Hopefully Kentucky is feeling somewhat refreshed coming off of their bye week as they are set to take on Vanderbilt this weekend.
We received the weekly injury report last night and by no surprise both Chip Trayanum and Maxwell Hairston are ruled out against the Commodores. However, a couple of Wildcats were ruled as probable (75% chance or better they play) to see the field for the first time this season.
Offensive lineman, Courtland Ford, and wide receiver, Hardley Gilmore, are both cleared for action after their pre-season injuries.
The bye week for Kentucky couldn’t have came at a better time. It gave them some time to recuperate after their impressive win in Oxford a couple weeks ago. Additionally, you get more time to practice and scheme against your upcoming opponent, Vanderbilt, who just knocked off the number one team in the country only a couple of days ago.
Two weeks ago versus Ole Miss, both sides of the ball were very efficient. Kentucky’s defense held the Rebels to 350 total yards of offense, which sounds very high, but they only managed to gain 17 points out of that. Brock Vandagriff had another good performance as he went 18/28 for 243 yards and 1 touchdown.
Now let’s see if this momentum can continue through the bye week as Kentucky takes on Vanderbilt. Kickoff will be at 7:45 PM with the SEC Network broadcasting the game.
If you’re making the trip to Kroger Field, don’t miss a second of the game day festivities. You can enjoy the Cat Walk which starts at 5:30 PM between Gate 1 and Gate 12. Tailgating will be going on all day in every corner of the parking lot. Also, don’t miss out on the Kroger official tailgate which starts two hours before kickoff, right around 5:45 PM EST for this game.
When the opening spread came out in favor of Kentucky (-10.5), I honestly didn’t know how to feel about it. I mean, Vanderbilt did just shock the world in defeating top-rated Alabama in their very last outing. It was also their first ever win over a number one ranked team in program history, including their first against a top-5 team since 1973. With that being said, what gives me confidence that Kentucky wins this game against the Commodores is their stellar defense.
The one thing Kentucky has done consistently all season long — and better than most of the teams in the SEC — is rely on their defense. Yes, there has been some concerns on offense this year but I think those kinks are slowly getting worked out. Plus the addition of another offensive lineman in Courtland Ford and offensive receiving weapon in Hardley Gilmore can only help that offense grow.
I do think this game will be a little bit closer than fans would like, though. I have Vanderbilt covering the spread but ultimately I think Kentucky still wins 27-20.
The rest of the Cats Coverage staff predictions are as followed:
Jacob Childers: 30-18, Kentucky
Tim Smith: 30-27, Kentucky
Tres Terrell: 28-14, Kentucky
Braden Nevius: 24-16, Kentucky
Ethan Grantz: 27-10, Kentucky
Jack Wagner: 28-13, Kentucky
Nate Unthank: 17-13, Kentucky
Tanin Smith: 28-17, Kentucky
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