Lexington, KY – On a night where the Diego Pavia show continued, Clark Lea’s defense also showed its mettle, holding the Wildcats to just 13 points and 322 yards of total offense. Brock Vandagriff looked uncomfortable most of the night and just enough plays were made on defense.

Here’s how the Coach Lea’s group graded out:

What went right:

On Kentucky’s first offensive possession, they took 5:18 off the clock, but resulted in no points after an unsportsmanlike penalty from Dane Key. That was a solid early hold from the Commodores defense that led to a Kentucky punt. The pass rush from Khordae Sydnor was a key factor in the early stop.

With 8:54 to play in the 1st half, Bryce Cowan made an incredible diving interception, but video review showed an incomplete pass. That kept the drive alive for the Wildcats, leading to a chunk play on a 1st down catch from Dane Key. Despite the momentum the Cats’ offense gathered, Trudell Berry stopped all of that with a forced fumble of Dane Key, which was recovered by Nick Rinaldi.

To end the half, the defense stood tall and forced a three-and-out from the Wildcats, giving the ball back to the offense with 1:35 left in the 1st half.

What went wrong:

In the Cats’ second drive, Glenn Seabrooks was called for a facemask penalty that aided the drive. Then, Brock Vandagriff and the running game settled in. Demie Sumo-Karngbaye capped a 12-play, 78-yard drive with a 1-yard TD to tie the game at 7-7. Vandy made the Cats go the long, hard way, but unfortunately couldn’t hold to a field goal.

Unfortunately for Vandy, edge rusher Miles Capers went down with a serious injury and was wheeled off the field on a stretcher. After the injury, the energy and feel in the entire stadium shifted after the long break in action. According to the broadcast, Capers was in stable condition and received scans at the UK Medical Center after suffering an apparent head injury.

With 3:30 to play in the 3rd quarter, Kolbey Taylor committed a hands-to-the-face penalty that led to a Kentucky field goal, cutting the lead to 17-10.

With 8:05 to play, Yilanan Outarra was called for a horse collar tackle after a sack of Brock Vandagriff. That play led to a touchdown pass from Vandagriff to Key, cutting the lead to 20-13 with 7:02 to play.

With 1:46 to play, Nick Rinaldi came up with a huge sack of Brock Vandagriff and then, Randon Fontenette deflected a pass on 2nd down. To end the game, CJ Taylor intercepted Vandagriff, just like he did in 2022.

Overall, the Commodores finished with 5 penalties for 57 yards, which is exactly what Clark Lea talks about when he describes a “clean game.”

Defensive MVP: Trudell Berry

Late in the first half, Berry forced a fumble after a catch from Dane Key, which was recovered by Nick Rinaldi. That play came at a huge time for the Commodores, just as the Wildcats had gathered some offensive momentum.

Final grade: B +