Five things you need to know from Kentucky’s 20-13 loss to Vanderbilt:
1. Diego Pavia joy ride rolls on. One week after the Vanderbilt quarterback became college football’s “it player” with his stellar performance in Vandy’s 40-35 upset of the then-No. 1 Alabama, Pavia turned in another strong showing.
The transfer from New Mexico State completed 15 of 18 passes for 143 yards and two touchdowns. Pavia also ran 14 times for a 53 yards.
One week after Pavia’s Vanderbilt offense converted a robust 12 of 18 third-down attempts against Bama, it was more of the same vs. Kentucky. Vandy was 7 of 10 on third-down tries.
In the well-designed, option-heavy offense of that Vanderbilt offensive coordinator Tim Beck and senior offensive advisor Jerry Kill brought to Nashville with them from New Mexico State, Pavis kept the Kentucky defense off balance most of the night.
The bright moment for the UK “D” came when linebacker D’Eryk Jackson picked off a Pavis pass with 10:33 left in the second quarter.
It was the first pick Pavia has thrown this season.
2. Kentucky’s comedy of errors. In a game featuring two ball-control offenses that was destined to be a low-possession affair, offensive efficiency was the obvious key to the game.
When a sharp effort was called for, UK instead produced a comedy of errors.
The tone was set on Kentucky’s first drive. UK drove the ball to the Vanderbilt 37. However, a holding penalty on UK right tackle Gerald Mincey nullified a 10-yard run by Barion Brown.
Subsequently, a Brock Vandagriff pass to Dane Key pushed the ball to the Vandy 29. Key, however, was called for unsportsmanlike conduct foiling UK’s chance to score first.
On the drive that followed D’Eryk Jackson’s second-quarter pass interception and with the score tied at 7, Vandagriff hit Key with a pass to the Vanderbilt 24. However, Vandy’s Trudell Berry knocked the ball loose and it was recovered Nick Rinaldi at the Commodores’ 32 yard line.
In the second half, with UK trailing 17-7, the Wildcats drove the ball to the shadow of the Vandy goal line. Yet before UK could run a 2nd-and-goal play from inside the Vandy 1, the Cats were called for a false start.
Forced back to the six, Kentucky could not score a touchdown. Then what should have a chip shot field for Alex Raynor was foiled when UK holder Wilson Berry mishandled the snap. (Subsequently, a bad long snap thwarted a UK PAT attempt after the Cats had scored to pull within 20-13).
There was more Big Blue ineptitude.
After UK’s defense forced Vanderbilt to punt with 2:26 left in the game and the Cats down 20-13, Barion Brown returned the punt to the Commodores 48.
However, the reuturn was called back due to an lillegal block in the back penalty on Kentucky freshman Steven Soles.
Now forced to start from it own 20 and needing a touchdown (and a made place-kick) to tie the game, UK drove the ball to the Vandy 48.
However, separate holding calls, one on both Kentucky starting tackles, MIncey and Marques Cox, stalled the Wildcats’ last-gasp drive.
UK, which entered the game as the SEC’s least-penalized team, finished the game with 12 penalties, which cost the Cats 106 yards.
If you want to know why Kentucky is now 2-5 in one-possession games over the past two seasons, too many games defined by sloppy play is at the top of that list.
3. “Home-field disadvantage” rolls on for Cats. With the loss to Vandy, Kentucky is now 2-10 in its last 12 SEC home games.
That is in marked contrast to the Wildcats’ SEC road record, which is 6-6 over the last 12 such games.
Simply put, there is no way to sustain football success if you cannot protect your home field in league contests.
4. Bye, bye, bye. Kentucky returned to action Saturday night after having a “bye week” following the Wildcats’ 20-17 upset at then-No. 6 Mississippi on Sept. 28.
The UK loss to Vandy means the Wildcats have now lost four straight times in their first game following a regular-season open date.
Under Mark Stoops, UK is now 5-10 in games that immediately follow a bye — and the Wildcats are 3-1 vs. Vanderbilt in such games.
Kentucky will have a second “bye week” in 2024. The Cats will not play on Nov. 9, before closing out their season with games vs. Murray State (Nov. 16), at Texas (Nov. 23) and Louisville (Nov. 30).
5. Stoops fails to officially get back to .500. In on-the-field results, the Kentucky loss to Vanderbilt made Mark Stoops 76-68 as UK head man.
However, because the NCAA ordered Kentucky to vacate all its wins from 2021’s 10-3 season due to rules violations by UK, Stoops entered Saturday night’s game official one game under .500 as UK head man.
By losing to Vandy, Stoops’ official record is now 66-68.
Fashion police
For its 2024 Homecoming Game, Kentucky wore blue helmets, black jerseys with white letters and numbers and blue pants.
Starting with the first game of the 2015 season, it was the first time UK had worn the combination of blue, black and blue.
Given the way the Wildcats performed vs. Vanderbilt, I would not count on seeing this color combination again anytime soon.
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