Story by
Kentucky Football runs past Vanderbilt: 3 things to know and postgame cheers
- Story by
- Kentucky Football runs past Vanderbilt: 3 things to know and postgame cheers
The Kentucky Wildcats moved to 7-1 on the season and 5-1 in the SEC as they beat the Vanderbilt Commodores on Saturday night in Lexington by a score of 34-17.
Kentucky got off to an incredibly slow start in this one. Vanderbilt marched down the field on its first drive before the Cats got a sack and forced a punt. That was followed by a three-and-out and a 45-yard Commodore punt return into the red zone. Once again, the defense held and forced a field goal.
Advertisement
Then, Kentucky went three-and-out again, and the 'Dores marched 95 yards down the field on 16 plays to take a 10-0 lead in the second quarter.
At that point, Will Stein and Co. finally woke up. Kenny Minchey led the charge on the way to back-to-back scoring drives before the break. In just nine minutes, the Cats went from down double digits to leading, while getting the ball back to start the second half.
After the break, Kentucky took control and didn't look back. The game was close for a few minutes, but Kentucky put away an inferior opponent as they should. Following two three-and-outs to start the game, the offense was a well-oiled machine, and the opportunistic (see below) defense made the plays it needed to.
The Cats will get a much-needed bye week before traveling to Knoxville for a huge matchup with the Tennessee Volunteers.
Advertisement
The injuries are piling up
As I mentioned above, the bye week could not have come at a better time. The Cats are beat up. Jay Bateman said the defense is held together with duct tape, and I believe him.
Nic Anderson and Sam Greene were both out for the first time this season after suffering injuries against the Oklahoma Sooners last week. Tyler Thomas also missed his first contest. Antwan Smith, Jaden Smith, and Grant Grayton have now missed multiple games. CJ Baxter, who was out last week with ankle and knee injuries, injured his collarbone on just his second touch of the night.
Kentucky hasn't just been dealing with injuries; they've been dealing with injuries to some really important guys. I didn't even get to the other significant players who have missed time this season. Mikkel Skinner had a handful of carries in this game, if that tells you the current state of the running back room.
Advertisement
The bye week is here, and the Cats will look to get healthy as they head into one of the biggest stretch runs in UK Football history.
Minchey is getting better every week
Kenny Mincher is just a gamer. The kid just answers the bell every single time Kentucky needs it. This was what Will Stein called Minchey's best game as a Wildcat so far, and Kentucky needed every bit of it to win.
There are times when he seems more like a game manager, but he's more than that. He's a winner. I don't think Stein and Joe Sloan could have found a better fit for this offense. He's accurate. He protects the football. And he understands the offense and gets the ball to his best players.
Advertisement
He's chasing Andre Woodson's streak of passing attempts without an interception, which I never thought would be challenged. He just gets it. His demeanor is always calm and collected, but then he scores to give Kentucky a three-score lead in the fourth quarter, and he goes nuts when the defense rips his helmet off.
Minchey isn't Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes, but he doesn't need to be. He just needs to continue to operate this offense to perfection.
The defense is full of playmakers
Kentucky's defense is good. It isn't great, but it usually gets the job done. It can be frustrating at times because it can be taken advantage of, but this unit is full of guys who are game changers.
Advertisement
Sam Greene has been the epitome of a playmaker, but he was out this game. Grant Godfrey is a freak athlete who makes plays all over the field. When he's not spying a quarterback, which he's done in just about every game this season, he's chasing down running backs and wide receivers.
Jordan Castell is always making plays left and right, including two interceptions and a pick-six last week. Mi'Quise Humphrey-Grace always seems to get a timely sack. Tonight, it was a sack-fumble in the fourth quarter.
And then there's Ty Bryant, who is a steady presence that always seems to be in the right place at the right time. The Kentucky native had a game-sealing interception last week and another interception in the fourth quarter this week. He's in the top five in all-time interceptions in program history.
These Cats aren't perfect, but they're opportunistic and always seem to make the plays when they need to. For an offensive-minded team, Stein couldn't ask for anything more.
Just keep winning. Now, let's celebrate!
GO CATS!!
