Kentucky Beats Vanderbilt 34-17 After Falling Behind 10-0 at Kroger Field

Kentucky beat Vanderbilt 34-17 on Saturday, October 24, 2026, at Kroger Field in Lexington. The No. 12 Wildcats fell behind 10-0 in the first quarter, led by halftime, and closed the game with a 1-yard touchdown run by Kenny Minchey with 5:11 left, set up by an interception from senior defensive back Ty Bryant.

Vanderbilt made the faster start. Jared Curtis capped a 95-yard drive with a short touchdown pass, and the Commodores led 10-0 in the first quarter. Kentucky finished the quarter scoreless, then scored 14 points in the second quarter to take control of the night.

How Kentucky came back

Minchey led Kentucky on a 75-yard scoring drive to cut into the lead. He then led a 13-play, 79-yard drive that ended with a touchdown catch by Willie Rodriguez, and Kentucky led at halftime. The quarter scores show the turn clearly: Kentucky scored 14 in the second quarter after scoring none in the first, while Vanderbilt added 7 in the second after its 10-point start.

Vanderbilt answered in the third quarter. Curtis threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to Ja'Cory Thomas on fourth-and-3, pulling the Commodores within 21-17 with 5:45 left in the quarter. The score came after a review overturned a call and ruled that Junior Sherrill had caught a 12-yard pass on third down, keeping the drive alive.

Field goals and the Bryant interception close it

Kentucky kicker Adam Zouagui gave his team room with two field goals. He made a 47-yard kick with 1:24 left in the third quarter, and a 32-yard kick with 14:10 left in the fourth. The second kick was set up by a strip sack of Curtis, and it pushed the Kentucky lead out again after Vanderbilt had closed to four points.

The final touchdown came from a turnover. Kentucky gained possession on an interception by Bryant, and Minchey scored on a 1-yard run with 5:11 to go for the 34-17 final score. It was Bryant's third straight game with an interception and his fourth pick in his last three games, a run of takeaways that has followed Kentucky through this stretch of the season.

Two Nashville quarterbacks, and a targeting ejection

The game matched two quarterbacks from the Nashville area. Minchey attended Pope John Paul II and started his career at Notre Dame. Curtis played at Nashville Christian and was the first 5-star recruit ever to commit to Vanderbilt.

Late in the game, Vanderbilt fullback and tight end Gabe Fisher was ejected for targeting on a kickoff return while Vanderbilt trailed 34-17. It was the first targeting penalty called against Vanderbilt this season. Under new SEC rules, Fisher will not be suspended for the first half of the next game.

Kentucky came into the game 6-1 overall and 4-1 in the SEC, ranked No. 12, with wins over LSU and Oklahoma. Vanderbilt came in 3-4 overall and 0-4 in the SEC, and the Commodores had won their last two games at Kroger Field before Saturday. That run at the stadium ended with Kentucky scoring 10 points in the fourth quarter and Vanderbilt scoring none.