Nov. 10, 2006
Vanderbilt will be looking to keep its bowl hopes alive as well as keep Kentucky from becoming bowl eligible for the first time since 2002 when it travels to Lexington, Ky., Saturday to take on the Wildcats at 1 p.m. CST. The game will not be televised locally.
Kentucky Players to Watch:
#19 Keenan Burton: Junior WR (6-2, 195). After being sidelined for much of the past two years with injuries, Burton has come into own in 2006, leading the team with 46 catches for 678 yards. His seven touchdown catches is good for second on the team, and his eight total touchdowns is tied for first on the Wildcats. Burton is averaging 141 all-purpose yards per game, which leads not only Kentucky but the Southeastern Conference as well. His average of 26 yards per kickoff return is best on Kentucky and second best in the SEC, and he ranks 10th nationally in all-purpose yards per game and 23rd nationally in kickoff returns.
#3 Andre Woodson: Junior QB (6-5, 232). Woodson has completed 164 of 275 passes on the year for 1,921 yards. After throwing only six touchdowns passes all of last year, he has thrown 20 this season to lead the SEC. He has thrown three touchdown passes in five different games this year, thrown for more than 200 yards seven times and his average passing yards per game of 236.1 is third in the SEC and 19th nationally. His pass efficiency rating of 143.5 ranks fifth in the SEC and 28th in the nation.
#12 Dickey Lyons: Sophomore WR (5-11, 190). Lyons forms the other half of a potent receiving duo for Kentucky along with junior Keenan Burton. Lyons is second on the Wildcats with 36 catches and 572 receiving yards, but his eight receiving touchdowns and 15.9 yards per catch ranks first on the team. His 765 all-purpose yards is second on the team, and his average of 85 all-purpose yards per game is third.
#16 Wesley Woodyard: Junior LB (6-1, 212). Named to the preseason watch list for the Butkus Award, given to the nation’s most outstanding collegiate linebacker, Woodyard leads Kentucky with 79 total tackles, including 6.5 tackles for losses, also tops on the team. His average of 8.8 tackles per game leads the Wildcats and is good for third best in the SEC.
#98 Myron Pryor: Sophomore DT (6-1, 300). Despite missing the majority of two games die to injury, Pryor is one of the Wildcats’ top-10 leading tacklers with 28 overall, and leads Kentucky with four sacks. He has 4.5 tackles for losses – tied for second on the team – and also has an interception to his credit.
Talking Points:
Saturday will mark the 79th all-time meeting between Vanderbilt and Kentucky, with the series currently knotted at 37-37-4. The wildcats have won four of the past five meetings between the schools including a 48-43 decision last year in Nashville, and Kentucky as a 20-13-2 record against Vanderbilt in Lexington.
Kentucky’s five wins are already the most it has had since the 2002 season when it went 7-5 and its three SEC victories are the most since 2002 as well.
The Wildcats have forced nine more turnovers than they have given away, a ratio that is good for second in the SEC and 11th in the nation.
The Kentucky defense is tied for 11th in the nation in fumble recoveries with 12. The Wildcat defense has forced 17 fumbles overall.
Kentucky has only six recruited scholarship players on the team – tied for the fewest in the nation – and has played a total of 13 true freshmen – tied for fifth most in the country.
Kentucky is third in the SEC and 25th in the nation in passing offense, averaging 244.1 passing yards per game.
Kentucky Head Coach Rich Brooks was the head coach at Oregon from 1977-1994 where he amassed the most wins of any coach in school history. He then spent time in the NFL, including a stint as the head coach of the St. Louis Rams in 1995-96.
Kentucky was 0-4 on the year when trailing at halftime prior to rallying from a 14-10 halftime deficit to beat Georgia last week.