Three Keys and a Prediction: Vanderbilt Football vs. Kentucky – Sports Illustrated

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NASHVILLE—Could this be the week for Vanderbilt football to get it back? 
Vanderbilt heads to Lexington on a four-game losing streak–punctuated by two jarring losses to Ole Miss and Arkansas–looking to find itself and turn the corner. Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea says his team has put together a good week of practice and had his favorite practice of the season on Wednesday, but he’s said things in that vein for a few weeks now. Lea knows that the week of practice has to translate. 
“What I’m calling on this team to do is step into the work, stay connected and bring unconditional belief, spirit and energy toward the mission,” Lea said. “That is abnormal when you’re experiencing a lack of results. Human nature is to make excuses. Human nature is to victimize. And I’m calling these guys to more. I’ve got to be an example.”
Here’s what Vanderbilt has to do in order to do what Lea is calling this group to and a prediction in regard to what will happen Saturday night at Kroger Field. 
Curtis says the game is slowing down for him, but he threw two interceptions Saturday that all but sealed Vanderbilt’s fate against Arkansas. Perhaps the game is slowing down, but Curtis acknowledges that he’s got to be better and hasn’t put it all together yet. 
In Curtis, Vanderbilt has the most talented quarterback of the Lea tenure. It’s also got a developmental piece that’s flashed and hasn’t quite broken through entirely, though. 
Vanderbilt has taken its lumps with Curtis–who has thrown seven interceptions and six touchdowns as a freshman–but Lea believes Vanderbilt is acclimating to forming around Curtis. Perhaps Saturday will provide proof of concept in that regard if Curtis puts together a complete performance. 
Kentucky’s offensive line against Vanderbilt’s defensive line feels like a mismatch in Kentucky’s favor and Vanderbilt has a number of questions at cornerback–particularly with Cayden Daniels and Davin Chandler fighting through minor injuries. 
As a result, Vanderbilt has to find any way to generate pressure and force Minchey into a mistake or two. 
That will be easier said than done for this group, though, particularly with standout edge rusher Brian Allen fighting a recurring injury. If it can do it, this game could flip significantly. 
Vanderbilt is one of the most penalized teams in the country entering Saturday and won’t have a chance to walk into Lexington and pull an upset if that trend continues. 
The penalties were less of an issue for this Vanderbilt team when it lost to Arkansas Saturday, but they were still inopportune and drive altering in many cases. The penalties Vanderbilt inflicted upon itself a week earlier against Ole Miss set it back eight points. 
That can’t happen again. If it does, Vanderbilt will lose significantly on Saturday. 
Kentucky has won a few close games in a row and there’s a path for Vanderbilt to make this a close game, but it’s hard to trust this group as it heads to Lexington on a four-game losing streak while undergoing a borderline identity crisis. There’s a good team in there somewhere for Lea’s group, but it currently isn’t playing good football and hasn’t shown signs of doing so. Until it does, it’s almost impossible to pick this Vanderbilt team to win a game–nonetheless an SEC road game against one of the hottest teams in the country with a dynamic quarterback.
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Joey Dwyer is the lead writer on Vanderbilt Commodores On SI. He found his first love in college sports at nearby Lipscomb University and decided to make a career of telling its best stories. He got his start doing a Notre Dame basketball podcast from his basement as a 14-year-old during COVID and has since aimed to make that 14-year-old proud. Dwyer has covered Vanderbilt sports for three years and previously worked for 247 Sports and Rivals. He contributes to Seth Davis' Hoops HQ, Basket Under Review and Mainstreet Nashville.
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