The result
No. 12 Kentucky erased a 10–0 deficit and beat Vanderbilt 34–17 at Kroger Field for its sixth straight win and sole possession of first place in the SEC.
Kentucky 34, Vanderbilt 17
Vanderbilt owned the first quarter — outgaining Kentucky 142–14 and taking a 3–0 lead on Brock Taylor’s 30-yard field goal, then 10–0 early in the second on Jared Curtis’s 3-yard touchdown pass to Jayvontay Conner. Kentucky answered with touchdowns on its last two possessions of the half: Kenny Minchey’s 9-yard pass to DJ Miller and Willie Rodriguez’s 1-yard direct-snap run with 21 seconds left for a 14–10 halftime lead.
Brennen Ward’s 10-yard run pushed it to 21–10 early in the third before Curtis found Ja’Cory Thomas for 34 yards to cut it to 21–17. Adam Zouagui field goals of 47 and 32 yards restored a two-score margin, and after Ty Bryant intercepted Curtis, Minchey’s 1-yard run with about five minutes left closed the scoring. Kentucky finished 7–1 (5–1 SEC); Vanderbilt fell to 3–5 (0–5 SEC) with its fifth straight loss.
Scoring by quarter
Vanderbilt scored first and led 10–0. Kentucky outscored the Commodores 34–7 the rest of the way.
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanderbilt | 3 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| Kentucky | 0 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 34 |
Scoring detail: Q1 — Vanderbilt: Taylor 30-yd FG. Q2 — Vanderbilt: Conner 3-yd TD catch from Curtis; Kentucky: Miller 9-yd TD catch from Minchey; Rodriguez 1-yd TD run. Q3 — Kentucky: Ward 10-yd TD run; Vanderbilt: Thomas 34-yd TD catch from Curtis; Kentucky: Zouagui 47-yd FG. Q4 — Kentucky: Zouagui 32-yd FG; Minchey 1-yd TD run.
Team stats
Kentucky won the ground game 173–15 and the turnover battle 2–0. Vanderbilt threw for more yards and still lost by 17.
| Category | Vanderbilt | Kentucky |
|---|---|---|
| First downs (pass / rush / penalty) | 15 (11 / 3 / 1) | 24 (10 / 11 / 3) |
| Total plays | 53 | 65 |
| Total yards | 262 | 376 |
| Yards per play | 4.9 | 5.8 |
| Passing (comp / att) | 27 / 36 | 19 / 26 |
| Net passing yards | 247 | 203 |
| Rushing (att / yards) | 17 / 15 | 39 / 173 |
| Sacks allowed (count / yards) | 3 / 16 | 1 / 7 |
| Third-down conversions | 7 / 12 | 8 / 13 |
| Fourth-down conversions | 1 / 1 | 1 / 1 |
| Red-zone scores / chances | 2 / 2 | 5 / 6 |
| Turnovers (INT / fumbles lost) | 2 (1 / 1) | 0 (0 / 0) |
| Penalties (count / yards) | 9 / 75 | 3 / 24 |
| Time of possession | 28:57 | 31:03 |
| Punts | 3 | 2 |
Team stats via the Sportradar box score, cross-checked against the Courier-Journal and AP recaps (376–262 total yards; 203 passing / 173 rushing for Kentucky; 247 passing / 15 rushing for Vanderbilt).
Player stats
Every quarterback who attempted a pass, every rusher, and every receiver with a catch, per the box score.
Passing
Vanderbilt
| Player | Comp/Att | Yds | TD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jared Curtis | 27/36 | 247 | 2 | 1 |
Curtis was sacked three times for 16 yards; one sack produced a lost fumble.
Kentucky
| Player | Comp/Att | Yds | TD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenny Minchey | 19/26 | 203 | 1 | 0 |
Brennen Ward did not attempt a pass; his contribution was a 10-yard rushing touchdown.
