Three Matchups to Watch: Vanderbilt at Kentucky – The Vanderbilt Hustler

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The Vanderbilt Commodores (3-4, 0-4 SEC) are coming off a disheartening four-game losing streak over the past month. After a 31-21 loss to Arkansas, the ‘Dores are still looking for their first SEC win.
A win at Kentucky (6-1, 4-1 SEC), although no easy feat, would be critical in shifting the momentum of Vanderbilt’s lackluster season. The Wildcats have had a breakout season with new head coach Will Stein. They are coming off a five-game winning streak, the most recent of which was a 21-13 win at Oklahoma. Their dominance thus far has placed them tied for first in the SEC and ranked No. 12 in the AP Top 25. Historically, Kentucky leads the all-time record against Vanderbilt 48-45-4, but the Commodores have won in their last two matchups. Let’s take a look at three matchups to watch this Saturday in Lexington.
The fight for the line of scrimmage
This season, Vanderbilt’s offensive line has struggled to avoid penalties and protect both Jared Curtis and Blaze Berlowitz behind the line. The ‘Dores have allowed 13 sacks so far this season. Aside from sacks, pressure from the defense has caused interceptions and fumbles, such as the one that ended Vanderbilt’s final drive against Arkansas and culminated in a Razorback field goal that effectively ended the game. Vanderbilt will need to step it up on the offensive line of scrimmage, as it is facing a strong Kentucky defensive line that has amassed 18 sacks this season. Kentucky’s defensive line is led by senior defensive lineman Mi’Quise Humphrey-Grace, who has accumulated four of those sacks, along with 22 tackles, one interception and one fumble.
On the other side of the ball, the Commodore defense has excelled at putting pressure on quarterbacks. Junior safety CJ Heard has been dominating defensively, with three sacks, one interception, and two forced fumbles. Senior linebacker Nick Rinaldi has also consistently broken through the line of scrimmage with 3.5 sacks on the year. Heard and Rinaldi will need to put a lot of pressure on Kentucky’s senior quarterback Kenny Minchey. Minchey has been sacked 16 times this season; one-fourth of those occurring in Kentucky’s only loss this season to Alabama. If Vanderbilt can keep pressure on Minchey, it could exploit an offensive weakness that was exposed in Kentucky’s loss to Alabama. This could be a crucial deciding factor on the outcome of the game.
Running back dynamic duos
The Commodores have excelled in their running game as of late; increased reps to senior running back MK Young has added much needed depth to their rushing game. Young has a total of 216 rushing yards for the season, and his increased presence has helped senior running back Sedrick Alexander to find his footing. Alexander has accumulated 270 rushing yards along with five rushing touchdowns, leading the team in both categories.  Young and Alexander will need to be on their A-game to compete with Kentucky’s elite running back duo CJ Baxter and Jason Patterson. Baxter is eighth-ranked in the SEC with 484 yards and eight touchdowns, while Patterson has 399 yards for the season. The duo has been difficult to contain when sharing reps; however, Baxter did not play in the Wildcats’ most recent game against Oklahoma. He is expected to return for this game against the Commodores. Ultimately, the ability for each pair of running backs to drive down the field and take over in the red zone will be pivotal on determining which team controls the game.
Battle of big decisions
Kentucky is tied for first in the SEC — its best start to a season since its vacated 6-1 start in 2018. This record, however, cannot be explained solely by statistics. By the numbers, the Wildcats are not outstanding at one particular position group. They rank No. 8 in the SEC in overall offense and No. 12 in overall defense, yet they have had an impressive win against SEC powerhouse LSU and road wins against South Carolina, Texas A&M and Oklahoma, while also going toe-to-toe with Alabama in the first half. Kentucky’s success can be attributed to high-pressure decision-making. In their win against South Carolina, the Wildcats started down 17-0 but were able to rally and tie up the game to force overtime. In overtime, South Carolina scored first and kicked the extra point. When it was Kentucky’s turn though, they scored quickly and did not hesitate to go for two, securing their win. This happened again against LSU; Kentucky went into overtime, and LSU scored first, settling for kicking the extra point. However, when Kentucky scored, it called a gutsy run up the middle for a 2-point conversion and won the game.  These decisions have consistently differentiated Kentucky from other SEC teams this season.
Vanderbilt is also known for its bold calls. The Commodores have gone for more fourth-down conversions than any other team in the SEC, and this decision usually pays off. The ‘Dores have an impressive fourth-down conversion rate of 61%, a stat higher than most of the SEC. These gritty decisions also pay off throughout the game. Senior wide receiver Junior Sherrill is fourth in the SEC with 628 receiving yards, with most of his receptions coming from traditionally low-percentage long balls. Because of this, Sherrill averages 15.3 yards per reception, including a 60-yard touchdown pass against Georgia. Junior wide receiver Ja’Cory Thomas also averages 16.3 yards per reception. These remarkable numbers are a result of bold play calling and confident decision making. Clark Lea and the Vanderbilt coaching staff will need to remain steadfast in their gutsy calls as they face Will Stein’s steel-hearted playcalling.
The Commodores will travel to Lexington, Kentucky this Saturday, Oct. 24 to take on the Wildcats at 6:30 p.m. CDT.
 
[AC1]Great analysis Addie! Kentucky is such a unique team to cover, and you did a great job on shining light on how Will Stein has made such an immediate impact on the program.
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