Kentucky Wildcat Football – Strategy and Execution: Vanderbilt Commodores
By Kyle
Kentucky was able to convincingly defeat Ole Miss this past weekend and gain anothe rstep towards bowl eligibility. With the Cats needing two more wins and only having three games left on the schedule,this week’s matchup with Vanderbilt is as close to a must-win as Kentucky will have this year. The problem is that Vanderbilt is playing very well this season under first year head coach James Franklin and has been able to put a scare into Florida, Georgia and Arkansas this season despite being heavy underdogs. While the Commodores have puttogether a 4-5 record this season (the same as Kentucky),the difference is that Vanderbilt lost to only Alabama and South Carolina by more than six points.
What you really need to know about Vanderbilt:
Really, this is not a very talented team. The Commodores have seen Jordan Rodgers takeover for incumbent quarterback Larry Smith and ignite the offense, but they have been over matched in every SEC game they’ve played from a pure talent standpoint. So why have they been so much more competitive than the Wildcats you ask? Simple, the team is buying what Coach Franklin is selling. There may not be a single team in the country that is playing so far beyond what their physical limitations are and Vandy is a team that every opponent must really prepare for again. The M.O. for Vanderbilt is simple. On offense, run the ball and focus on the short passing game to eventually open up the opportunity for some deep shots. On defense, it’s an all out brawl in every effort to force as many turnovers as possible. That’s pretty much it, and it’s been working well for the Commodores so far this season.
The players you really need to know for the Commodores:
#11 – Jordan Rodgers – QB – While he doesn’t remind anyone of his older brother Aaron just yet, Jordan has been very good for Vanderbilt this season. Hen doesn’t look like a threat to run at first glance,but Rodgers is deceptively shifty and is more than capable of hurting defenses on the ground.
#2 – Zac Stacey – RB – Stacey has been the true workhorse of the Vanderbilt offense this season and has been as consistent as anyone in the SEC. He isn’t the biggest or the fastest running back in the league, but he has a great combination of size and speed and is also a dangerous receiver.
#19 – Casey Hayward – CB – The Commodores have found a team strength in their defensive backfield that’s headed up by Hayward. He has the skill-set to cover anyone in the league and has being opportunistic is picking off opposing quarterbacks. Maxwell Smith will need to be very careful when throwing in the direction of the Thorpe Award finalist.
#13 – Chris Marve – LB – Marve has been a consistent defender for the Commodores throughout his career in Nashville. He is a linebacker that plays the game with fire and he has the speed to cover the field from sideline to sideline.
Top 3 Matchups to watch:
UK’s Chandler Burden VS. VU’s Tim Fugger
Kentucky’s tackles have struggled at times this season and left tackle Chandler Burden will likely see Fugger lined up across from him frequently. While Fugger is certainly no Dwight Freeney,he does a great job of getting to the passer and will demand a chip block from Kentucky’s tight end and running backs. If Burden can keep him from pressuring Maxwell Smith into mistakes, the Kentucky offense will have a much easier time on passing downs.
Vandy’s Zac Stacey VS. UK’s Winston Guy
Stacey is a complete running back and will be dangerous to Kentucky in severalareas. Guy will need to utilize hisspeed and background as a defensive back to keep Stacey in check on passingplays and will have to make sure he makes solid tackles when he’s running theball. The real dilemma for Staceythough, will be slowing down Guy’s pass rush, as he will be one of the fastestplayers Kentuckysends on blitzes.
UK’s Matt Roark VS. VU’s Casey Hayward
In a sort of a ‘rags to riches’ story, Roark has reemergedover the past two games after drawing the ire of fans and coaches for much ofthe early part of this season. He willhave a tall task this week as he is likely to be matched up against Hayward. Roark will have to run crisp routes andutilize his 6’5 frame to keep Haywardfrom jumping passes, and Roark will need to make sure he cleanly catches the ball.
Potential breakout players
#25 – Jonathan George – RB – CoShik Williams has beenstellar in filling in for Raymond Sanders and Josh Clemons, but he’s taking alot of hits for a guy his size. Georgehas the size and athleticism to help share the load with Williams and he couldreally gash a smaller Vanderbilt defense when the game rolls around to thefourth quarter.
#2 – Alvin Dupree – LB – Starter Ridge Wilson will not bemaking the trip to Nashvilleand it looks like true freshman Alvin Dupree will get the start against Vandy. Dupree has been very good in limited actionso far this season and his natural athleticism should make him a nightmare forthe Commodores’ offensive line to block.
#36 – Ashely Lowery – KR – Winston Guy will be playingthrough injury this week and has been removed from the kickoff return team tomaximize his time on defense. Lowerywill be back with Mychal Bailey to bring the kicks out and will finally get achance to display the athleticism that made him a youtube sensation last year.
Key for a Kentucky win:
Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers. If Kentuckyintends to pull the upset over Vanderbilt (I hate typing that out as much as I hatereading it) the team will have to protect the ball. The Kentuckydefense will need to force a couple turnovers from the Vanderbilt offense, but evenmore importantly, the Wildcat’s offense will have to be extremely careful. Maxwell Smith must make good decisions andthe running backs need to keep two hands on the football whenever possible. Protecting the football is important in everygame, but if Kentuckywins the turnover battle in THIS contest their odds of winning the game will be even better.