Kentucky Wildcats

Kentucky Football: Five Ways To Defeat The Vanderbilt Commodores

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 4:27 p.m. ET

foxsports

The Kentucky football team is in dire need of a victory over the Vanderbilt Commodores in Week 6. How can Mark Stoops and company get it done?

Nov 14, 2015; Nashville, TN, USA; Kentucky football defensive back Derrick Baity (29) and teammate Kentucky Wildcats safety A.J. Stamps (1) tackle Vanderbilt Commodores wide receiver Trent Sherfield (10) during the first half at Vanderbilt Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

The Kentucky football program has been on the wrong side of .500 in every season since it went 7-6 in 2009. It hasn’t played in a bowl game since 2010, when it lost 27-10 to the Pittsburgh Panthers in the BBVA Compass Bowl.

Kentucky hasn’t won a bowl game since the 2008 season, when it defeated the East Carolina Pirates 25-19 in the Liberty Bowl.

Eight seasons removed from the last time Kentucky won a bowl game, Mark Stoops is attempting to end the drought. He’s led the Wildcats to back-to-back 5-7 seasons, but that isn’t enough to keep Big Blue nation satisfied—nor should it be.

Kentucky has a chance to end the bowl drought in 2016, but it’ll need to close out the season with at least four wins in the final seven regular season games.

Kentucky enters Week 6 with a 2-3 record and a Week 1 game that got away. The Vanderbilt Commodores enter Week 6 at 2-3, as well, which creates a sense of urgency for both of the participating teams.

The question is: how can Stoops and the Wildcats overcome the Commodores in Lexington? It won’t be easy.

Oct 3, 2015; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky football cornerback J.D. Harmon (11) celebrates against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels in overtime at Commonwealth Stadium. Kentucky defeated Eastern Kentucky 34-27 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

5. Creating Turnovers

Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Kyle Shurmur has the potential to be an impact player under center. He’s 6’4″ and 223 pounds, which creates the foundation for his physical gifts—gifts that few quarterbacks possess.

Intriguing as he may be, Shurmur is still raw, which leads to the potential for Kentucky’s secondary to take over by creating turnovers.

Kentucky has a trio of dynamic cornerbacks in Derrick Baity, J.D. Harmon, and Chris Westry. Westry is regarded as the shutdown corner of the group, while Baity is a big-body player who can make plays on the ball and Harmon is an interception machine.

All three of those players, as well as Mike Edwards and Blake McClain, will need to be at their best against a Vanderbilt team that should create opportunities for Kentucky to force turnovers.

If the secondary plays up to par, then the rest of the burden will fall on the front seven. Jordan Jones has been superb in 2016, Denzil Ware has intriguing upside as a pass rusher, and Courtney Love has done a bit of everything, but Kentucky needs consistency.

If Kentucky can get to Shurmur early and often, then it can win this game.

Oct 1, 2016; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive lineman Jonathan Allen (93) sacks Kentucky football quarterback Stephen Johnson (15) at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

4. The Stephen Johnson Show, Part II

Stephen Johnson has played in four games in 2016, making two starts and going 2-2. He was brilliant in one, managed the game in another, and was rather underwhelming in two other outings.

The Kentucky football team will need Johnson to play more like he did against New Mexico State and less like he did against Alabama.

Johnson completed a 45-yard pass and had a crafty seven-yard run against Florida, but had limited playing time. A week later, he threw for 310 yards and three touchdowns, and ran for 51 more yards on 10 carries.

Johnson then threw for 135 yards on 11-of-17 passing against South Carolina, and had 89 yards on 13-of-22 passing against Alabama.

Johnson doesn’t need another 300-yard game, but he needs to move the chains with consistency. Whether he’s creating with his legs or his arm, Kentucky’s offense needs to stay on the field and find the end zone.

That starts with the quarterback, who could be the difference between winning and losing this critical game.

Sep 17, 2016; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky football running back Benny Snell Jr (26) runs the ball for a touchdown against the New Mexico State Aggies in the first half at Commonwealth Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

3. Establish The Run

The Kentucky Wildcats have a three-headed running back monster. Stanley Boom Williams has been one of the Top 5 running backs in the SEC in 2016, Jojo Kemp showed signs of life in Week 5, and Benny Snell Jr. is a freshman sensation.

If the Wildcats hope to defeat the Vanderbilt Commodores, they must keep the chains moving—a burden that falls directly onto the running backs.

Williams has run for 486 yards, which is No. 5 amongst SEC players and No. 24 in the country. Jojo Kemp has struggled to pick up yardage, but has run for two touchdowns and ran the ball 10 times for a decent 39 yards against Alabama.

Snell has only played three games thus far, and he already has 247 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 6.0 yards per carry.

With Vanderbilt giving the ball to running back Ralph Webb, Kentucky’s defense could have trouble staying off the field. That means the offense will be tasked with giving the defense time to rest by moving the chains itself.

Kentucky certainly has the personnel to run the ball effectively, but it needs to execute and alleviate pressure from both Stephen Johnson and the defense.

Sep 17, 2016; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky football wide receiver Jeff Badet (13) runs the ball against New Mexico State Aggies linebacker Dalton Herrington (31) in the second half at Commonwealth Stadium. Kentucky defeated New Mexico State 62-42. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

2. Early Offense

The Vanderbilt Commodores have enough firepower to put points on the board over the course of four quarters. Outside of its heavy reliance upon its star running back, however, Vanderbilt has struggled to consistently generate offense.

Thus far in 2016, the Commodores have scored 10 or fewer points in three of the five games they’ve played.

Vanderbilt accumulated just 10 points and 73 passing yards during a three-point loss to the South Carolina Gamecocks in Week 1. The Commodores had seven points and 190 passing yards during a 31-point loss to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

Vanderbilt then picked up just 82 passing yards and six points against the Florida Gators—something Kentucky can’t exactly scoff at.

The only two games during which Vanderbilt accumulated more than 10 points were against Middle Tennessee State and Western Kentucky. Both schools are respectable, but neither play in one of the power conferences.

It’s hardly a sure thing, but it stands to reason that Kentucky football can secure a convincing victory if it generates early offense and forces Vanderbilt into a shootout.

Sep 10, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores running back Ralph Webb (7) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Middle Tennessee Blue during the first half at Vanderbilt Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

1. Contain Ralph Webb

The Vanderbilt Commodores may not be the best all-around offensive team in the country, but they play home to the most productive running back in the SEC. Ralph Webb is an absolute monster who’s well on his way to a second consecutive 1,000-yard season.

That’s terrible news for a Kentucky Wildcats team that’s been one of the worst in the nation at defending the run.

Webb is currently No. 1 in the SEC and No. 8 in the country with 582 rushing yards. That includes the 110 he ran for on 24 carries against the Florida Gators and the 211 he compiled on 29 attempts against the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders.

Webb is also No. 3 in the SEC with five rushing touchdowns, which includes the three he ran for in a 31-30 overtime victory over Western Kentucky.

Webb ran for 1,152 yards and picked up another 188 through the air during the 2015 season, which implies his current success is far from a fluke. He’s a proven runner who can torch any and every defense that he encounters.

Considering Kentucky is allowing 198.6 rushing yards per game—No. 97 in the country—containing Webb must be the primary focus.

If the Kentucky football team fails to limit Webb’s production, the downward spiral will continue in Week 6.