Kentucky heads to Vanderbilt for final road game of season

Needing two wins in their final three games to obtain bowl eligibility, the Kentucky Wildcats (4-6, 2-5) head to Nashville to take on the Vanderbilt Commodores (2-7. 1-5) Saturday afternoon.

The Wildcats have this game against Vanderbilt and a nonconference tilt with UT-Martin ahead of them before they finish the year, as always, with the Governor’s Cup against Louisville, so they certainly would prefer to lock up that sixth win before facing the Cardinals.

This is Kentucky’s second straight weekend against an opponent from Tennessee, and surely they’re hoping it goes better than last Saturday, when the Wildcats hosted and fell to the Tennessee Volunteers, 17-13. Kentucky took a 13-0 lead in the first quarter, then spent the whole game trying not to lose that lead, which they did in the third quarter. The Wildcats got all the way to the Tennessee 1-yard line with 90 seconds to play, and went for it on fourth down (commendable decision to play for the win), but were stood up at the goal line for the loss.

Vanderbilt has still been struggling, most recently taking a 56-0 loss to Florida. It’s amazing that the Commodores managed to beat Missouri this year, though it likely says more about the latter than the former. Vandy’s year-long struggle to replace Kyle Shurmur is near its end, as the season draws to a close. There have been whispers about replacing Derek Mason with Jeff Fisher, and it seems like everyone just wants things to be over for Vandy this season.

With all that being said, Kentucky can’t afford to slip up and lose this game. Their bowl chances may depend on it.

How to watch or stream

Time: 3:30 p.m ET

TV: SEC Network

Streaming: WatchESPN