Game notes: Vanderbilt at Kentucky
Saturday, October 24, 7:30 p.m. ET, Kroger Field.The game page.
Visitors
Home
32 notes · built Oct 19, 12:11 PM ET
The matchup
- Vanderbilt (3–4, 0–4 in conference) at Kentucky (6–1, 4–1 in conference), Saturday, October 24, 7:30 p.m. ET, Kroger Field.resultsWins and losses in this season’s finished games before kickoff, from the game results on file. Ranks as of the game, as listed with the schedule (AP poll, else the coaches’).
- Forecast for kickoff: 66°F, mostly clear, SE wind 3 mph.NWSThe National Weather Service’s forecast for the kickoff hour at the stadium.
The series
- It will be their 99th meeting; Kentucky leads the series 49–42–4 in the games on file. Officially, Kentucky leads 48–45–4; as played, 49–42–4. The NCAA vacated Kentucky’s win (2021); it doesn’t count officially.results, WikipediaEvery meeting on file; official counts take out wins the NCAA vacated and count forfeits as the rivalry’s article does.
- Last meeting: Saturday, November 22, 2025: Vanderbilt 45, Kentucky 17.resultsThe most recent meeting on file.
- The first meeting on file is from 1906: Vanderbilt 28, Kentucky 0 (the rivalry’s article dates the series to 1896).results, WikipediaThe earliest meeting on file.
- Kentucky is 26–17–2 at home against Vanderbilt.resultsThe home team’s record against this opponent in its home games (neutral sites aside), every meeting on file.
- Last five meetings: 2025: Vanderbilt 45–17 (at Vanderbilt); 2024: Vanderbilt 20–13 (at Kentucky); 2023: Kentucky 45–28 (at Vanderbilt); 2022: Vanderbilt 24–21 (at Kentucky); 2021: Kentucky 34–17 (at Vanderbilt).resultsThe last five meetings on file.
Vanderbilt
- Vanderbilt is 3–4 (0–4 in conference games), 0–2 against ranked teams.resultsWins and losses in this season’s finished games before kickoff, from the game results on file.
- This season: W 28–9 vs. Austin Peay; W 35–26 vs. Delaware; W 35–31 vs. NC State; L 15–21 at Auburn; L 14–38 at No. 2 Georgia; L 17–52 vs. No. 9 Ole Miss; L 21–31 vs. Arkansas.resultsThis season’s finished games.
- Vanderbilt has lost four straight, since beating NC State 35–31 (Sept. 19, 2026).resultsThe team’s current run of results, every finished game on file across seasons.
- Vanderbilt is No. 69 of 138 FBS teams in our Elo ratings.our ratingsOur Elo rating, from every game on file, ranked among active FBS teams.
- Clark Lea is 29–40 in his sixth season at Vanderbilt.results, WikipediaHead-coaching seasons on file, ours rebuilt from game results and the season articles’ coaching splits.
- Clark Lea is 3–2 against Kentucky.results, WikipediaGames between the two coaches’ teams in seasons each was the head coach, every game on file.
- Junior Sherrill (WR): 41 catches, 628 yards, 4 TD, No. 10 in FBS in receiving yards.resultsThis season’s team leaders and national ranks, from player season statistics.
- Jared Curtis (QB): 1,242 passing yards, 6 TD, the team leader in passing yards.resultsThis season’s team leaders and national ranks, from player season statistics.
- C.J. Heard (S): 53 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 INT, the team leader in tackles.resultsThis season’s team leaders and national ranks, from player season statistics.
- Brock Taylor needs 2 field goals to pass Tommy Openshaw (38, 2014–17) for fifth on Vanderbilt’s career field goals list. He has 37 so far.Wikipedia, resultsThe school’s record lists (its Wikipedia statistical leaders article, from the school’s media guide) against our totals from his season lines at the school, this season through the last game in our records.
