Kentucky outlasts Vanderbilt in emotional victory

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Chris Rodriguez Jr. carried 13 instances for a career-high 149 yards and a pair of touchdowns as Kentucky beat Vanderbilt 38-35 on Saturday at Kroger Discipline.

Kentucky (Three-Four, Three-Four SEC) rushed for 308 yards as a group within the sport, the second-highest complete for the Cats this season. Kentucky’s 458 yards of complete offense additionally marked the second-highest in a sport in 2020. UK’s season highs got here in opposition to Ole Miss within the second sport of the season.

Quarterback Terry Wilson had a stable sport for the Cats on Saturday. Wilson related on 13 of his 15 passes, together with 9 of his first 9, for 110 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Wilson additionally rushed for 83 yards on seven carries, together with a landing.

Defensively, Jamin Davis led Kentucky in tackles once more this week, notching 13 in Saturday’s win. Yusuf Corker and Marquez Bembry every had 9 tackles for the Cats.

In honor of John Schlarman, Kentucky’s offensive line coach who died earlier within the week, the Wildcats left an open spot on the offensive line and in the end took a delay of sport penalty on the sport’s first play. After the penalty, which Vanderbilt declined, UK despatched senior offensive deal with Landon Younger onto the sphere, carrying jersey quantity 65, which Schlarman wore as a UK participant.

After honoring their coach, the Wildcat offense marched down the sphere, protecting 75 yards in 9 performs. The drive ended when Wilson hit Justin Rigg over the center with a 15-yard landing, the primary of Rigg’s profession, to provide the Cats an early lead. Probability Poore added the additional level and Kentucky led 7-Zero with 10:15 to play within the first quarter.

Vanderbilt was pressured to punt on the conclusion of its first possession, with Kentucky taking up at its personal 32 yard line. From there, the Cats wanted simply six performs to cowl 68 yards and prolong the lead. It was Wilson scrambling down the proper sideline for a 32-yard landing rush. Poore added the PAT and Kentucky led 14-Zero with Three:48 left within the first. That may be the rating after one quarter.

Initially of the second quarter, Vanderbilt minimize into the UK lead. The Commodores coated 74 yards in simply eight performs, culminating with a 34-yard landing move from Ken Seals to Chris Pierce. And when Wes Farley added the PAT, the UK lead was 14-7 with 14:30 to play within the half.

The Wildcats answered on the following drive. Boosted by a 27-yard rush from Rodriguez, the Cats drove into Vandy territory and scored when Wilson related with Keaton Upshaw for a 21-yard landing move over the center. Poore added one other PAT and the Cats prolonged the result in 21-7 with 10:28 left within the half. The drive coated 79 yards in seven performs.

On Vanderbilt’s subsequent drive, the Commodores drove deep into Kentucky territory. Then, on a fourth-and-goal from the 2 yard line, Vandy’s Mike Wright related with Ben Bresnahan with a brief landing move. The drive took 17 performs and coated 78 yards and it minimize the UK result in 21-14 with Three:40 to play within the half.

Simply earlier than the half, Kentucky drove into Vandy territory and with three seconds left within the half, Poore made a 28-yard subject objective to provide the Cats a 24-14 lead on the half. It was Poore’s first made subject objective of the season on his first try.

Within the second half, Vanderbilt was pressured to punt on its first possession and Josh Ali caught the punt on the run and returned it 39 yards to the Vandy 26 yard line.

From there, Kentucky wanted simply six performs to get into the tip zone once more. Rodriguez took direct snaps on the final two performs of the drive, the latter of which was a three-yard landing run. Poore added one other PAT and the Cats’ lead was 31-14 with 10:34 to go within the third. At that time, Kentucky had scored on all 5 of its drives within the sport.

Vanderbilt answered with one other lengthy, sustained drive. The Commodores would get contained in the UK one, however would lose a yard on the third-down play. Then on fourth-and-goal from the 2, Wright scrambled round proper finish for the rating. Pierson Cooke added the PAT to chop the UK result in 31-21 with 2:53 left within the third quarter. It was a 15-play, 75-yard drive that took 7:41 off the clock.

The Cats punted for the primary time on their subsequent possession however Vanderbilt was unable to do something with the possession and punted it again to the Cats, who took the ball at their very own 9.

On the following drive, Rodriguez broke unfastened for a landing run that coated 74 yards, a profession lengthy, extending the lead. Poore’s PAT was good, giving UK a 38-21 lead with 9:14 to play.

Vanderbilt added a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns, together with one with 30 seconds remaining, to finish the scoring.

Kentucky returns to motion subsequent week, visiting top-ranked Alabama at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa. Kickoff is ready for Four p.m. ET and the sport will be seen on the SEC Community.