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Kentucky Wildcats vs. Vanderbilt Commodores matchup history: Who won last time they played?

Kentucky and Vanderbilt have played 96 times since 1896, as they face-off on Saturday, what can the matchup history tell us about this coming week?

By Mark Knight

Sep 23, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback AJ Swann (5) talks with Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Devin Leary (13) after a game at FirstBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images
Sep 23, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback AJ Swann (5) talks with Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Devin Leary (13) after a game at FirstBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images / Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images
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The Kentucky Wildcats have played the Vanderbilt Commodores 96 times in their history, more than any other SEC team except for the Tennessee Volunteers (119). This adjacent state rivalry goes way back, and it has been a back-and-forth affair since its inception.

Kentucky holds a slight lead in wins over Vanderbilt with 49. The Commodores have 43, and there are four ties sprinkled in. These programs have played each other every single season since 1953, with the longest win streak being no more than six years in a row.

Those six years came from 2016-2021. Thus, the most recent history has been a Kentucky dominance. In the 12 years that Kentucky Head Coach Mark Stoops has been at the helm of the Wildcats program, Kentucky has won eight times. This will be their 12th meeting, and Vanderbilt last won in 2022.

Last season, Kentucky dominated Vanderbilt with an impressive 45-28 win over the Commodores in Nashville, Tennessee. However, the last time Vanderbilt came to Lexington, the Commodores won 24-21 in a tight game.

This week will be a test for Kentucky, as they haven't historically done well after their bye weeks. Vanderbilt is coming off its biggest win in program history over top-ranked Alabama. The two schools meet after each had an impressive upset victory in their last contest. Kentucky beat a sixth-ranked Ole Miss team two weeks ago.

Vanderbilt may ride the momentum into this game and come in ready to give Kentucky a run for its money. Sometimes, after huge emotional wins, teams can come in flat. We will see how the Commodores respond after that massive upset, in which the field was stormed, field goals were torn down and then tossed in the river.

Both programs will come in looking to prove they belong in the SEC conversation. They are each 3-2 on the season with a lot left to play for, and neither is completely out of the college playoff conversation if they can win out and continue to impress. This game will matter not only for the grand scheme of a newly expanded college football playoff bracket but also for the SEC standings going forward.

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