- Junior Sherrill needs 104 yards to pass Chuck Scott (2,219, 1981–84) for seventh on Vanderbilt’s career receiving yards list. He has 2,116 so far.Wikipedia, resultsThe school’s record lists (its Wikipedia statistical leaders article, from the school’s media guide) against our totals from his season lines at the school, this season through the last game in our records.
- Junior Sherrill needs 2 touchdown catches to pass Allama Matthews (18, 1981–82) for seventh on Vanderbilt’s career touchdown catches list. He has 17 so far.Wikipedia, resultsThe school’s record lists (its Wikipedia statistical leaders article, from the school’s media guide) against our totals from his season lines at the school, this season through the last game in our records.
- Junior Sherrill needs 2 catches to pass Chuck Scott (145, 1981–84) for eighth on Vanderbilt’s career receptions list. He has 144 so far.Wikipedia, resultsThe school’s record lists (its Wikipedia statistical leaders article, from the school’s media guide) against our totals from his season lines at the school, this season through the last game in our records.
- On this date in 2009, Vanderbilt lost to No. 23 South Carolina 14–10.resultsThe team’s most notable finished game on this calendar date in an earlier season: a ranked opponent first, then a bowl, then the newest.
Kentucky
- Kentucky is 6–1 (4–1 in conference games), 2–1 against ranked teams.resultsWins and losses in this season’s finished games before kickoff, from the game results on file.
- This season: W 45–13 vs. Youngstown State; L 17–45 vs. No. 12 Alabama; W 31–21 at No. 9 Texas A&M; W 45–21 vs. South Alabama; W 35–34 at South Carolina; W 35–34 vs. No. 10 LSU; W 21–13 at Oklahoma.resultsThis season’s finished games.
- Kentucky has won five straight, since losing 45–17 to Alabama (Sept. 12, 2026).resultsThe team’s current run of results, every finished game on file across seasons.
- Kentucky is No. 31 of 138 FBS teams in our Elo ratings.our ratingsOur Elo rating, from every game on file, ranked among active FBS teams.
- Will Stein is 6–1 in his first season at Kentucky.results, WikipediaHead-coaching seasons on file, ours rebuilt from game results and the season articles’ coaching splits.
- Will Stein faces Vanderbilt as a head coach for the first time.results, WikipediaGames between the two coaches’ teams in seasons each was the head coach, every game on file.
- Kenny Minchey (QB): 1,552 passing yards, 13 TD, the team leader in passing yards.resultsThis season’s team leaders and national ranks, from player season statistics.
- C.J. Baxter Jr. (RB): 484 rushing yards, 8 TD, the team leader in rushing yards.resultsThis season’s team leaders and national ranks, from player season statistics.
- Grant Godfrey (LB): 67 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 INT, No. 8 in FBS in tackles.resultsThis season’s team leaders and national ranks, from player season statistics.
- On this date in 1998, Kentucky lost to No. 11 Georgia 28–26.resultsThe team’s most notable finished game on this calendar date in an earlier season: a ranked opponent first, then a bowl, then the newest.
The coaches
- It is the first meeting of Clark Lea and Will Stein as head coaches.results, WikipediaGames between the two coaches’ teams in seasons each was the head coach, every game on file.
Sources
Every sentence here is ours, written from counts we make over the games on file. Where the facts come from:
- CollegeFootballData.com: Game results, rankings and player statistics; the sentence and every count in it are ours. Derived output (CollegeFootballData.com terms, section 4).
- National Weather Service: The kickoff-hour forecast. Public domain (US government work).
- Wikipedia: Facts from Wikipedia’s lists and articles (schools’ record books, trophies, College GameDay sites, coaching records), restated. CC BY-SA 4.0 (facts restated; credit Wikipedia).
- CollegeFootballDigest: Our own ratings (Elo) and research notes. CC BY 4.0.
No picks and no odds. Found something wrong? Tell us with how you know.