Ralph Webb has been the bright spot for a struggling Vanderbilt offense. Webb leads the Commodores with 378 rushing yards and a touchdown on 77 attempts. He’s averaging 4.91 yards per carry and 94.50 yards per game.

The redshirt freshman has rushed for over 90 yards in each of his last three games and has averaged over 4.46 yards per carry in each contest. Despite Webb’s breakout season, the Commodores have seen little success otherwise on offense.

Vanderbilt was held without an offensive touchdown through three games and failed to reach the end zone in the first quarter until Week 4. The Commodores have been outscored by a 39.3-19.5 average and have 11 turnovers.

Patton Robinette looked solid during Vanderbilt’s last two games, but suffered a concussion early in last Saturday’s loss. Coach Derek Mason listed the sophomore as questionable and will start freshman Wade Freebeck should team physicians deem Robinette as physically unable to participate.

For Vanderbilt to compete against an improved Kentucky defense, Webb will need another impressive showing. However, that won’t be enough for the lowly Commodores to pull off an upset.

Webb is proving that he is a talented SEC running back, but he needs help from his teammates in order to win games. The Commodores’ defense has shown signs of life, at times, but struggled otherwise. The inconsistent play at quarterback has outweighed Webb’s solid contributions.

Vanderbilt has looked better in both of its last two games than the disappointing showings in its first two games. But Kentucky looks to be far superior to its historic identity.

Head coach Mark Stoops has the Wildcats looking stronger on both sides of the football and will have the benefit of home field advantage. The Commodores have yet to play a single game outside of Nashville and will face their first true road test on Saturday.

The team must show signs of life otherwise, but Webb will be the focal point of Vanderbilt’s offense. Should he see a strong showing, the Commodores must follow suit in order to upset a heavily favored Kentucky team.