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Kentucky Wildcats at Vanderbilt Commodores
- Time: 7:00 pm EST on Saturday, November 13th, 2021.
- Location: Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.
- TV Channel: ESPN2 will have tonight’s TV coverage.
- Radio: Tom Leach and Jeff Piecoro have the UK radio network call on 630 AM, 98.1 FM in Lexington, and on the UK Sports Network.
- Online Stream: WatchESPN, ESPN app, or use a free trial of fuboTV.
- Odds: Kentucky is a 21.5 point favorite, per DraftKings.
- Replay: WatchESPN and SEC Network (check local listings).
- Rosters: UK | VU
- Tickets
- Weekend Weather Report
- Score Projections: TeamRankings is predicting a 37-15 victory for Kentucky.
"It's time for us to get back on track." - @UKCoachStoops #ForTheTeam pic.twitter.com/CoKjHQUv85
— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) November 13, 2021
#GetUpItsGameday pic.twitter.com/DPDAxsesMb
— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) November 13, 2021
The end of the college football season is on the horizon, unfortunately.
With only three regular-season games remaining for the Kentucky Wildcats, let’s take a quick peek into the matchup between the ‘Cats and the Vanderbilt Commodores that will take place Saturday night in Nashville.
For Kentucky, it’s no secret the last month has been pretty disappointing. After starting the season 6-0 and College Football Playoff talks trickling throughout the fanbase, a three-game losing streak has flipped this season on its head.
But there is still a chance to make this another special season under Mark Stoops, as a win on Saturday would give the program its second winning conference record since 1977 at 5-3. If successful, both will have come under Stoops.
For the offense, Saturday night should not be super frightening. With the way Will Levis played against Tennessee last weekend and a revitalized Chris Rodriguez, we should see another solid performance across the board.
Now, this Vanderbilt defense has been able to create some turnovers this season, and that has been the Kentucky offense’s Achilles Heel. If that problem persists and Vandy takes advantage, it could be closer than one thinks.
For the defense, this should be a get-right game. After a couple of poor performances against Mississippi State and Tennessee, this unit needs a boost of confidence ever so badly.
Vanderbilt’s offense has struggled this season, especially in the passing game which should be music to Kentucky’s ears. But with Mike Wright as the quarterback for the Commodores, he does add a QB-run element that has sometimes tripped up the defense in the past.
Ken Seals will be available for this game, but Wright could see the majority of the snaps.
Sophomore running back Rocko Griffin will be another name to watch this weekend as he will be returning from an injury. If not, Patrick Smith should be the primary tailback in the game.
Other offensive playmakers for the Commodores include Chris Pierce Jr. and Will Sheppard. Pierce leads the team in receptions and Sheppard has shown the ability to get loose for a big play a few times this season.
On defense, there will be two names that really stand out for a struggling Vandy defense in defensive tackle Daevion Davis and cornerback Jaylen Mahoney. Both players have had solid seasons and will need to make some plays if they hope to slow down this Kentucky offense.
Clark Lea has done about as well as one could expect in his first year as the head coach for Vanderbilt, as they have competed decently well in the SEC schedule with teams closer to their current level.
Still, Kentucky’s program is leaps and bounds better than the state of this current Vandy program, so they need to flex their muscles Saturday night.
Overall this game should simply come down to talent. If UK can not turn the ball over and play sound football on both sides, the ‘Cats should win big.