It is hard to put into historical perspective how badly Kentucky lost his game. But here's a few points to try to digest. It's the first time Vanderbilt has shut out an FBS opponent in 30 years. (Virginia Tech, 45-0, 1982) It marks the worst loss by an SEC team to Vanderbilt since Auburn lost 41-0 in 1950. And it was the worst loss Kentucky has suffered against Vanderbilt since 1916.
So you could say that, in a way, Kentucky's season appears to have hit rock bottom. The 40-0 waxing of Kentucky by Vanderbilt is certainly an achievement for Vanderbilt, but it is also another in the growing list of reasons that the Wildcats will likely fire Joker Phillips at or even before the end of the season.
When Phillips took over after Rich Brooks left Lexington, the Wildcats were finally getting some hard-earned respect in the SEC East. Three years later, and during one of the most prolonged down periods in the history of the division, it feels like Kentucky is right back where it started when Brooks took the job. Kentucky's quarterbacks combined to go 13-of-25 for 159 yards, while the rushing game ground out 101 yards on 31 carries.
And the outcome of the game was not a fluke. The Commodores rang up 447 yards of total offense to 260 for Kentucky. Vanderbilt actually lost the turnover battle, 2-0. And Jordan Rodgers have a very Jordan Rodgers game, going 18-of-29 for 220 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Five Commodores combined to run the ball 50 times for 227 yards.
All of which probably means that Vanderbilt is going bowling. There are three winnable games games on the schedule, and while none of them are certain wins, you have to like the Commodores' odds of at least taking one victory of the bunch. Kentucky, meanwhile, will be staying home for the holidays, with the Wildcats sitting at 1-9 and only the Samford game looking winnable. It might not have been that long ago that Kentucky last went 2-10, but Wildcats fans have come far enough in the last few years that they can rightfully expect more.