LEXINGTON, Ky. – There was no hangover for the Vanderbilt football team coming off the biggest win in school history, as the Commodores won a 20-13 slugfest at Kentucky on Saturday to post back-to-back SEC wins.
After shocking the college football universe with last week’s 40-35 win over No. 1-ranked Alabama, Vanderbilt posted its first SEC road win since the 2022 season. The last conference road victory for the Commodores also came at Kroger Field, when Vandy knocked off the then No. 24-ranked Wildcats, 24-21, on Nov. 12, 2022.
With the win, Vanderbilt moves to 4-2 overall and 2-1 in SEC play. Vandy is off to its best start since the 2008 campaign, when the Dores opened the year at 5-1.
It is the first time the Dores have posted back-to-back conference wins since knocking off Kentucky (24-21) and Florida (31-24) towards the end of the 2022 campaign. The Commodores also won their second-straight game at Kroger Field, marking back-to-back wins in Lexington for Vanderbilt since 1992 and 1994.
The Commodores once again controlled the tempo against the Wildcats. Vandy held the ball for over 34 minutes of game time, nearly 10 minutes longer than Kentucky.
Quarterback Diego Pavia put on another show behind center for the Commodores. The graduate transfer threw for two touchdowns and amassed 196 total yards in the victory. Pavia completed 15-of-18 for 143 yards, tossed for a pair of scores, and added 53 yards on the ground. He is the first SEC quarterback in at least 20 seasons to complete over 80 percent of their passes, throw for two touchdowns, rush for 50 yards, and win back-to-back games.
Senior Richie Hoskins led the Dores with a career-high 44 receiving yards and one touchdown on three receptions. He found paydirt towards the end of the first half, as Pavia tossed an 18-yard dart down the sideline to Hoskins to give Vandy a 14-7 lead with 13 seconds left before halftime.
The Commodores’ offense opened the game with a season-long 97-yard touchdown drive, as Vandy went down the field in eight plays to take a 7-0 lead over the Wildcats. Running back AJ Newberry hauled in a 20-yard touchdown pass to record his first receiving touchdown of the season. Pavia posted 70 yards total on Vanderbilt’s first possession, collecting 50 rushing yards and adding another 20 through the air.
Kentucky tied the game on the ensuing possession, then the two SEC rivals traded turnovers. The Dores threw their first interception of the season at the 10:33 mark of the second quarter. Vanderbilt’s defense got the ball back minutes later, as cornerback Trudell Berry forced a fumble that linebacker Nick Rinaldi recovered at the Vanderbilt 34-yard line with 2:24 remaining before the half.
Pavia moved the Dores 60 yards downfield in six plays on their final possession of the first half, finishing the drive with an 18-yard touchdown to Hoskins that gave Vandy a 14-7 lead going into the locker room.
Vanderbilt extended its lead to 17-7 with a 49-yard field goal from Brock Taylor on the opening possession of the second half.
The Commodore defense made the most of a Kentucky miscue on the next possession. The Wildcats botched a field goal attempt from the Vandy 5-yard line, which resulted in safety De’Rickey Wright intercepting a pass from the UK holder.
Coming off the Wright interception, Vanderbilt drove the ball to the Kentucky 32-yard line, where Taylor drilled a 50-yard field goal to push the Commodore advantage out to 20-7.
Kentucky cut into that lead with a 22-yard touchdown pass with 7:02 left in the game. The Commodores had to punt the ball back to UK on its next possession.
The Vandy defense took the field with 2:26 remaining, clinging to a 20-13 lead. The Wildcats got into Vanderbilt territory, but the Dores stood tall, as safety CJ Taylor sealed the game with an interception at the 1:06 mark of the fourth quarter.
Vanderbilt returns to FirstBank Stadium Saturday, as the Commodores welcome in Ball State for a nonconference contest. Kickoff against the Cardinals is set for 6 p.m. and will stream on ESPN+ and SEC Network+.
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