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Recap and Takeaways from Kentucky’s 45-28 Win Over Vanderbilt

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1 year ago

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Kentucky running back Ray Davis running against Vanderbilt.
UK Athletics/Elliott Hess

The Kentucky Wildcats open conference play with a win, as they defeated the Vanderbilt Commodores 45-28 in Nashville on Saturday. In previous games, Kentucky was sluggish out of the gate, but they would pick things up as the game progressed.

Today, however, the complete opposite was true. Kentucky would lead 21-0 after the first quarter, but it was back and forth between the two teams the rest of the way. Here’s a quick rundown of how the Cats advanced to 4-0:

Brad White’s unit set the tone on defense early in the game. Vanderbilt punted after going three-and-out on the first series of the game. Devin Leary would get things going with a 14 yard completion to Dane Key, which set up a 36 yard touchdown run from JuTahn McClain. On Vandy’s next drive, Maxwell Hairston would get a pick six to make the score 14-0 early. Then, Devin Leary found Barion Brown for 55 yards, which put Ray Davis in position to score an easy touchdown. The Cats were up three possessions after fifteen minutes of play.

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The 2nd quarter opened up with a 22 yard scramble from Devin Leary, and from there, Alex Raynor sunk a 27 yard chip shot field goal to make it 24-0. Vanderbilt would match Kentucky’s effort, however, as they finally got on the board with a 41 yard field goal of their own. Then, after a facemask penalty on Maxwell Hairston in coverage, Sedrick Alexander made the score 24-10 heading into the half with a rushing touchdown.

Despite getting the ball on the 35 yard line after the second half kickoff sailed out of bounds, Kentucky couldn’t do anything with the good field position, as the offense would go three-and-out. When UK got the ball back, they immediately gave it away via Devin Leary’s 2nd interception of the day, and Vandy would get a field goal out of that. D’Eryk Jackson would follow with an interception of his own, and Ray Davis then scored his 2nd touchdown of the game. The score was 31-13 after three.

Ray Davis would exit the game early after being shaken up following a 38 yard run. Soon after, Leary found Dane Key for a 22 yard pass to give Kentucky a 25 point lead. Vanderbilt then worked their way to a touchdown and a 2-point conversion to make it 38-21 with eight minutes to go. Then, Maxwell Hairston recorded his second pick six of the day to seal the game. Vanderbilt would score a touchdown as regulation came to a close, but ultimately, Kentucky won 45-28.

Maxwell Hairston Has a Historic Performance

Despite some questionable penalties called against him, Maxwell Hairston shined bright in Saturday’s game. He had his fair share of big plays and pass break ups, but the main reasons for his big game were his two pick-six’s. Hairston became the first Kentucky Wildcat to ever accomplish such a feat.

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O-Line Getting Better, But Still Has Room to Grow

While there were some costly holding penalties called against multiple guys for the Big Blue Wall, they played much better today. Eli Cox and Jager Burton swapped positions, and Josh Kattus was out today with an injury. Despite the change up front, there were much fewer miscues and mistakes made on the line of scrimmage.

Ray Davis Shines in Homecoming Game

Ray Davis rushed 17 times for 78 yards and two touchdowns against his former team on Saturday. Despite leaving the game early due to being shaken up following his explosive 38 yard run, Davis was able to do what he does best: dominate in Nashville, whether it be for Vandy or for Kentucky.

After advancing to 4-0 (1-0 in SEC play), the Kentucky Wildcats will take on the Florida Gators at Kroger Field on September 30th. This will likely be Kentucky’s first ranked opponent of the season. View the box score from Kentucky’s 45-28 win against Vanderbilt here.

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Louisville Football Player Charged With First-Degree Strangulation, Days After Committing Game Losing Personal Foul

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5 days ago

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November 18, 2024

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Louisville Cardinals defensive back Tayon Holloway (20) reacts to his defensive play.
Eric Canha | Imagn

On Monday, Louisville football defensive back Tayon Holloway was detained and charged with first-degree strangulation and fourth-degree assault.

