An early look ahead to Kentucky’s next football game:
The opponent
After an open date (Saturday, Oct. 13), No. 18 Kentucky (5-1, 3-1 SEC) will play host to SEC East rival Vanderbilt, Saturday, Oct. 20 at Kroger Field at 7:30 p.m. in a game telecast on the SEC Network. Coach Derek Mason’s Commodores (3-4, 0-3) saw a 21-3 lead evaporate and lost to No. 14 Florida 37-27 Saturday in Nashville.
Kentucky leads the all-time series with Vanderbilt 44-42-4. The Wildcats have won three of the last four against the Commodores.
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Most recent meeting
Kentucky star Benny Snell ran for 116 yards and three touchdowns, UK outrushed Vanderbilt 232-60 overall and the Wildcats defense intercepted Vandy quarterback Kyle Shurmur four times as the Cats rolled to a 44-21 rout of the Commodores on Nov. 11, 2017, at Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville.
Know your foe
1. Vanderbilt went 16-0-1 in its first 17 games against Kentucky (1896-1938). Since then, UK has gone 44-26-3 vs. the Commodores.
2. A season ago, Vanderbilt quarterback Kyle Shurmur entered the Kentucky game having thrown only three interceptions in the Commodores’ first nine games. UK’s four picks of Shurmur helped the Wildcats win decisively in a game in which Shurmur, then a junior, threw for 308 yards.
3. Vanderbilt’s third-leading receiver (37 catches, 610 yards, eight touchdowns) a season ago, Kalija Lipscomb has emerged as Shurmur’s go-to receiver this year as a junior. The 6-foot-1, 200-pounds product of New Orleans has 49 catches for 560 yards with six TDs.
Last year against UK, Lipscomb caught two passes for 44 yards, including a 17-yard touchdown.
Mark Story: (859) 231-3230; Twitter: @markcstory
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