Vandy knocks off Wildcats to get bowl eligible
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Vanderbilt intercepted Kentucky's Jalen Whitlow four times and got 172 total yards from Jordan Matthews, as the Commodores beat Kentucky by a 22-6 score at Dudley Field on Saturday and became bowl eligible for the third time in three years.
The Commodores gave up a touchdown on Kentucky's first drive, but were nearly flawless defensively from there. Meanwhile, the VU offense sputtered for most of the day, but VU's defense and special teams were more than enough to help overcome the Wildcats.
Advertisement
Andre Hal, Paris Head, Andrew Williamson and Kenny Ladler had the picks for the Commodores, who held UK to 262 yards and improved to 6-4 overall (3-4 Southeastern Conference).
Kentucky marched 75 yards in 12 plays for its lone score, as Jojo Kemp ran over from three yards out. But Vandy's Adam Butler blocked the extra point and Steven Clarke scooped it up and ran the distance, so instead of 7-0, the lead was just 6-2.
After Andre Hal's interception of Whitlow set VU up nicely in UK territory, Brian Kimbrow's 21-yard scoring run and Carey Spear's point-after gave the Commodores a 9-6 lead with 52 seconds left in the first quarter.
Neither team scored again until Spear hit a 26-yard field goal with 13:00 left in the game. He'd add another with 7:15 left that put VU up, 15-9.
On a fourth-and-4 play from the 13, Patton Robinette's jump-pass to to Kris Kentera added the game's final score with 47 seconds left.
The Commodores, who had 313 yards of offense on Saturday, had never been to back-to-back bowls in their history until last season.