Blue Preview: Your one-click guide to the Kentucky football game vs. Vanderbilt
Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt
When: Noon
Where: Kroger Field (normal capacity of 61,000 but attendance capped at 20 percent of that (around 12,200) in 2020 because of the coronavirus).
TV: SEC Network (play-by-play, Dave Neal; analysis, D.J. Shockley; sideline, Dawn Davenport).
Radio: WLAP-AM 630, WBUL-FM 98.1.
Satellite Radio: XM Channel 190, Sirius Channel 137, Internet Channel 961
Records: Kentucky (2-4 SEC), Vanderbilt (0-5 SEC).
Series history: Kentucky leads the series 46-42-4 and has won four straight.
Last meeting: Kentucky won 38-14 on Nov. 16, 2019, at Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville.
Line: Kentucky is favored by 17.5 points.
The story line
Coming off a much-needed open week, Kentucky will seek to inject some life into its struggling offense while continuing the misery of Coach Derek Mason’s winless Commodores.
The number to watch
UK’s passing yardage. Vanderbilt is 12th in the SEC in passing yards allowed, surrendering 279.4 yards a game. If a Kentucky passing attack that has averaged 80.3 yards a game over the past four contests is ever going to get going this season, this would seem to be the week.
The big threat
Ken Seals. Vanderbilt’s true freshman quarterback has thrown for over 300 yards in each of the Commodores’ past two games — 319 vs. Mississippi and 336 against Mississippi State. On the season, the 6-foot-3, 218-pound product of Azle, Texas, has completed 67.1 percent of his passes and thrown for 1,066 yards and six touchdowns.
Seals has thrown eight interceptions, however, which could spell opportunity for a UK defense tied for second in the nation with 11 picks.
On the spot
Eddie Gran. The Kentucky offense has scored a combined three touchdowns in its past three games and has played one effective half (the second at Tennessee) in the last four contests. It is vital for UK and its offensive playcaller, Gran, that the Wildcats’ attack get untracked vs. a Vandy defense that ranks 12th in the SEC in yards allowed (440 a game) and 13th in points allowed (35.4).
The mood
Is frustrated. Expectations have not been met for a veteran Kentucky team that entered 2020 off back-to-back seasons that had yielded 18 wins. An improved offensive showing and a decisive win over Vanderbilt won’t fix that — but the lack of both would be a public relations negative for Mark Stoops and troops.
This story was originally published November 9, 2020 at 11:22 AM.
