If you bought into the hype after the last three weeks, you weren't alone. We asked earlier this week if any of this was real, turns out it wasn't. After what just happened in Nashville, it’s time to tear up the receipt.
Those comfortable wins against Auburn, Florida, and Tennessee Tech? Fool's gold. All of it. Kentucky beat 3 straight subpar football teams. And then they played one who was ready to play.
On Saturday, Kentucky walked into FirstBank Stadium and didn't just lose; they were run out of the building by Vanderbilt. The final score was 45-17, but even that number is doing the Wildcats a favor. If not for a late interception, this could have been a 50-point massacre.
In Year 13 of the Mark Stoops era, getting blown out by Vanderbilt isn't just a "bad day." It is an indictment of the entire program.
Diego Pavia puts up video game numbers against Kentucky football
We knew Diego Pavia was good. We didn't know Kentucky would make him look like the Heisman frontrunner.
The Vanderbilt quarterback carved up the Kentucky defense like a Thanksgiving turkey, throwing for a staggering 484 yards and 5 touchdowns. He averaged 12.4 yards per attempt. To put that in perspective, every time Pavia dropped back, he was essentially guaranteeing a first down.
One of the most embarrassing stats of the day? Vanderbilt had 604 total yards of offense. Kentucky had 216.
For nearly three full quarters, the Wildcats managed just 91 yards of total offense. It looked like a varsity team scrimmaging a scout team.
The offense is broken (Again)
While Pavia was lighting up the scoreboard, Kentucky’s offense was stuck in the mud.
Freshman Cutter Boley, who bravely returned after a scary injury scare, tried to make things happen but didn't have much help from his offensive line until Vandy put in the backups. He finished 26-of-44 for 280 yards and 2 touchdowns, but he was running for his life most of the afternoon. The run game was nonexistent (31 total rushing yards on 1.6 yards per carry), and the offensive line looked completely overwhelmed.
And let’s not even get started on the Zach Calzada cameo. His 3-for-5 performance included an interception that perfectly encapsulated the frustration of this season.
The year 13 question
This is the conversation nobody wants to have, but we have to have it.
You cannot lose by nearly 30 points to Vanderbilt in your 13th season as head coach. You just can't. No excuses can be made for it.
Losing games happens in the SEC. But looking this unprepared, this slow, and this outclassed against a program you historically dominate is a massive red flag. The "defensive resurgence" BBN celebrated for three weeks has evaporated. The offensive identity is still missing in action.
Mark Stoops has done incredible things for Kentucky football. But right now, this program is staring into the abyss. If this is the product in late November, what exactly are we building toward? That is the question every Kentucky fan will have to answer before they decided to renew their season tickets. Recruiting is already dropping as well with 2 commits flipping in the last week. And now it all comes down to one game.
The Governor's Cup against Louisville is up next, the Cards were blown out 38-6 by SMU earlier. If the Cats play like this again, it’s going to be another long, cold winter in Lexington without a bowl game.
Drew Holbrook is an avid Kentucky fan who has been covering the Cats for over 10 years. In his free time he enjoys downtime with his family and Premier League soccer. You can find him on X here. Micah 7:7. #UptheAlbion