Highlights, MVP, and Twitter celebrations for Kentucky Wildcats surging past Vanderbilt

It feels like there’s an inevitability to Will Stein and the Kentucky Wildcats. Even when they fell behind Vanderbilt 10-0 early in the second quarter Saturday night, with two three-and-outs to start the game on offense, it just felt like once the Cats’ offense got going, they would flip momentum over to their side.

That’s exactly what they did, scoring on six straight drives to double up Vanderbilt 34-17 at Kroger Field. Kentucky’s winning streak is now six games, and their record is 7-1, including 5-1 in the SEC.

By the time the Cats’ offense was running out the clock, Kroger Field was singing “All Your’n,” chanting “GO BIG BLUE!” and singing Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’. These are incredible times we are living in!

Highlights

Observations

• Kentucky scored on six straight drives following two three-and-outs to start the game. Three of those drives were double-digit drives or at least four minutes off the clock.
• With Kentucky leading 24-17, the Cats’ defense did what they did to Oklahoma and Vanderbilt by forcing back-to-back late turnovers. A fumble and interception led to 10 points and a 34-17 Wildcats lead with just over five minutes remaining.
• The Wildcats’ defense held Vanderbilt to a meager 15 rushing yards on 17 carries. That’s an average of 0.9 yards per carry. WOW!
• Kentucky outscored Vanderbilt 34-7 after falling behind 10-0 early in the second quarter.
• Seven Kentucky ball-carriers combined for 168 yards on 39 carries for an average of 4.3 yards per carry.

MVP: Kenny Minchey

At Kentucky’s Football Media Day, I asked Kenny Minchey if there’s a quarterback he likes to watch on film and model his game after. His answer: Joe Burrow. Saturday night, Minchey displayed a Joe Burrow-like cool in the pocket, showing tremendous poise against an aggressive Vanderbilt pressure and taking vicious hits.

Minchey completed 19 of 26 passes for 103 yards and a touchdown, while adding 23 yards and a touchdown on five carries. Minchey now has 14 touchdown passes on the season with 1,755 passing yards.

Box Score

Game Summary

First Quarter

Even though the Wildcats trailed just 3-0 at the end of the first quarter, that doesn’t tell the story of the first 15 minutes. Vanderbilt ran 20 plays to Kentucky’s six. Kentucky went three-and-out on both of their possessions, including their second that started at their own 40-yard line.

The Commodores got on the board with a 32-yard field goal by Brock Taylor, which was set up by a 45-yard punt return by Martel Hight. Vanderbilt possessed the ball for 11:37 in the first quarter, gaining 95 yards to Kentucky’s 14.

Second Quarter

The second quarter didn’t start much better for the Cats. Vanderbilt, who had a drive start at their own 5-yard line late in the first quarter, carried it over into the second quarter to cover 95 yards in 16 plays and take nearly nine minutes off the clock. It culminated with a three-yard touchdown reception from Jayvontay Conner to make it 10-0.

But that’s when the Cats’ offense woke up. On their next possession, Kenny Minchey found a rhythm. Despite taking some vicious hits, Minchey guided the Cats into the red zone to bring the crowd some much-needed juice. On 3rd&6 from the 9-yard line, Minchey stood tall in the pocket and fired a strike to DJ Miller for a touchdown to cut the deficit to 10-7.

On the drive, Minchey hit Willie Rodriguez on a seam route for 21 yards down to the Vanderbilt 26-yard line. Minchey took a vicious hit that drew a roughing the passer penalty to move the ball to the 13-yard line. It got Minchey fired up, and the crowd was starting to come to life. Vanderbilt sent pressure at Minchey on that play and on Minchey’s touchdown pass, but it backfired thanks to Minchey’s pocket poise and accuracy down the field.

After the Cats forced a three-and-out on their ensuing defensive possession, Minchey and the offense ratcheted it up by driving 79 yards in 13 plays in an absolute clinic of a four-minute offense drive. It featured three third-down conversions, including a 12-yard pass to D.J. Miller on 3rd&10 from their own 21-yard line.

On the third third-down attempt, Willie Rodriguez took a direct snap and chopped his feet towards the middle of the pile. Then, though, a lane opened to the outside on the right side of the field, which Rodriguez took and easily cruised into the end zone. Kentucky took a 14-10 lead into the locker room, and all of the momentum with it.

Kentucky finished the first half with 160 yards to Vanderbilt’s 147, while converting four of six third downs, with all four conversions coming in the second quarter. Despite finishing with 8:20 less time of possession, the Cats controlled the second quarter to take the lead into halftime and seize every piece of momentum Vanderbilt acquired in the first 15+ minutes of the game.

CJ Baxter left the game briefly in the second quarter with an injury, but he came back to the field in full uniform.

Third Quarter

Kentucky came right out of the gate in the second half, racing 75 yards on eight plays to take a 21-10 lead on backup quarterback Brennen Ward’s 10-yard wildcat touchdown rush. Minchey split out wide to the left on the play to totally fool Vanderbilt’s defense.

Vanderbilt responded on their next drive. On 3rd&12 from their own 45-yars line. quarterback Jared Curtis hit wide receiver Junior Sherrill for a 14-yard gain. Then, on 3rd&15 from the Kentucky 46-yard line, Sherrill hauled in a 12-yard pass while going to the ground. The Commodores opted to go for it, and it paid dividends when Curits threw deep down the right sideline to Ja’Cory Thomas for a 34-yard touchdown to cut the Wildcats’ lead to 21-17.

Back came the Cats, driving 46 yards on 10 plays to take 4:21 off the clock and leading to a 47-yard field goal by Adam Zouagui to extend the lead to 24-17. Then came a game-changing defensive play by the Cats. Mi’Quise Humphrey-Grace strip sacked Jared Curtis on 2nd&14, one play after a Vanderbilt false start, and Tavion Gadson recovered the ball at the Commodores’ 17-yard line. Kentucky took advantage with a 31-yard Zouagui field goal to extend the Cats’ lead to 27-17 50 seconds into the fourth quarter.

Fourth Quarter

Fresh off a two-interception fourth quarter last week, Kentucky defensive back Ty Bryant picked off Curtis with just under 11 minutes remaining to stall a Vanderbilt drive. On the ensuing Cats’ offensive drive, Jason Patterson converted a 4th&1 from the 25-yard line with a four-yard rush for a first down.

The Cats had a first-and-goal at the 2-yard line, and two plays later Kenny Minchey withstood his helmet being ripped off by an illegal hands-to-face and carried the ball the final yard for a touchdown. It extended the Cats’ lead to 34-17 with 5:11 remaining. That would hold up as the final score, as Kentucky ran out the final 3:45 for their sixth straight win and fifth in the SEC.

Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt Twitter Reactions

Big Blue Nation was fired up for Saturday night’s game. Here are the best reactions from Big Blue Nation on Twitter.