Ad Disclosure
2 minute drill: If Kentucky remains disciplined, it’ll win with ease
By Ethan Levine
Published:
For a team entering Saturday in the midst of a 17-game losing streak to SEC opponents dating back to 2011, Kentucky is certainly a heavy favorite to beat Vanderbilt at home Saturday. What do the Wildcats need to do to live up to those expectations? It’s simple: the Cats must remain disciplined on both sides of the ball.
Unlike years past, Kentucky has the more talented team in this matchup. All they have to do is play smart and play within themselves, and their talent and home-field advantage should take care of the rest. That means no unforced errors, no sloppy turnovers, no drive-killing penalties and as few plays for loss on offense as possible.
If Kentucky executes its gameplan, Vandy won’t be able to counter. The only way the Commodores can earn an advantage is if the Wildcats consistently give away possession with turnovers or kill their own drives with costly penalties. Kentucky averages 55 penalty yards per game, and it cannot move itself backwards and take points off the board in this matchup.
The same goes for turnovers. Kentucky did not commit a single turnover in either of its first two games, and it was 2-0 in those games. However, the Cats committed three turnovers in their only loss of the year against Florida two weeks ago.
Vanderbilt has allowed more than 39 points per game this year, so simply taking what the VU defense allows on a given play should be enough for Kentucky’s offense to find success. The Wildcats do not need any razzle-dazzle or explosive plays on offense; they simply need to maintain possession and capitalize on long, sustained drives against a defense that hasn’t stopped anyone yet this season.
Kentucky is more familiar with playing the role of David, not Goliath, but it needs to take on the attitude of a home favorite for Saturday’s matchup. That means executing its own gameplan, rather than trying to adjust to what Vanderbilt is doing. If the Cats play smart and don’t beat themselves, they’ll have no trouble beating the ‘Dores to improve to 3-1, which would be their highest win total for a season in three years (Kentucky has eight games remaining after today’s contest).
There’s a lot at stake for the Cats Saturday afternoon, but the recipe for success is simple: play smart and take care of the ball.
A former newspaper reporter who has roamed the southeastern United States for years covering football and eating way too many barbecue ribs, if there is such a thing.
