5 Things You Need to Know About the Vanderbilt Commodores

It is time to get back on track. Luckily for Kentucky, there aren’t many better ways to get back on track than playing the Vanderbilt Commodores. Vandy is currently 2-7 with their wins coming by three points against Colorado State and two points over UConn. This is simply not a very good football team.

The Wildcats have lost three straight games which has the fanbase getting a little restless. However, sitting at 6-3 certainly not a bad place to be as the ‘Cats look to finish out the Southeastern Conference season with a 5-3 record. There are still a lot of positives that can come out of this season, but it begins with taking care of business down in Nashville tonight.

As always, make sure you have read Adam Luckett’s Scouting Report for a more in-depth look at the Commodores. Now, let’s dive in to the 5 things you need to know about the Vanderbilt Commodores.

Sputtering Offense

The Commodores offense ranks at or near the bottom of the Southeastern Conference in most categories. They are last in scoring offense, last in yards per play, last in yards per pass, last in third down rate, and last in red zone TD rate. Quite simply, that all adds up to a very poor offense.

However, Vandy is coming off of their second highest scoring output of the season in their 37-28 loss to Missouri. That has only been outdone by their 30-28 win over UConn. After a couple of less than stellar performances by the Kentucky defense this could be a nice bounce back spot for the unit.

Two-Quarterback System?

The old school football saying “if you have two quarterbacks you have none” may not really apply to the Vanderbilt Commodores. Without being too harsh, that is because neither is that good to begin with. However, Mike Wright did sling it for three touchdowns against Missouri last week. Fellow sophomore Ken Seals is active this week though and should see some snaps as well.

Regardless of who is taking the snaps, Kentucky should have a big advantage at quarterback this evening. The ‘Cats secondary really needs to step up and dominate this game.

Struggling in the Running Game

The Commodores rank last in essentially every statistical category through the air. They aren’t much better on the ground, but at least they get out of the cellar. Vanderbilt ranks 12th in the SEC in yards per rush after losing their starer Re’Mahn Davis. In his absence, Rocko Griffin and Patrick Smith have gotten the carries. Neither has found much success and the ‘Cats front line should be able to stuff them behind the line of scrimmage on occasion.

Lack of Players Defensivley

Jimmy’s and Joe’s beat the X’s and O’s. That is abundantly clear and Vanderbilt this season. Much like the offense, the Commodores rank at or near the bottom of the conference in most statistical categories. They are either last or second to last in scoring defense, yards per play, yards per rush, yards per pass, tackles for loss, and sack rate. It isn’t pretty on that side of the ball.

Opponents are rushing for over 180 yards per game which makes this a perfect spot for Chris Rodriguez to get back on track. These last three games are all about the Wildcats getting back to what they do best. That starts tonight down in Nashville.

Take Care of Business

It is pretty simple today, the Kentucky Wildcats are better than the Vanderbilt Commodores. However, that doesn’t mean that this will be an easy football game. The ‘Cats must come out and deliver a knockout blow earlier and often. If they can put it on Vandy early this could turn into a blowout which is what the team needs.

A lot of tonight’s success or failure will be measured against Kentucky themselves. Obviously the scoreboard is important and the ‘Cats must win, but they need to play their brand of football and set the tone for the rest of their season. The last couple of weeks need to be erased with a big win tonight.