Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt: What’s At Stake

I wrote this article on a tough day for Big Blue Nation, as only hours ago I learned of the passing of beloved offensive line coach John Schlarman. My prayers to his family and friends, and the team as they process this devastating loss. He will be remembered and honored this weekend against the Vanderbilt Commodores, a game that was already a must-win for the Cats’ postseason hopes.

Now, it feels like so much more.

Let’s dive into what’s at stake this weekend.

If Kentucky Wins:

• They’ll be 47-48 under Mark Stoops.
• Their all-time record will be 626-630-44, only four games shy of 50-50.
• They’ll improve to 47-42-4 against the Commodores, and extend their winning streak against them to five.
• They’ll be 21-12 since the start of the historic 2018 season.
• They’ll notch a badly needed win to get some positive momentum going before the Alabama and Florida games.

If Kentucky Loses:

• They’ll be labeled as one of Mark Stoops’ worst teams, and maybe his most disappointing.
• It will damage a lot of the momentum this program has built up during their four-straight winning seasons.

Gains from winning: Getting a win at a time they could really use it.

Consequences from losing: Being stinky. Damaging program momentum.

Hardest Opponent Scale: This is the easiest game of the year.

Kentucky’s lucky they can still play this game, as half this week’s SEC games have been postponed already. Hopefully they can win by double-digits and get their offense back before some big road games in Tuscaloosa and Gainesville.

Go ‘Cats!