LEXINGTON, Ky. – On a night of very little offense in the Bluegrass State, Vanderbilt couldn’t muster enough of its own to secure an SEC win.
No. 14 Kentucky capitalized on a big night from running back Benny Snell and held on for a 14-7 win over the visiting Commodores on Saturday at Kroger Field.
Here’s how it went down:
WHAT HAPPENED: Vanderbilt struck first on a Kyle Shurmur touchdown toss to C.J. Bolar in the first quarter to take a 7-0 lead over Kentucky. The Dores forced two first-half turnovers from the Wildcats and went into halftime knotted up 7-7. But a botched attempt at a fourth-down conversion turned into a go-ahead touchdown drive for Kentucky early in the fourth quarter. The Wildcats would then hold on to win 14-7.
TURNING POINT: With 13:43 to play and the score tied 7-7, Vanderbilt faced a 4th-and-1 inside the Kentucky 30. The Dores opted to go for it, with running back Jamauri Wakefield taking a handoff up the middle. But Wakefield fumbled behind the line of scrimmage and the Cats recovered to spark a 12-play, 80-yard, go-ahead touchdown drive for the home team. The drive was capped by Snell’s lone touchdown of the night, which pushed Kentucky ahead for good, 14-7.
HELMET STICKERS
WR C.J. Bolar
The freshman Bolar contributed 78 yards on just two catches, including the Commodores’ lone touchdown on a 29-yard reception in the first quarter and a 49-yard grab in the third quarter.
LB Jordan Griffin
Griffin tied a career-high with 18 tackles, a personal record he set last week against Florida. The senior also recovered the Commodores’ two fumble recoveries in the game, both in the first quarter.
QB Kyle Shurmur
Though Shurmur was sacked four times, the senior stood tall against a stellar Kentucky defensive front. Shurmur completed 15-of-23 passes for 216 yards and the Commodores’ only touchdown to Bolar.
GIVE ME THE NUMBERS
169
Rush yards for Snell. The Cats’ talented back recorded 169 yards and a score on 32 carries for an average of 5.3 yards per carry. Snell was a big part of Kentucky’s 280 rushing yards on the night.
3
Completed passes for Kentucky quarterback Terry Wilson. Wilson attempted just nine passes on Saturday, and though he only connected on three for 18 yards, one went for a five-yard touchdown to Lynn Bowden. In a game that featured just three touchdowns, that ended up being a difference-maker.
54
Offensive plays run by Vanderbilt. The Commodores finished 4-of-13 on third down and weren’t able to keep the offense humming against Kentucky’s defense.
WORTH NOTING: Jordan Griffin’s two fumble recoveries were the first two of his career at Vanderbilt.
WHAT’S NEXT: Vanderbilt’s SEC road swing continues next week at Arkansas. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. CT on SEC Network.
Zac Ellis is the Writer and Digital Media Editor for Vanderbilt Athletics.
