Vanderbilt freshman Wade Freebeck didn’t know he’d be starting at quarterback for the Commodores on the road in the SEC until the morning of Vandy’s game against Kentucky in Lexington.

The Cats’ defense has taken advantage of the young quarterback playing in just his third career game, intensifying the pressure applied by its front seven throughout the first half to prevent the Commodores’ offense from ever finding any rhythm in a 17-7 first half.

Kentucky has already sacked Freebeck three times, and has hit him a number of other times to rattle the young signal caller. As a result, Freebeck is just 3-of-7 passing for 53 yards at halftime.

The Kentucky front seven was just as ferocious in the run game, limiting Vanderbilt to just 29 yards on the ground on 13 carries, including one 28-yard run by Jerron Seymour. Aside from the long run, the Commodores have 12 carries for a measly one yard, however that number is heavily impacted by the lost yardage on the three sacks.

Ralph Webb had been the most explosive member of the Vanderbilt offense, but he had just seven carries for 16 yards in the first half against UK. The Wildcats used primarily eight- and nine-man fronts against Vanderbilt, daring the ‘Dores to beat them with the pass. Vandy was unable to beat Kentucky with any element of the offense, and is only in the game because of a pick-six courtesy of defensive back Darrius Sims.

The Kentucky offense out-gained 245 total yards to 82.