No. 12 Kentucky hosts Vanderbilt on Saturday at Kroger Field in Lexington, with the Wildcats looking to extend a six-game winning streak against a Commodores team still searching for its first SEC win. Kentucky enters at 6-1 under first-year coach Will Stein, while Vanderbilt is 3-4 overall and winless through four conference games. In Vanderbilt vs Kentucky Week 8, the Wildcats’ playoff push runs headfirst into a Commodores squad that beat them a year ago, a fact Stein has not let his team forget.
Vanderbilt Vs Kentucky Week 8 Game Information
- Date: Saturday, Oct. 24
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Venue: Kroger Field, Lexington, Kentucky
- TV: SEC Network
- Weather: 62 degrees, 0% chance of precipitation
How Has Kentucky Built A 6-1 Record?
Kentucky has won three of its last five games by a combined seven points, including consecutive overtime victories over South Carolina and then-No. 10 LSU. Against LSU, quarterback Kenny Minchey scored the winning touchdown on a run through the middle, according to On3. The Wildcats followed that with a 21-13 road win at Oklahoma on Oct. 17, a game in which a fake field goal attempt by the Sooners turned into a Kentucky interception, per Bleacher Report.
Minchey has completed 67.8% of his passes for 1,552 yards, 13 touchdowns and just one interception this season. Kentucky’s road wins have come at Texas A&M, South Carolina and Oklahoma, each described as a hostile environment, according to CBS Sports. The Wildcats have climbed to No. 12 in the AP Top 25 and rank 20th nationally in adjusted EPA per play, per that same CBS Sports report.
What Is Vanderbilt’s Record Against The Spread Of SEC Play?
Vanderbilt has dropped four straight SEC games, falling to Auburn 21-15, Georgia 38-14, Ole Miss 52-17 and Arkansas 31-21. The loss to Arkansas marked that program’s first SEC win since 2024, according to CBS Sports. Commodores quarterback Jared Curtis threw two interceptions in the Arkansas defeat and has thrown seven interceptions against six touchdowns on the season, completing 60.4% of his passes for 1,646 yards.
Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea is 17-9 in games started by quarterback Diego Pavia and 12-31 in games he has not started, according to CBS Sports, a split that underlines how much the Commodores’ fortunes have depended on that specific position battle this season. Vanderbilt still brings one of the more productive passing attacks in the country. A Commodores wide receiver ranks 11th nationally in receiving yards, per CBS Sports, while running back Sedrick Alexander has carried 61 times for 270 yards and five touchdowns.
What Does Kentucky’s Injury Report Look Like?
Kentucky’s injury report, released this week, includes several linebackers. Grant Grayton is out for Saturday, though Stein does not expect the absence to last the season, according to Sports Illustrated. Linebacker Sam Greene is doubtful, and receiver Nic Anderson is questionable, per the same report.
Running back CJ Baxter, who missed the Oklahoma game, is listed as probable to return. Baxter has rushed 87 times for 484 yards and eight touchdowns this season when healthy. Linebacker Tavion Wallace is also probable. No Vanderbilt players appeared on an injury report tied to this game.
Why Does Will Stein Say Vanderbilt’s Record Is Misleading?
Stein has pushed back on any notion that Vanderbilt’s 3-4 record makes this a simple matchup. “I don’t think any of us in this room or this organization need to be fooled by any type of record. Last time I checked, (Vandy) embarrassed Kentucky last year and so we know what they are able to do in all three phases,” Stein said, according to Sports Illustrated. The comment points to last season’s result between the two programs and frames Saturday as a measuring-stick game for a Kentucky team trying to validate its ranking against a struggling opponent.
By The Numbers
- Points per game: Kentucky 32.7, Vanderbilt 23.6
- Total yards per game: Kentucky 387.9, Vanderbilt 354.3
- Passing yards per game: Kentucky 221.7, Vanderbilt 235.1
- Rushing yards per game: Kentucky 166.1, Vanderbilt 119.1
- Third-down conversion rate: Kentucky 29.11%, Vanderbilt 38.54%
- Fourth-down conversion rate: Kentucky 60.00%, Vanderbilt 61.11%
- Turnover differential: Kentucky +2, Vanderbilt -2
- Total takeaways: Kentucky 7, Vanderbilt 10
- Total giveaways: Kentucky 5, Vanderbilt 12
- Yards per pass attempt: Kentucky 7.5, Vanderbilt 7.6
What To Watch
Kentucky needs to keep winning to stay in the playoff conversation as it heads into a difficult final stretch of the season, according to Sports Illustrated. A win would extend the Wildcats’ streak to seven games and reinforce the case for their current No. 12 ranking. Vanderbilt, meanwhile, is trying to avoid a fifth straight SEC loss and will lean on its passing attack to keep pace with a Kentucky offense averaging better than 32 points per game. The turnover battle could prove decisive given Vanderbilt’s minus-2 differential against Kentucky’s plus-2 mark this season.
Readers can find more SEC coverage from Total Apex Sports, including the Ole Miss vs. Vanderbilt preview and the recap of Georgia’s 38-14 win over Vanderbilt, along with the Auburn vs. Tennessee preview from earlier this month.
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