Kentucky takes on Vanderbilt this Weekend

A good chunk of college football fans turn to SEC games on Saturday’s to watch some of the best teams in the nation. This weekend’s matchup between Kentucky and Vanderbilt should be no different – plenty of people will be watching.

For one, the Wildcats have been playing some pretty good football recently. They currently sit at 5-1 and are ranked 14th in the nation. Coming off a bye-week, they look to host the Vanderbilt Commodores, who have been enduring a season plagued by some tough losses. But despite their 3-4 record, Vanderbilt could prove to be a menace for Kentucky come Saturday.

First, the Kentucky Wildcats:

The Wildcats are a coming off a surprising loss, with Texas A&M taking a shocking win in overtime. With that, Coach Mark Stoops was grateful for the bye-week, as it gave the team time to think about the loss. He also says that during their break, he worked hard to make sure the team stayed focused.

Kentucky’s defense has allowed just 83 points through six games. Every other team in the SEC East has allowed over 100.

And their offense is loaded with talent. They are led by running back Benny Snell Jr. who, sitting at just under six-feet tall, has eight touchdowns and nearly 700 yards on the season.  And Lynn Bowden Jr., just a sophomore, has had 27 catches for just under 300 yards as a wide receiver.

But there is question about how sophomore quarterback Terry Wilson will perform come Saturday – he’s had five interceptions and just three touchdowns.

With an offense powered by Snell, Kentucky should prove to be a defensive struggle for Vanderbilt.

Saturday night. Under the lights. Time to shine. #GetUp pic.twitter.com/Na5zoCniQV

— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) October 18, 2018

Now, the Vanderbilt Commodores:

But with the hard play Vanderbilt have displayed recently, Kentucky could have its hands full. The Commodores are coming off a tough loss to the No. 11 Florida Gators – after going up 21-3, they ended up losing 37-27. The team is still looking for its first SEC conference win.

Head Coach Derek Mason thinks to key to winning this game is through their defensive presence.

Vanderbilt, sitting in last place in the SEC East, is led by running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn. He has ran for nearly 500 yards on the season and currently holds five touchdowns.  And quarterback Kyle Shurmur has put up impressive numbers. He’s thrown for 11 touchdowns, picking up over 1600 passing yards in the process.  Both his talent and his senior leadership could prove to be a challenge to Kentucky.

Gold | White | Black vs. the Cats | #AnchorDown | #RTI pic.twitter.com/B0jkhblsUB

— Vanderbilt Football (@VandyFootball) October 18, 2018

But this team needs to be able to put up points to keep up with the Wildcats. Kicker Ryley Guay has missed five field goals this season, two of them in the 20-29 yard range. He will need to improve for his team to remain competitive.

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This game has the potential to be very competitive, with both teams having some incredible talent. Catch the game at 7:30 pm on the SEC Network.