Notes And Quotes: Kentucky Wildcats vs Vanderbilt Commodores

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KENTUCKY POSTGAME NOTES
Vanderbilt at Kentucky
Commonwealth Stadium — Lexington, Ky.
Sept. 27, 2014

FINAL SCORE: Kentucky 17, Vanderbilt 7

Team Records and Series Notes

With the win, Kentucky is 3-1, 1-1 in the Southeastern Conference. Vanderbilt is 1-4, 0-3 in the SEC.
Saturday marked the 87th meeting in series history.
- UK leads the series, 42-41-4.
- UK leads the series in games played in Lexington, 23-15-2.
- UK has won 13 of last 19 meetings in the series.
The Wildcats are 141-121-4 all-time in Commonwealth Stadium.
UK is 11-3-2 all-time when playing on Sept. 27.
The Wildcats won their first SEC game in 18 tries, snapping the longest streak in the nation.
- It was UK’s first SEC win since besting Tennessee 10-7 in 2011 in Lexington.
UK is 3-1 for the first time since 2010.
- Since 2000, UK has won at least three of its first four games five times (2002, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2014).
UK’s three wins are its most in a season since five wins in 2011.
UK is now 3-0 at home for the first time since 2008.
Kentucky will return to action on Saturday, playing host to No. 13 South Carolina at Commonwealth Stadium, with kickoff slated for 7:30 p.m.
- The game be televised live on the SEC Network and will be broadcast live on the UK Radio Network, with Tom Leach, Jeff Piecoro and Dick Gabriel calling the action.

Team Notes

Kentucky held Vanderbilt to just 139 yards of total offense, the fewest yards allowed in an SEC game since holding Vandy to 91 total yards in 1996.
The Wildcats only allowed Vandy 85 passing yards in the game, the fewest against an SEC foe since allowing Miss. State 79 in 2004.
UK held Vandy to 54 rushing yards, it fewest rushing yards allowed since holding Samford to -2 yards in 2012.
- It marked the fewest rushing yards allowed by UK in an SEC game since 2008 vs. Mississippi State, surrendering 43 yards.
UK has outscored its opponents 72-10 in the first half through four games and its defense has not allowed a touchdown in the first half of 2014.
- For the first time since 1979 that a UK defense has not allowed a touchdown in the first half for four consecutive games.
For the fourth consecutive game to open the season, Kentucky’s defense forced its opponent to punt on its opening possession.
UK took it 99 yards on its opening possession to score a TD, its second opening-drive TD of the year and first since vs. Ohio.
- UK’s 99-yard drive was its longest of the year in terms of plays (16), yards (99) and time (6:15).
Kentucky connected with 11 different receivers in the game, its most receivers targeted in a game since 2012.
UK was 2-for-3 in red-zone scoring opportunities and is now 11-for-13 on the year.
UK picked off three passes and now has six interceptions in 2014, passing the 2013 total through just four games.
UK is 1-0 in its blue top/gray pants uniform combination.
UK is 3-0 in day games.

Individual Notes

Sophomore QB Patrick Towles made his fourth career start, going 23-for-30 for 201 yards.
- On a 99-yard TD drive to open the game, Towles was 9-for-9, with completions to seven different receivers.
- Towles connected on his sixth touchdown pass of 2014 and the seventh of his career.
- Towles also rushed 15 times, including a long rush of 21 yards.
  - Towles now has eight explosive rushing plays in 2014 (10+ yard plays)
  - Towles notched his second career rushing TD, a one-yard keeper.
Senior DE Alvin “Bud” Dupree made his club-high 30th career start.
- Dupree had 1.5 sacks and five tackles.
  - Dupree – the SEC’s active career sack leader – now has 17.5 sacks in his four-year career, tying him for fourth in UK career history.
  - Dupree now has 27 tackles for loss in his career and 2.5 in 2014.
Junior Landon Foster punted it five times for a 46.8 yard average.
- Foster had a season-long 52-yard punt.
- Foster dropped two punts inside the 20-yard line and now has 10 punts downed inside the 20 in 2014 and 38 in his three-year career.
- Foster has now punted 146 times in his career, good for a 42.2-yard average.
Freshman kicker Austin MacGinnis connected on a 44-yard field goal in the second quarter.
- MacGinnis is now 7-for-11 in field-goal attempts in 2014 and is now 1-3 from 40-49 yards.
- MacGinnis now has a team-leading 36 points scored on the year.
- MacGinnis finished with four kickoffs, with one going for a touchback.
  - MacGinnis has now kicked off 23 times in 2014 with 12 going for a touchback.
- MacGinnis is a perfect 14-of-14 in PAT attempts.
Sophomore S Marcus McWilson picked off his first career pass.
Junior S A.J. Stamps charted his second career interception, returning it 23 yards in the fourth quarter.
Senior DE Za’Darius Smith, senior S Ashely Lowery and junior OL Jordan Swindle made their team-leading 16th consecutive starts.
Lowery notched his first career sack, finishing with three tackles.
- Lowery also picked off the third pass of his career and his first of the year.
Senior FB D.J. Warren played in his team-best 40th career game.
- Warren had a nine-yard catch in the third quarter, his seventh career catch and his first since 2012.
Sophomore WR Ryan Timmons charted his first TD catch of the year and the third of his career in the first quarter.
- Timmons finished with three catches for 34 yards.
Junior DT Melvin Lewis recorded his second tackle for loss in 2014.
Freshman Nick Haynes made his first career start, filling in for injured Cole Mosier and Zach West at left guard.
Freshman WR Charles Walker recorded his first career catch.
Sophomore NB Blake McClain notched his first sack of the year and now has two in his career.
- McClain also broke up his first pass of the year and the sixth of his career.
Freshman RB Stanley “Boom” Williams rushed a career-high equaling five times for 27 yards, also catching three passes for 39 yards.
Junior RB Braylon Heard rushed a career-best 15 times for 62 yards, also catching two balls for six yards.
Junior LB Josh Forrest – a native of Paducah, Ky. – finished with a team-leading six tackles.
- Forrest notched half a sack, his first career sack.
- Forrest charted his first career quarterback hurry.
Senior DT Mike Douglas recorded his first quarterback hurry of 2014, the fifth of his career, and his first since 2012.
Junior DT Cory “C.J.” Johnson recorded his first career sack.
- Johnson also broke up his first career pass.
Junior LB Khalid Henderson had three tackles and his second pass break-up of the year.
Sophomore CB J.D. Harmon finished with five tackles and forced his second fumble of the year.
Freshman RB Mikel Horton rushed six times for 31 yards.

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