Three keys for Kentucky to beat the Vanderbilt Commodores

The defense struggled getting off the field on third down against Ball State and EKU but got a little better against the Akron Zips. If Vandy converts a whole bunch of third downs, it will give them confidence that they can move the football. This cannot happen. The Cats need to get off the field on third down, or Vanderbilt could make this a closer game than it should be to start SEC play. 

The offense needs to be balanced between run plays and pass plays. The Cats have the best yards-per-carry mark in the SEC but are 13th in the conference in rushing yards. This tells me they need to run the rock more to open things up in the passing game. Balance will make the rushing and passing attack better and lead the Cats to a blowout victory over Vanderbilt. 

One of the big issues for the offense so far has been the passes dropped by the receivers. Dane Key and Barion Brown have dropped a few passes so far this season, that has hurt the offense and Leary's completion percentage. You can get away with those mistakes in non-conference games, but once SEC play starts, those things will bite you. The receivers need to help out their quarterback and catch the football. A good game from Key and Brown will lead to a Kentucky victory.