College football final: Kentucky Wildcats 45, Vanderbilt Commodores 28

After winning its three pre-conference games, Kentucky football hits the road to take on the Vanderbilt Commodores in the SEC opener for both teams. Kickoff is set for noon at FirstBank Stadium. The SEC Network has the television broadcast.

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Final: Kentucky 45, Vanderbilt 28

Vanderbilt scored with 23 seconds left when Ken Seals hit Kamrean Johnson for a 10-yard score, but it was too little, too late.

Kentucky improved to 4-0 overall and 1-0 in the SEC. Vanderbilt dropped to 2-3 overall and 0-1 in the conference.

UK plays host to Florida next Saturday at noon.

Maxwell Hairston is having a day

Double pick-six day for Maxwell Hairston. The Kentucky cornerback returns his second interception for his second touchdown. UK now up on Vandy 45-21 with 4:15 left. This interception return for a score covers 54 yards.

It’s not over yet as Vandy scores

After a 39-yard pass from Swann to Carter, and a UK pass interference penalty on Hairston, the Commodores score, then tack on the two-point conversion with 8:00 left. Kentucky’s lead now 38-21.

Dane Key catch extends Kentucky lead to 38-13

Great catch by Dane Key in left corner of end zone for 22-yard score. Ray Davis 38-yard run on second-and-22 from the 10 ignited drive. UK 38, Vanderbilt 13 with 10:35 left in Nashville.

Davis now has 78 yards on 17 carries. Key has caught four passes for 58 yards.

End of third quarter: Kentucky 31, Vanderbilt 13

The stats through three quarters

D’Eryk Jackson swings momentum back to UK

D’Eryk Jackson swings the momentum back Kentucky’s way with interception and lateral to Dru Phillips. UK cashes in with 1-yard Davis TD run for 31-13 lead over Vandy with 6:44 left in third quarter.

Kentucky offense sputtering

Since going up 24-0, Kentucky’s offense has gone three-and-out, three-and-out, interception and three-and-out. Cats up 24-13 on Vanderbilt with 9:49 left in the third quarter.

Vanderbilt cuts deficit thanks to interception

On UK’s second possession of the first half, quarterback Devin Leary got blasted up the middle as he was attempting to pass. The wounded duck went right to a Commodore. Vandy took over at the UK 16. Kentucky’s defense stiffened and Borcila kicked a 32-yard field goal to cut Kentucky’s lead to 24-13 with 11:25 left in the third quarter.

Halftime: Kentucky 24, Vanderbilt 10

A couple of penalties against UK’s Maxwell Hairston helps Vanderbilt down the field. Commodores end up with a 7-yard TD run by Sedrick Alexander to cut Kentucky’s lead to 24-10 with 20 seconds left in first half.

UK quarterback Devin Leary was 9 of 15 for 118 yards passing with an interception in the first half.

Vanderbilt quarterback AJ Swann was 7 of 20 for 92 yards passing with an interception in the first half.

First half stats

Vanderbilt gets on the board

A 15-yard personal foul against UK’s Zach Childress and a 28-yard pass from AJ Swann to Logan Kyle set up a 41-yard field goal by Jacob Borcila. Kentucky 24, Vanderbilt 3 with 2:51 left in the first half.

Kentucky up 24-0 with under five minutes left in first half

In his first field goal attempt since the opener, UK’s Alex Raynor boots a 27-yarder to give Cats a 24-0 lead over Vanderbilt with 4:53 left in first half. A 22-yard Devin Leary scramble helped the scoring drive along.

End of first quarter: Kentucky 21, Vanderbilt 0

Cats ambushed the Commodores with two early scores, including a 29-yard interception return for a touchdown by Maxwell Hairston.

First quarter stats

Brown, Davis extend UK lead to 21-0 in first quarter

Nashville connections come through. Leary hits Nashville’s Barion Brown for a 56-yard gain, setting up a 1-yard TD run by former Vandy running back Ray Davis. Kentucky has rocketed to a 21-0 lead over Vanderbilt with 1:56 left in the first quarter.

Pick six puts Kentucky up 14-0 early

Excellent pass rush by Trevin Wallace and J.J. Weaver forces Vandy quarterback AJ Swann to throw right to UK cornerback Maxwell Hairston, who returns the interception 29 yards for a touchdown. So the Cats scored two touchdowns within 1:37 of the other to take a 14-0 lead over Vanderbilt with 8:14 left in the first quarter.

Kentucky jumps in front 7-0

After forcing a Vanderbilt punt on the game’s first possession, Kentucky goes 82 yards in seven plays to take a 7-0 lead. Running back JuTahn McClain burst up the middle for a 36-yard score with 9:51 left in the first quarter. Quarterback Devin Leary hit Dane Key with a 14-yard pass on the second play of the drive. Leary later converted a third-and-4 with a 9-yard pass to Barion Brown.

Pregame information

Kentucky (3-0): The Wildcats won all three of their pre-conference games, all at home. Mark Stoops’ team opened the season with a 44-14 victory over Ball State. The Wildcats next took care of Eastern Kentucky 28-17 before beating Akron 35-3 last Saturday.

Kentucky’s football roster

Kentucky’s statistics

Vanderbilt (2-2): The Commodores opened the season with home wins over Hawaii, 35-28, and Alabama A&M, 47-13. They come into Saturday’s game after back-to-back road losses. Wake Forest beat the Commodores 36-20 in Winston-Salem on Sept. 19. Last Saturday, Clark Lea’s club dropped a 40-37 heartbreaker at UNLV.

Vanderbilt’s football roster

Vanderbilt’s statistics

Pregame links

Five things to know about the Vanderbilt Commodores

How Kentucky and Vanderbilt match-up -- with a game prediction

What you need to know for five UK-Vandy prop bets

Is UK quarterback Devin Leary ready to face SEC defenses?

Some Kentucky-Vanderbilt football predictions

As UK enters SEC play, five surprising things about the Wildcats

Kentucky football’s offense isn’t ready for the start of SEC play

In the final season of the SEC East, could Kentucky win a divisional title?

Here’s what Kentucky football fans need to know about Vandy’s ongoing stadium renovations

UK’s Commonwealth Stadium was a football oasis in a desert of troubles | Opinion

It’s early, but everything we thought we knew about college football is wrong

Kentucky football’s failures on offense in one area have Liam Coen’s frustration boiling

Blue Preview: Storyline, odds and key players to watch for UK football at Vanderbilt