LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky hits the road for a Southeastern Conference showdown when they face Vanderbilt on Saturday in Nashville. UK is coming off three straight nonconference wins to begin the season and looks to improve to 4-0 for the third straight season.

It’s been a tale of two halves for the Wildcats this season, with the majority of their scoring coming in the second half of games. In the last two weeks alone, Kentucky has scored just 21 first-half points and 42 second-half points.

The Cats are coming off a dominant 35-3 win over Akron to round out their early season non-conference play. UK’s offense is anchored by running back Ray Davis, who led Kentucky in rushing (72 yards) and receiving (97 yards), including a career-long 55-yard rushing touchdown, against Akron. He also tagged on impressive 58-yard touchdown reception after quarterback Devin Leary miraculously evaded two defenders and then connected with his running back.

Davis leads the team with 240 rushing yards on 33 carries with three touchdowns on the season. He will look to build on the forward momentum against his former team in Vanderbilt.

Speaking of Leary, UK’s starting signal caller has amassed an impressive stat sheet despite slow starts for the offense in their last two outings. Against the Zips, he completed 16 of 25 passes for 315 yards passing and three touchdowns against one interception. The NC State transfer has quietly crept up to the top half of the SEC leader board in almost every passing category. Through three weeks, he is second in the league in passing touchdowns (8), second in passing yards per completions (14.7), fourth in passing yards per game (285) and fifth in passing yard (855).

While the offense has had some sluggish starts, the defense has been stalwart. The Cats have held their first three opponents to 17 points or fewer for the second season in a row. Kentucky is currently 13th in the nation and second in the SEC in rushing defense, allowing just 71 yards on the run per game in 2023.

The Wildcats have a score to settle with the Commodores, who took a rare 24-21 win at Kroger Field last season. That win snapped a 26-game SEC skid for the Commodores. Now Vanderbilt will try to snap another skid after losing back-to-back road games.

The Commodores will rely on their high-powered passing offense to outmatch the stingy Kentucky defense. Quarterback AJ Swann leads the SEC and ranks fourth in the FBS throwing for 1,062 yards and 11 TDs. He has thrown for three or more TDs four times in his first 10 starts. He also is averaging 13.97 yards per completion, third-best in the SEC.

Look for Swann to connect with his favorite target, senior wide receiver Will Sheppard. He is Vanderbilt’s first player since at least 1996 with three consecutive games with two or more TD catches and fifth in the SEC with three straight such games in the same season. Sheppard is tied for most TD catches in FBS with six and his 36 points lead the Power Five conferences.

One key match up to watch is Kentucky’s triple threat of receivers vs. Vanderbilt’s banged up secondary. The Wildcats feature explosive receivers in Tayvion Robinson, Dane Key and Barion Brown, who have all shown the capacity for big plays. Vanderbilt is second in the SEC with five interceptions. But three of the Commodores’ safeties have been hampered by injuries recently.

The game may come down to which offense can make the most of their opportunities and what defense can make the bigger plays. Davis is an X-factor to be sure. In last year’s meeting, when Davis donned the gold and black, the powerful back rushed for 129 yards and a touchdown to help beat the Wildcats.

The betting line is Kentucky by 13 1/2, according to Fanduel Sportsbook. UK leads the all-time series, 48-43-4