Dominance.

It feels like a word that comes up often around this program. Almost never in the way that head coach Clark Lea would like.

That was applicable again early in Saturday's loss as Kentucky started this one with 24 unanswered points.

Not only on the offensive and defensive lines, but on the perimeter, in the running game, in terms of energy, focus and also in the crowd size.

FirstBank Stadium was big and blue on Saturday. At this point, why wouldn't it be?

For the first half of Saturday's matchup it felt like varsity against JV at times. Not like the first week of conference play.

Especially not one that looked on paper like one of Vanderbilt's better chances at a conference win.

Kentucky wasn't at its best for much of the afternoon, either.

The second half provided some semblance of hope but ended in Vanderbilt shooting itself in the foot and making the same mistakes it always has.

Vanderbilt found its way back into this one and showed perhaps the most energy that it has all season after a dust up with former Commodore Ray Davis at halftime.

That provided some momentum and some distraction from what seemed to be reality in the first half as well as a 13-0 run. That reality struck again in the third quarter when Swann gave it back to Kentucky and set it up for Davis' second touchdown of the day, though.

That interception felt like it sucked the life out of the Vanderbilt contingent at FirstBank stadium and served as a push back into the real world.

At this rate, who's to sell optimism with a straight face. It looked like there was a 2-10 team on the field at FirstBank Stadium for much of Saturday's game and it wasn't Kentucky.

As Vanderbilt showed off its construction project to the rest of the Southeastern Conference it also showed off how much of a work in progress its build is, too.

Its lines don't look SEC caliber, its intensity didn't look SEC caliber and neither did much of its offensive performance. The question of "what other team in the league lets that happen?" or "What other SEC group looks like that?" was answered on Saturday.

Nobody else.

There's talent on this team, but the sum of the parts is still much greater than the whole. Even the sum of the parts is still an immense question, though.

So is the direction of this program, how do you sell culture and belief after this? And after last week? And after the week before?

As a Kentucky defensive player walked on the field on Saturday, he was overheard saying "this s*** weak."

Regardless of what he was talking about, how do you argue with him?

Vanderbilt didn't put up much of an argument on Saturday and with the way its responded throughout most of 2023, who's to say that it does at any point this season.