Normally losing to Kentucky by 17 in football is not a redeeming result. Granted, the same is true of losing to Vanderbilt, and we all hate that narrative. This Kentucky team is a lot different. They were #12 in the AP Poll before the game then moved up to #8 and were even higher in the College Football Playoff Rankings by getting slotted at #6 in the initial reveal. Furthermore, it was a 7-point game at the end of the 3rd quarter when a fumble gifted Kentucky a FG then an interception ruined a drive
that was into Kentucky territory and also turned into a FG.
Vanderbilt went into a rowdy Kroger Field and represented themselves well for 45 minutes. They faltered at the finish. It was far from perfect for the first 3 quarters. There were plenty of things to clean up, but it was a suggestion that this team might be unlocking some things. Still, I am not sure much has really changed even if the severity maybe turned down or up.
Lessons We Know Well
Penalty timing and accumulation was the real pain point at Kentucky. There were only 3 penalties committed in the first half. Joseph McVay got too aggressive on a kickoff and shoved a Wildcat after the whistle. There was also a Caleb Azubuike false start on a 1st down that did not derail a TD drive. Nick Rinaldi was called for a Charmin ultra-soft roughing the passer that did end up aiding a Kentucky touchdown drive to get the Cats within 3. Then the second half happened. There were 6 penalties for 40 yards. Of course, 1 of them for 15 yards was the equally soft targeting call against Gabe Fisher. Like so much for Vanderbilt, they have to put a full game of “keep your composure” together.
Once again, the other lack of discipline was turnovers late in the game. On the 3rd quarter fumble, Jared Curtis was just a bit lax with ball security as a defensive player came through and knocked it free. Then, on the interception, he was trying too hard to make a play. While drifting to his left and falling away, Curtis tried to throw late back over the middle and got picked off. He has to just let plays die sometimes. There is no need to be so risky in that moment.
Junior Sherrill had another very good game with 8 catches for 78 yards. It was another roughly one-third split of the total receiving yardage.
Oh … the offensive line was terrible again. The RBs averaged 1.4 yards per carry. They had 7 carries for 10 yards. Kentucky’s average of 3.55 yards per carry allowed does not explain THAT level of ineptitude. The inability to scheme up anything remotely near a useful rushing attack is brutal.
The kicking specialists had another very good game. Brock Taylor went 1 for 1 from 30 yards out. Easy work for him. Ebel’s stat line of 3 punts for 119 yards looks pretty rough, but that was not always about him. The first punt was a 26-yard kick that was caught by Davin Chandler at the 15 instead of letting it bounce to potentially pin Kentucky even deeper. The second punt was a 60-yard effort that was returned 12 yards for a 48-yard net. The final one was a 33-yard punt that I frankly do not remember and did not even mark down in the re-watch notes. Still, it was maybe one sub-par kick from Ebel.
To be clear, for all my comments about Jared Curtis’s turnovers, he was stellar for 90% of the game. With absolutely zero help from the running game, he was able to go 27 of 36 for 247 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He also carried the ball 8 times for 6 yards. His Total QBR was an impressive 75.1. Curtis is an absolute stud. He is even doing a good job avoiding turnovers except in late-game, critical situations when he tries too hard to make big plays. Having a bye week to focus on himself instead of just game prep could be a time when he takes a huge step forward.
His growth is also hand-in-hand with other receiving options growing in performance. It may be a bit of a “chicken or the egg” situation where pass catcher and QB performance can be hard to discern as exactly which is the cause and which is the effect. Cole Spence had 5 catches for 49 yards, which were season highs in both categories. Ja’Cory Thomas had 3 catches for 35 yards, including a 34-yard TD catch on 4th down that brought Vanderbilt within 7 at 24-17 with just over 5 minutes left in the 3rd quarter. Tristen Brown and Sedrick Alexander both had 3 catches with Brown at 31 yards and Alexander at 29. Jayvontay Conner also had 2 receptions for 20 yards with a 17-yard TD highlighting his night. Collectively, they are all showing up as someone who can make a play. The real key is that there were not a memorable number of plays where a pass catcher let the QB down.
Lessons We Are Learning
The defensive inconsistency continues. They only allowed 3 drives of greater than 50 yards. All 3 of them came consecutively as Kentucky went 75, 79, and 75 yards on their final two drives of the first half and the first drive of the second half. Another TD was scored on just 47 yards after the interception. One FG was scored after 4 yards off the fumble. Another 3 came after 46 yards. They just needed to be a bit more buttoned up. The TDs were all 10 yard plays or shorter. Two were from the 1. They never broke, but they bent just a bit too much.
The offense did use more misdirection, especially in the first half. They were using motion and fakes consistently thoughout the game, but I think the first two drives were 80 or 90 percent usage. It was not the same offense as Pavia, as evidenced by the pass-heavy balance.
The “identity” was there early Saturday then they backed off a bit. The Commodores jumped to a 10-0 lead by forcing 2 straight 3-and-outs. The players fought throughout. There was no fear. There were mistakes. The coaches have to keep the pressure and fire up. Do not worry about “safe.” Worry about stepping on the opponents’ throats.
Missed opportunities continue to plague this team almost as badly as penalties. There were two dropped picks. One of the drives allowd to continue ended in a TD. The other was allowed to flip field position. Vanderbilt’s second offensive drive only scored a FG after starting at the Kentucky 20. None of the plays alone would have made a 17-point difference, but they could have changed situations and pressure, potentially mitigating other mistakes. Snowball effect and whatnot.
Lessons for Further Study
Can this team build some momentum for the offseason? Barring a 2016/2018 type run to the finish, postseason football is dead. They do need to have success down the stretch if they want to make big transfer portal moves. And avoid losing their own players to the highest bidder.
