Kentucky must slow down Vanderbilt's explosive passing game

Clark Lea‘s Vanderbilt program is off to a rough start in year three. The Commodores have dropped consecutive road games where their defense gave up over 30 points. Wake Forest ran for nearly 300 yards, and UNLV beat the Commodores with a backup quarterback. Lea’s staff will be looking for answers with SEC play starting, but the passing game has been a constant.

AJ Swann returned at quarterback for his sophomore season after starting six games in 2022 before suffering an injury. The pocket passer has some accuracy (57.1% completion rate) and efficiency (41.5% passing success rate) concerns, but the Georgia native is hitting on big plays. Swann has 13 completions of 25-plus yards through four games this season. Vanderbilt is averaging 14.0 yards per completion. The offense can create explosives.

“They’re throwing for darn near 300 yards a game and can move it around. I think the quarterback is making good decisions. They’ve always had good schemes, and they got playmakers. They’re not afraid to throw some one-on-ones. So whether you’re pressed or off, if you’re giving them free access, he likes to take it. He’s got the arm to deliver it,” Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops told the media on Monday. “If you press them and get on them, they have some wideouts that can make plays for him.”

On the outside, Will Sheppard was a second-team preseason All-SEC selection at wide receiver. The true senior has played like a No. 1 target through four games. Sheppard leads the SEC in receiving touchdowns (six) with 25 receptions on 38 targets for 314 yards. The Mandeville (La.) High product has a chance to go down as one of the best wideouts in Vanderbilt program history.

Yessir Shep! pic.twitter.com/0xnpabQKOw

— Vanderbilt Football (@VandyFootball) September 17, 2023

Sheppard is the clear top target, but Swann has other options. Jayden McGowan (23 receptions, 295 yards) is a speedy option in the slot, and true freshman London Humphreys (9 receptions, 266 yards, 3 touchdowns) has been one of the best vertical targets in the SEC during the first month of the season. The Commodores have an outstanding wide receiver room.

Vanderbilt has some inefficiencies on offense. The Commodores have struggled to run the football, there have been a lot of incompletions, and the red zone has been an issue (No. 78 in red zone touchdown percentage), but explosive plays can make up ground for everything else. Kentucky’s big-play prevention defense will be challenged on Saturday afternoon.

“We gotta step up and make plays,” Stoops said.