The odds started forming early in the week as to which Kentucky player was most likely to be boo-hooing during Saturday's Senior Day ceremonies.

Quarterback Mike Hartline was baffled that his name came up.

"I don't get it," Hartline said. "In that regard, I'm not going to cry.

"Put it this way, I won't be the first to cry. I'll be too into the game, to tell you the truth. I'll share a couple of hugs and smiles with the family, but my mind will be on the game."

Defensive tackle Ricky Lumpkin was the runaway winner for the guy most likely to break down. Lumpkin didn't shy away from the honor, either.

"I'm going to be real sad because it's my last home game in front of the fans," Lumpkin said. "It's going to hurt because I won't be able to do another Cat Walk. Thinking about it gets me down but, at the same time, it's been a fun five years. I've been here for great moments, and I appreciate every one of them."

Kentucky Coach Joker Phillips said he expects all 16 seniors to be somewhat emotional.

"All of them think they won't be emotional," Phillips said. "I heard Chris (Matthews) saying he wouldn't be emotional and trying to be a tough guy, but he will be. He is a tough guy, but he won't be a tough guy when it comes to emotions."

Phillips might be shedding tears if the Cats don't pull this one out. A loss Saturday would mean UK would have to beat Tennessee in Knoxville on Nov. 27 to become bowl-eligible for the fifth straight year.

However, Vanderbilt doesn't have the look of a team capable of putting Kentucky's bowl streak in jeopardy.

The Commodores haven't won in more than a month and have been outscored 168-35 in the four losses. Injuries have them down to their fourth-string running back. They're ranked No. 118 (out of 120 Football Bowl Subdivision teams) in total offense and 94th in total defense.

The Wildcats have dropped their last three Senior Day games, however, including a 31-24 decision to Vandy in 2008. A lot of times, the emotions seem to bring out the worst in them.

"You get overaggressive, you try to press, and the thing our guys have to understand is, you've got to let the emotions play out," Phillips said.

"The thing you do is wear yourselves out in pre-game. That's the thing our troops can't do. We've got to be ready when the whistle blows."

Phillips said he isn't concerned about the Senior Day festivities mentally draining his team.

In fact, he said earlier this week that he wouldn't mind bringing the entire team out of the locker room for the ceremony.

"I don't see it as being a distraction," Phillips said. "This is a game of emotion, and you've got to play that way. I think this will make our troops play with even more emotion. We probably should bring everybody out to see this thing."

Lumpkin said it will be all business once the players' families leave the field and the team goes back into the locker room.

"The emotional part will get you when you run out with the family," he said. "But when you go back and see all your teammates getting ready, it clicks in everybody's head. It's time to play."

Lumpkin said he has no regrets about picking Kentucky over his other two finalists, Louisville and Tennessee, and said he believed in the vision that former coach Rich Brooks, former assistant head coach Steve Ortmayer, former defensive line coach Rick Petri and Phillips sold him.

"It looked promising, honestly," Lumpkin said. "A lot of people doubted my decision to come here, especially back home. They wanted me to go everywhere else but Kentucky.

"They said I wouldn't make it to a bowl game, and if I did, it would be one. And I proved them wrong. I won more bowl games than I would have won at both Tennessee and Louisville, and that makes me proud. I can hold my head high and go back and say, 'I proved all of ya'll wrong.' "