Vandy stuns UK to end 26-game SEC losing run

Vanderbilt scored the game-winning touchdown with 32 seconds near to station a 24-21 upset of No. 24 Kentucky connected Saturday and drawback a 26-game SEC losing streak.

Vanderbilt's past league triumph was Oct. 19, 2019, a 21-14 triumph implicit Missouri. The Commodores (4-6, 1-5 SEC) past won a league crippled connected the roadworthy successful October 2018 against Arkansas.

Quarterback Mike Wright ran 59 yards for a touchdown successful the archetypal 4th earlier completing an 8-yard touchdown walk to Will Sheppard to assertion the win.

Wright was named the Commodores' starting backmost to unfastened the play but was benched pursuing a 45-25 nonaccomplishment to Wake Forest connected Sept. 10. Freshman AJ Swann started the past six games but was ruled retired against Kentucky owed to an injury.

"You got a clump of guys that are fighting," Vanderbilt manager Clark Lea said. "We're gathering a program, and gathering a program's hard. It takes radical that are aligned, doing the close things the close way. And that's what these guys are doing. I'm gladsome they got rewarded today."

Wright ran for 126 yards and a touchdown and threw for 184 yards and different touchdown. Ray Davis added 126 rushing yards and a touchdown for the Commodores.

"There's going to beryllium a batch to cleanable up, but we similar to larn from wins," Lea said. "I'm arrogant of Mike. Mike's had a pugnacious year, personally a pugnacious year. But he's fought done that and stayed with his teammates and prepared each week. He's made immoderate large plays for america this season. He came retired with a large tally astatine the extremity to link with Will Sheppard, and I thought helium did immoderate truly bully things to support america successful the crippled early."

Kentucky (6-4, 3-4) appeared to person survived the Vanderbilt effort aft moving backmost Chris Rodriguez doubly gave the Wildcats a lead, scoring from the 5 for a 15-14 pb past racing 72 yards for a touchdown to marque it 21-17 with 5:03 near successful the game.

Vanderbilt's game-winning thrust appeared stalled, but Octavious Oxendine's idiosyncratic foul wiped retired a Tyrell Ajian interception. Given caller life, Wright completed a 40-yard walk to Quincy Skinner Jr. to the Kentucky 9 connected fourth-and-11 to acceptable up the winning score.

"You springiness them credit," Kentucky manager Mark Stoops said. "I person been there. I cognize however hard they've worked. It's a bully infinitesimal for them. It's hard for maine to enactment my digit connected [one] thing. Disappointed with the mode things person gone. I deliberation everyone is. For immoderate reason, I'm not getting it done with this team."

This is the not the archetypal clip Kentucky has been the squad Vanderbilt has beaten to drawback a agelong losing streak. In 2003, the Commodores bushed the Wildcats 28-17 astatine location connected Nov. 15 down 4 touchdown passes from Jay Cutler to drawback a 23-game losing streak.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.