VandySports.com's Chris Lee asks CatsIllustrated.com's Justin Rowland five key questions about Kentucky heading into Saturday's football game.

1. Give us an update on key players who may be absent or injured for the Vanderbilt game, and an update on key players who may be returning.

Quarterback Terry Wilson had been dealing with an injury recently but he's back on the practice field and should be ready for the game.

The question is whether he will once again be named the starter.

Joey Gatewood was inserted into the game against Missouri for about a quarter and was the starter in Wilson's absence against UGA. This could be a situation where the staff has to decide if they want to prepare for the future with Gatewood, or go back to the senior out of loyalty and to maximize this team's success.

I'm not sure how the reps will play out but I'd expect us to see both of them.

Nose tackle Quinton Bohanna missed the Missouri and Georgia games with an injury and he will be back as well. Kentucky's defense was not the same without him especially against the run so his return will be very significant.

I should add that Kentucky is dealing with a COVID-19 situation that has affected a few offensive staff members but also several players on the team. There's even some question as to whether it could throw this weekend's contest into question. We don't have a lot of details about who is involved but this is something big to watch for in the next 48 hours.

2. Who'll start at quarterback and what should we expect in terms of performance against a Vanderbilt secondary that's really struggled in coverage?

Going back to what I started to address above, it could be Wilson or Gatewood.

Wilson is a more dynamic runner and that could be significant since the passing game is pretty much non-existent at the moment. Gatewood had plenty of run opportunities against UGA and while we have to grant that's a very talented defense he doesn't have the same explosiveness when he tucks and takes off.

Vanderbilt is the best possible SEC opponent for Kentucky to try and get things back on track but this is not a team that's going to pass 40-45 times. I think you'll see them throw more out of 12 personnel and try a little more RPO however.

The receivers have been arguably the biggest problem in the passing game. They have not been getting open.

3. If Kentucky can't generate a passing game, how do the 'Cats attack Vanderbilt and who are the key players to watch?

The 'Cats best offense recently has been the running of redshirt sophomore Chris Rodriguez. He's very much in the Benny Snell style of runner. Rodriguez is not a threat to break an 80-yarder but he will rip off chunk plays because of his ability to bounce off and run through defenders. He's an extremely physical runner who is thriving in short yardage situations and had as much success rushing against UGA as just about any back is going to.

Senior A.J. Rose and redshirt sophomore Kavosiey Smoke are the other backs in the rotation. Rose is the best receiver of the bunch and is more of a big play threat than Rodriguez. Smoke may be the most gifted and explosive rusher of the group but durability has been a major question for him.

4. Kentucky's got 11 interceptions and three pick-6s this season while allowing 6.5 yards per throw. Tell us more about how the Wildcats are getting it done in pass defense.

Over the last four games Kentucky has allowed zero touchdowns against all of those interceptions. It's been pretty impressive to watch.

LSU transfer Kelvin Joseph has been a big addition in the secondary. He's the most talented player back there and has the athleticism, skill, and confidence to match up against WR1 types. We expected Kentucky's secondary to play at a very high level this year because they returned almost everyone from a unit that ranked in the Top-5 or Top-10 of most national pass defense categories.

Bo Nix and Matt Corral had some success the first two weeks against Kentucky. Nix may have played the best game of his career and Ole Miss really lit them up. But since then they have played very sound without blown coverages.

Kentucky's defensive strategy is to keep everything in front and force you to drive the field. Missouri had a fairly efficient passing day because Connor Bazelak took all the short stuff UK gave him and they controlled the clock while the Cats' offense sputtered. But guys like KJ Costello, Jarrett Guarantano, and Stetson Bennett tried to force some stuff that wasn't there, and those three players tossed all 11 of those UK interceptions on the season.

5. Vanderbilt's going to be a heavy underdog against anyone, and for good reason. But--as last week proved--VU's best chance seems to come in a low-scoring game, and the Wildcats just lost two like that. Do you see this as a game that has a chance to be interesting late, and why or why not?

I want to be very clear that Kentucky's offense has been pretty brutal to watch the last two games and it hasn't been really good for much of the season, aside from the Ole Miss game. So it would not surprise me at all if the passing game struggles and it's an ugly contest.

That said, I would still give Kentucky the advantage because the defense really is pretty good with Bohanna in there and the rushing attack should find some success.