{"id":51567,"date":"2023-09-24T10:00:29","date_gmt":"2023-09-24T14:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/?p=51567"},"modified":"2025-09-13T16:20:42","modified_gmt":"2025-09-13T20:20:42","slug":"kentucky-beats-vanderbilt-45-28","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/2023\/09\/24\/kentucky-beats-vanderbilt-45-28\/","title":{"rendered":"Kentucky Beats Vanderbilt 45-28"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cats Get A Road Win<\/span><\/h3>\n

On Saturday Kentucky hit the road for the first time in 2023. Although, it was a short drive of only three hours to Nashville. In a change from previous games,\u00a0<\/span>Mark Stoops’<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0club started strong but failed once again to put a full four quarters together. At the end of the day a win is a win and let’s break it down as Kentucky beats Vanderbilt 45-28.<\/span><\/p>\n

Finally A Fast Start<\/span><\/h3>\n

In our game preview,\u00a0<\/span><\/a>we talked about how the Wildcats have had trouble getting out of the blocks. However, on Saturday they put it all together. At least for the first 25 minutes. On their first offensive possession, UK went 72 yards in eight plays.\u00a0<\/span>Ju’than McClain\u00a0<\/span><\/a>took it the final 36 and it was 7-0 five minutes into the game.<\/span><\/p>\n

On the ensuing possession,\u00a0<\/span>Trevin Wallace<\/span><\/a>\u00a0forced\u00a0<\/span>AJ Swann<\/span><\/a>\u00a0into a bad pass.\u00a0<\/span>Maxwell Hairston<\/span><\/a>\u00a0picked it off going 29 yards and the Cats were up two scores. A two-yard\u00a0<\/span>Ray Davis\u00a0<\/span><\/a>ran Kentucky up 21 and things were looking good.<\/span><\/p>\n

Unfortunately faster than\u00a0<\/span>Lee Corso<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0can say “Not so fast my friends” the Cats fell apart at the end of the half.\u00a0<\/span>Jacob Borcila’s\u00a0<\/span><\/a>41-yard field goal got Vandy on the board. Following a three-and-out a bad punt by Wilson Berry gave the Commodores great field position. Aided by two penalties on Hairston, Vandy hit pay dirt on a seven-yard\u00a0<\/span>Sedrick Alexander\u00a0<\/span><\/a>run and all of a sudden it was 24-10 at the break.<\/span><\/p>\n

Consistently Inconsistent<\/span><\/h3>\n

In their three previous games, the Cats played much better in the second stanza. Against Vandy, they did the opposite but were lucky. Two punts and an interception only led to three points. Finally, UK got some positive things going.<\/span><\/p>\n

A\u00a0<\/span>D’Eryk Jackson\u00a0<\/span><\/a>interception and subsequent lateral to\u00a0<\/span>Andru Phillips<\/span><\/a>\u00a0set the Cats up deep in Vandy territory. Davis took it in for his second score and Kentucky led by 18. In his return to Nashville Davis ran for 78 yards and two scores. Not quite the huge numbers he\u00a0<\/span>put up last week\u00a0<\/span><\/a>or in the Commodores’ upset win in Lexington last year.<\/span><\/p>\n

Devin Leary<\/span><\/a>\u00a0hit\u00a0<\/span>Dane Key<\/span><\/a>\u00a0with a 22-yard touchdown and suddenly it was 38-13. Unfortunately, the sophomore receiver received an unsportsmanlike penalty for tapping the Vandy defender on the head. Time and time again Kentucky does something positive then a negative happens right after.<\/span><\/p>\n

Following a Vanderbilt score, Hairston picked off Swann again getting his second pick-six of the day. In the process, he put himself in exclusive company at Kentucky.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Maxwell Hairston is the first Kentucky player in school history to have 2 interception return touchdowns in one game<\/p>\n

— Corey Price (@coreyp08) September 23, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n