Rushing
Vanderbilt
| Player | Att | Yds | TD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jared Curtis | 8 | 6 | 0 |
| Jamezell Lassiter | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| Sedrick Alexander | 3 | 4 | 0 |
| Junior Sherrill | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Makhilyn Young | 3 | -2 | 0 |
| Team | 1 | -1 | 0 |
Team: 17 carries, 15 yards (0.9 per carry). Curtis’s line includes three sacks; the Tennessean credited him with 24 yards on five non-sack runs.
Kentucky
| Player | Att | Yds | TD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jovantae Barnes | 15 | 68 | 0 |
| Jason Patterson | 12 | 44 | 0 |
| Mikkel Skinner | 4 | 24 | 0 |
| Kenny Minchey | 5 | 23 | 1 |
| Brennen Ward | 1 | 10 | 1 |
| CJ Baxter | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Willie Rodriguez | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Team: 39 carries, 173 yards. Baxter returned from a hamstring issue but left early; UK Wildcats Wire reported the injury was not considered serious.
Receiving
Vanderbilt
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junior Sherrill | 8 | 78 | 0 |
| Cole Spence | 5 | 49 | 0 |
| Ja’Cory Thomas | 3 | 35 | 1 |
| Tristen Brown | 3 | 31 | 0 |
| Sedrick Alexander | 3 | 29 | 0 |
| Jayvontay Conner | 2 | 20 | 1 |
| Claiborne Richards | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| Jamezell Lassiter | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Evan Hampton | 1 | -1 | 0 |
Team: 27 catches, 247 yards.
Kentucky
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenny Darby | 4 | 71 | 0 |
| Willie Rodriguez | 6 | 67 | 0 |
| DJ Miller | 5 | 43 | 1 |
| Ja’Kayden Ferguson | 1 | 8 | 0 |
| Jason Patterson | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| CJ Baxter | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| Mikkel Skinner | 1 | 3 | 0 |
Team: 19 catches, 203 yards.
Defensive leaders
Vanderbilt
| Player | Tackles | Sacks | TFL | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bryce Cowan (LB) | 12 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Nick Rinaldi (LB) | 10 | 0 | 0 | — |
| CJ Heard (S) | 8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Cayden Daniels (CB) | 6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Davin Chandler (S) | 6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ricardo Jones (S) | 4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Glenn Seabrooks III (DL) | 3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Edwin Kolenge (DE) | 2 | 1.0 | 1 | 1 QBH |
| Talan Carter (DL) | 2 | 0 | 1 | — |
Team: 1 sack, 0 interceptions, 0 forced fumbles credited in the box score.
Kentucky
| Player | Tackles | Sacks | TFL | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan Castell (DB) | 8 | 0 | 1 | — |
| Bo Barnes (LB) | 6 | 0 | 1 | — |
| Hasaan Sykes (DB) | 6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ty Bryant (DB) | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 INT, 1 PD |
| Grant Godfrey (LB) | 5 | 0 | 1 | — |
| Mi’Quise Humphrey-Grace (DL) | 5 | 1.0 | 1 | 1 FF, 1 QBH |
| Aaron Gates (DB) | 3 | 0.5 | 0 | 1 QBH |
| Jamarrion Harkless (DL) | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 1 QBH |
| CJ Works (OLB) | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 1 QBH |
| Tavion Gadson (DL) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 FR |
Team: 3 sacks, 1 interception (Bryant — his fourth in three games), 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery (Gadson, on the Humphrey-Grace strip sack).
Special teams: Kentucky — Adam Zouagui 2/2 FG (47, 32), 4/4 PAT; Wilson Berry 2 punts, 91 yards. Vanderbilt — Brock Taylor 1/1 FG (30), 2/2 PAT; Tyler Ebel 3 punts, 119 yards.
Key takeaways
What turned a 10–0 Vanderbilt start into a 17-point Kentucky win.
