Victory over Vandy

Big win on Saturday down in Nashville. While the Gamecocks didn't give us the win we needed, it doesn't at all take away what the football team did on this weekend. The Cats picked up a tough road win and helped it's chances on getting to a bigger bowl.

I was on hand in Nashville to see the game, and let me tell you, it was an exciting day. I would have never imagined that a game in front of about 40,000 fans (over 1/2 UK fans) could be so intense. During the drive where we had the 2 consecutive pass-interference calls on 3rd and longs; the stadium became awfully tense after the late hit call near the Kentucky sideline. I was on the side of the stadium behind the UK bench and you could hear the Vandy fans on the other side shouting in unison "Kick him out, kick him out!" Our faithful countered with a resounding "Go Big Blue!" chant. It really was electric. At that moment I really did hate Vandy, and thats saying something.

For those of you who didn't see the game, it was a very hard fought physical football game. I know that in the past we're used to seeing that V on the helmet and automatically think V= W(in) Well this Vandy team impressed me. There is a reason Vegas set the line at 4, they knew it would be a tough game. Vandy had every reason to play with the hunger and passion that they were able to conjure up. They see Kentucky as a legitimate chance to get their 6th win of the year, that would make them bowl eligible for the first time since 1982. The Cats on the other hand, already securing that 6th win against LSU, could have easily folded. Not these Cats; the senior leadership is the biggest intangible this team possess that makes these guys so strong in the clutch. I was just as proud walking out of Vanderbilt Stadium as I was when I was walking out of Commonwealth after beating LSU.

Obviously with South Carolina folding to Tebow, this kills our chances at the SEC championship. We will at the end of season no doubt look back to the Mississippi State game as the one that got away. However we have no time for that now. Whats done is done. We have two huge games left that will decide if we get to go to the Capital One bowl, or the Liberty bowl. Also we have the chance the end the Tennessee streak. While its upsetting that we are out of the SEC race, we still have so much to play for. Athens will be an extremely tough game. Georgia is now the 3rd top-10 team we will have played this year (We are 2-0 in the those two games - UL, LSU). The Dawgs are hitting on all cylinders and will be anxious to avenge last years goal-post celebration party had at their expense. With no basketball games this week we can focus all of our attention on the football team, and they absolutely deserve it.

photo courtesy of ukathletics.com