This comes just days after the former four-star prospect committed a costly personal foul to put a 2-7 Stanford team in field goal range and upset Louosillve 38-35 with a walk-off field goal.

As expected, Holloway has been indefinitely suspended from the team.

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“The University of Louisville is aware of the arrest of football student-athlete Tayon Holloway,” the university said in a statement. “As we gather more information, Tayon has been suspended indefinitely from all team activities.”

Things Cardinals seem to be in a downward trend as the Commonwealth Cup nears, November 30th.

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Kentucky snaps four game losing streak defeats Murray State 48-6

Published

7 days ago

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November 16, 2024

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Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops talking to Murray State football coach Jody Wright.
Jordan Prather | Imagn

Kentucky gets a much-needed victory over Murray St 48-6 to snap its four-game losing Streak. Brock Vandagriff led the way for the Cats, going 12-19 for 183 passing yards and two touchdown passes to Hardley Gilmore IV and Ja’Mori Maclin. 48 Points is the most points Kentucky has scored in a game since 2021 when the Cats scored 51 points against Louisville.

The defense held Murray St. without a touchdown. For the second time this season, Kentucky’s defense has held an opponent without a touchdown.

Freshman Standout today:

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For the second time this season, Kentucky breaks the 40-point mark as three freshmen make impacts for Kentucky. Jamarion Wilcox had 13 carries and 124 yards with a touchdown in the 3rd quarter.

Receiver Hardley Gilmore IV had two receptions for 72 yards and caught the 52-yard touchdown pass from Brock Vandagriff on the game-opening drive.

Four-star quarterback Cutter Boley started the second half for the Cats, going 10-14 and passing for 130 yards with two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, both touchdown passes to sophomore receiver Anthony Brown-Stephens.

Defense Bounces Back:

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After giving up over 475 yards of total offense each of the last three games, Kentucky’s defense holds Murray State to 256 total yards of offense while also having three takeaways from the Murray State offense

Defensive Lineman Tre’vonn Rybka led the way for the defense with five tackles and the only sack of the game for Kentucky’s defense. Jordan Lovett had two takeaways in the first half for Kentucky and one in the red zone in the second quarter. Jackson Schultz had the final takeaway, picking off Jim Ogle’s pass late in the fourth quarter.

Box Score

With the win today over Murray St., Kentucky moves to 4-6 (1-6 SEC) with two games remaining. They look to keep their bowl eligibility alive as they travel to Austin, Texas, and face the No. 3 ranked Texas Longhorns at 3:30 pm on ABC. 

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Mark Stoops Responds to Retirement Rumors, “Zero Percent Chance I Do That”

Published

2 weeks ago

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November 11, 2024

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Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops responds to retirement rumors amidst disappointing season. "Zero percent chance I do that."
Jordan Prather | Imagn

To say there is unrest in the Kentucky Football fanbase would be an understatement. With a 3-6 record overall, and 1-6 in the SEC (15th out of 16) things look bleak, and there is still a quarter of the season to go. Considering the regression from the previous two seasons as well, it’s difficult to be optimistic about the future.

Over the last few weeks, rumors have circled that head coach Mark Stoops has considered retiring at the end of the season. Optics wise it makes sense, his older brother Bob Stoops surprisingly retired from Oklahoma at just 56, and Mark, now 57, has expressed a desire to spend more time with his children.

At his weekly press conference, Stoops was asked directly if there is any chance that he would walk away from Kentucky and retire at the season. To which he responded, bluntly:

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“Zero percent chance I do that. Next question.”

Mark Stoops is still owed more than $44 million on his contract. That’s A LOT of money to leave on the table and is the reason that the decision will be Stoops’ to make, as Kentucky cannot afford the buyout.

If Stoops holds true to his word and returns next season, NIL fundraising efforts may be the most difficult it has been for him. However, he hopes it sparks motivation to donate.

“I’ve seen it at other SEC schools,” Stoops said. “I want to stay away from that. I really get tired of — I don’t want to be like I am whining, I am crying. It is reality. You have to have dollars.”

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