- The run game was the game. Kentucky ran 39 times for 173 yards; Vanderbilt ran 17 times for 15 yards (0.9 per carry). Curtis had to throw 36 times because nothing else moved.
- Late turnovers sealed it. Curtis played well for three quarters (27/36, 247 yards, 2 TD), then lost a strip-sack fumble that set up a field goal and threw a Bryant interception that set up the clinching touchdown — Kentucky’s only two takeaways, converted into 10 fourth-quarter points.
- Kentucky scored on six straight drives. After two opening three-and-outs and just 14 first-quarter yards, the Wildcats scored on six consecutive possessions and went 5-of-6 in the red zone with zero turnovers.
- Penalties buried Vanderbilt. Nine flags for 75 yards against Kentucky’s three for 24, plus a fourth-quarter targeting ejection for fullback Gabe Fisher.
Against the call
The preview called Kentucky by 14. The Wildcats won by 17 — and nailed Vanderbilt’s point total exactly.
Projected winner: Kentucky, by fourteen. Vanderbilt was projected for 17 points.
Correct pick. Kentucky scored three more than projected; Vanderbilt’s 17 matched the projection exactly.
Sources & caveats
Final score and box statistics verified against multiple independent sources on October 25, 2026. Statistics omitted where they could not be verified — never invented.
- Sportradar box score: Kentucky vs Vanderbilt, Oct. 24, 2026Quarter scoring, scoring plays, team comparison and full player stat lines; reported conditions Overcast, 61°F, wind E 5 mph.
- Deadspin / Field Level Media: No. 12 Kentucky erases early deficit34–17 final; 376–262 total offense; Minchey 19/26 for 203; Curtis 27/36 for 247, 2 TD, 1 INT; Sherrill 8 for 78.
- ESPN / AP recap: Minchey helps No. 12 Kentucky beat Vanderbilt 34-17AP recap via ESPN: 34–17 final, Kentucky 376 total yards, sole possession of first place in the SEC, first-quarter splits (Vanderbilt 142–14).
- The Tennessean: Vanderbilt struggles continue in loss to Kentucky34–17 final; Curtis line and turnovers; Vanderbilt nine penalties for 75 yards; scoring updates.
- Courier-Journal: Kentucky rallies past Vanderbilt34–17 final; Kentucky 376 yards (203 passing, 173 rushing), Vanderbilt 262 (247 passing, 15 rushing).
- UK Wildcats Wire: Kentucky overcomes slow startBarnes 68 rushing yards, Patterson 44, Castell team-high 8 tackles, Bryant interception, Humphrey-Grace sack.
- 2026 Kentucky Wildcats football team — game summaryAttendance 61,843 at Kroger Field; quarter scoring; referee and TV announcers; reported game weather line.
- Open-Meteo archive, Kroger Field area, Oct. 24, 2026At the 7 p.m. ET kickoff hour: overcast (WMO code 3), 64.9°F, wind 2.9 mph; 8 p.m.: overcast, 64.1°F, wind 4.7 mph.
Known discrepancies and gaps
- Total yards: Sportradar, the Courier-Journal and the AP recap give Kentucky 376 total yards; the Tennessean recap text said 371 yards / 5.7 per play. The reconciled box figure (376 = 203 passing + 173 rushing) is used.
- Curtis passing yards: the box score, Deadspin and the Tennessean give 247 yards; the AP recap text said 242. The box figure (247) is used, and it reconciles with Vanderbilt’s 262 total (247 + 15 rushing).
- Weather: reported game weather differed by source — Sportradar listed overcast, 61°F, wind E 5 mph, while the game summary listed 64°F and wind E 5 mph. The Open-Meteo archive at kickoff hour showed overcast and 64.9°F, so the gamebar uses Overcast · 64°F · Wind 5 mph.
- Vanderbilt unranked: no source ranked Vanderbilt at game time; Kentucky was No. 12. The hero shows records only in the rank line, with Kentucky’s (12) in its team name as in the preview.