the game.
Who’s Playing
Kentucky @ Vanderbilt
Current Records: Kentucky 6-3; Vanderbilt 2-7
What to Know
The Vanderbilt Commodores have been on the wrong side of a one-way rivalry with the Kentucky Wildcats and are hoping to record their first win since Nov. 14 of 2015. Vanderbilt will take on UK at 7 p.m. ET Saturday at Vanderbilt Stadium after a week off. Given that these two teams suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this matchup.
The Commodores came up short against the Missouri Tigers two weeks ago, falling 37-28. A silver lining for Vanderbilt was the play of DB Mike Wright, who passed for three TDs and 122 yards on 28 attempts in addition to picking up 152 yards on the ground. That nimble footwork stands out as the first time Wright has hit the 100-yard rushing mark this season.
Meanwhile, UK entered their contest against the Tennessee Volunteers last week without any home losses — but there’s a first time for everything. It was a hard-fought game, but UK had to settle for a 45-42 defeat against Tennessee. QB Will Levis put forth a good effort for the losing side as he passed for three TDs and 369 yards on 49 attempts in addition to rushing for two TDs and 47 yards.
The UK defensive unit accumulated four sacks for a loss of 15 yards. Leading the way was LB J.J. Weaver and his 2.5 sacks. Weaver now has 6.5 sacks this season.
The Commodores have to know they’ll be fighting an uphill battle given the 21.50 point spread they are up against. Those who got lucky with them against the spread two weeks ago might want to hold off on placing bets this time since the team has yet to string together back-to-back wins against the spread.
The losses put Vanderbilt at 2-7 and UK at 6-3. A couple stats to keep in the back of your head while watching: Vanderbilt is stumbling into the contest with the 233rd most thrown interceptions in the nation, having thrown 11 on the season. UKs have had an even harder time: they are 218th worst in the nation in thrown interceptions, having thrown ten on the season. It’s possible one of these Achilles’ heels will wind up tripping the losing team up.
How To Watch
- When: Saturday at 7 p.m. ET
- Where: Vanderbilt Stadium — Nashville, Tennessee
- TV: ESPN2
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Ticket Cost: $24.99
Odds
The Wildcats are a big 21.5-point favorite against the Commodores, according to the latest college football odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Wildcats as a 21-point favorite.
Over/Under: -110
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Series History
Kentucky have won five out of their last six games against Vanderbilt.
- Nov 14, 2020 – Kentucky 38 vs. Vanderbilt 35
- Nov 16, 2019 – Kentucky 38 vs. Vanderbilt 14
- Oct 20, 2018 – Kentucky 14 vs. Vanderbilt 7
- Nov 11, 2017 – Kentucky 44 vs. Vanderbilt 21
- Oct 08, 2016 – Kentucky 20 vs. Vanderbilt 13
- Nov 14, 2015 – Vanderbilt 21 vs. Kentucky 17
