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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Dupree had 1.5 sacks and five tackles.
Individual Notes
Team Notes