Vanderbilt and Kentucky Football have met a total of 97 times, and their rivalry even predates the Southeastern Conference. The all-time record is quite close, with Kentucky leading the series 48-44-4. While the rivalry isn’t as flashy as, say, the “Iron Bowl” or “The Game,” it has shaped major moments in each school’s football history. What began in the 19th century has become a rivalry marked by win droughts, upsets, streak-snapping victories, moments that defined entire seasons and even a 0-0 tie. Ahead of the 98th matchup this week, let’s take a look back at some of the games that have defined this rivalry.
October 10, 1896 — Vanderbilt 6, Kentucky 0
Let’s start where it all began —129 years and a little over one month ago. Long before the formation of the SEC, the Commodores and Wildcats met for the first time during the 1896 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season. Football looked almost nothing like the modern game, and Vanderbilt controlled the game defensively, winning the first matchup 6-0. The Commodores finished the season 3-2-2.
1897-1938
In the 1897 season, coached by R. G. Acton, the Commodores won their first conference championship. They went 3-0 in SIAA play, including a 50-0 win against Kentucky. Vanderbilt dominated the Wildcats game after game. It took 11 games and 25 years for Kentucky to record a single point. Though, in the 1919 matchup, both teams failed to score a point, and the game ended in a 0-0 draw — what would be a shocking score in the modern era. The coach for a large portion of this era was Dan McGugin. From 1904 to 1917 and 1919 to 1934, his record was 197–55–19.
October 7, 1939 — Vanderbilt 13, Kentucky 21
When the two teams played in October 1939, the series’ record was 16-0-1 in favor of the Commodores. Kentucky’s win in 1939 shifted the tide, though. Vanderbilt finished the season 2-7-1 while Kentucky finished with a 6-2-1 record.
1940-2000
Kentucky’s next win against Vanderbilt would come in 1946. Bear Bryant was hired at the start of the year for the Wildcats as he looked to turn the program around. Bryant was a Vanderbilt assistant coach for two years in 1940-41. In 1953, the game became an annual matchup and the rivalry’s record evened between the two teams. In this stretch, Kentucky often dominated, winning 34 of 50 meetings between the two programs (from 1953-2000).
November 15, 2003 — Vanderbilt 28, Kentucky 17
Now, let’s flash forward to the 2003 season. The Commodores’ football program was struggling; they had not won an SEC game in three years (24-20 against Kentucky in 2000) and had not won an SEC game at home since 1998. Kentucky started the game in the lead before the Commodores scored 21 unanswered points. Jay Cutler led the way for Vanderbilt, throwing four touchdown passes and accounting for 304 yards offensively (175 in the air and 129 with his legs). This win gave the program a tangible sign of improvement during an otherwise difficult season, where it went 2-10. While Kentucky went on to take the next four meetings, the rivalry became far more competitive in the early 2010s.
November 13, 2021 — Vanderbilt 17, Kentucky 34
The 2021 meeting came during head coach Clark Lea’s first season, in which Vanderbilt was fully rebuilding its roster and identity. The Wildcats entered the matchup ranked No. 15 with one of the strongest teams in the Mark Stoops era, led by future Tennessee Titan signal-caller Will Levis. The game got out of hand early on, yet Vanderbilt showed some second half resilience. The second half efforts were not enough, though, as the Black and Gold fell to Kentucky. Despite the final score, this game does not count as a loss against Vanderbilt on the all-time record. Why? A controversy over Kentucky football players being paid for hours they did not work in jobs at the university hospital forced the program to vacate all 10 wins from the 2021 season.
November 12, 2022 — Vanderbilt 24, Kentucky 21
Few games in recent Vanderbilt history carry the meaning of the 2022 win in Lexington. Mike Wright started the season at quarterback for the Commodores. However, after a 45-25 loss to Wake Forest, he was benched in favor of first-year AJ Swann. When Swann was ruled out ahead of the matchup, Wright was thrust right back into the starting role. Despite a mediocre stat line of 12-of-23, passing for 184 yards and an interception, Wright also ran for 126 yards (including a 59-yard touchdown run). He also completed an 8-yard touchdown pass with 32 seconds left to clinch Vanderbilt‘s victory. This was the program’s first conference win since October 2019 and was also Lea’s first conference win as Vanderbilt’s head coach.
October 12, 2024 — Vanderbilt 20, Kentucky 13
Both the Commodores and Wildcats went into their 2024 matchup on the back of signature wins. Vanderbilt just beat No. 1 Alabama and, before a bye week, Kentucky toppled then-No. 6 Ole Miss. The Commodores came out on top, winning back-to-back conference matchups for the first time in two years. Diego Pavia passed for two touchdowns, and Brock Taylor kicked two field goals.
Looking ahead
Looking ahead to the 98th meeting this Saturday, these two programs are at vastly different spots. The Commodores (8-2) are playoff hopefuls and ranked highly in both the CFP and AP polls, while Kentucky (5-5) sits near the bottom of the SEC. A Kentucky win would deal a crushing blow to Vanderbilt’s playoff hopes and give the Wildcats a much-needed late season signature victory. But for the Commodores, a win would reinforce their recent edge in the rivalry, and push Lea’s team into the season’s final week — a more lopsided rivalry game against Tennessee — with momentum.
