Kentucky football: 3 takeaways from win over Vanderbilt
Kentucky football is one of 26 remaining undefeated teams in FBS, something the Wildcats should take some pride in. They got to 4-0 thanks to a 45-28 win over Vanderbilt.
For this being UK’s first SEC game of the year, things went pretty smoothly. It was a road game – but it didn’t seem to matter. Kentucky jumped out to a 24-0 lead and never let Vanderbilt within less than 11 points.
Devin Leary struggled to complete passes, but the Wildcats made up for it on the ground, rushing for 160 yards. Defensively, Maxwell Hairston had the game of a lifetime with two interceptions returned for touchdowns.
Kentucky football will need better success in the passing game against Florida, but there should be few complaints following a 17-point win over an SEC foe.
Takeaway 1: The UK defensive can take over games
Having a strong offense is one thing, but pairing it with an elite defense in college football is another thing. This isn’t just about Hairston’s two INT TDs (which is just awesome by the way). Rather, it’s the timing of these game-changing plays.
Hairston’s first defensive touchdown came on Vanderbilt’s second possession of the game. With Kentucky football already leading 7-0, the Wildcats rushed Vandy QB AJ Swann and he forced a throw under pressure. Taking an early 14-0 lead in the SEC is a great blueprint for winning games.
For the rest of the half, the Wildcats would force three 3 & outs. While the offense was struggling to move the ball on every possession, the defense picked up the slack, helping UK out to a 24-10 halftime lead.
Hairston’s second INT TD came late in the 4th quarter and it helped put the game out of reach. The Wildcats led by 17, so following the 54-yard return into the endzone, Vanderbilt’s chances of a comeback were next to nothing.
Plays like these can change the course of games and the season if the UK defense can continue to make them.
Takeaway 2: Wildcats need to unleash JuTahn McClain
JuTahn McClain is the clear No. 2 running back behind Ray Davis, and that’s perfectly fine. But, on a day where Davis only rushed for 78 yards on 17 carries, it might have made more sense to give a change of pace with McClain.
Davis scored twice, but McClain also broke free for a 36-yard touchdown. But besides that burst, McClain had some other good rushes. He averaged 5.6 yards per rush on his other five attempts.
Other than his two touchdowns – with one going for 38 yards – Davis didn’t have the same success on the ground. Taking that big play out, Davis only averaged 2.5 yards per rush on his other 16 carries.
If McClain can be effective in switching things up, Kentucky football should take more advantage of it, especially on a day when Devin Leary didn’t exactly light things up.
Takeaway 3: Barion Brown breaks out
We were chomping at the bit for the game when Barion Brown would finally have himself a game. Saturday at Vanderbilt was that game.
Brown led all Kentucky receivers with 105 yards on just 4 receptions. It was his first 100-yard game of the season after a freshman campaign where the hype was building into his sophomore year.
Despite a “slow” start, Brown is actually on pace to break most of his stats from last year. In 2022, Brown had 50 receptions for 628 yards and 4 touchdowns. After four games in 2023, Brown is at 15 receptions for 214 yards and a TD. Doing my math, Brown is on pace for 49 receptions for 696 yards and 4 touchdowns in 13 games.
Of course, Big Blue Nation was expecting more, but Brown is still just a sophomore and seems to be hitting his stride after Saturday’s big game.