Vanderbilt-Kentucky: Go D.J., That's My D.J.—Moore Sparks 'Dores to Sixth Win

There has been plenty of talk. Maybe they will never get number six. Will the streak continue?

On Saturday night, Vanderbilt quieted the doubters—they picked up the coveted sixth win in style.

In front of a packed Commonwealth Stadium, the Commodores marched in with a confidence and swagger not seen from them in a bit. They looked focused, and behind redshirt senior quarterback Chris Nickson, it was time to become bowl eligible for the first time since 1982.

Nickson came out hot. He marched the team down the field and completed a sharp 25-yard pass to Mr. Do-It-All, D.J. Moore. Later in the quarter, Nickson capped off another 10-play drive to Moore for the touchdown. The Vanderbilt offense was operating like a finely tuned machine.

Early in the second, Vanderbilt watched their field goal attempt get blocked and returned for a touchdown. After a punt on their next series, the Vanderbilt defense trotted out on the field. Kentucky quarterback Randall Cobb dropped back, was pressured, and threw a pass into the outstretched arms of D.J. Moore.

The Vanderbilt offense took over from the Kentucky 21, and Nickson again completed his third touchdown pass to give the ‘Dores a 21-7 lead. Vanderbilt would add a field goal to make it a 24-7 game at half.

The Kentucky fans were left dejected as the team only managed to put up a lousy 32- yards of total offense. True freshman Randall Cobb looked rattled, and the rest of the Wildcats seemed confused by dual-threat quarterback Chris Nickson. Halftime couldn’t have come at a better time for the Cats.

Kentucky took the halftime kickoff and began marching down the field. The offense stalled at their own 48 and was forced to punt. Matshay’s punt found its way into D.J. Moore’s hands, but he was struck instantly and fumbled the ball at his own 12-yard line.

Kentucky RB Tony Dixon took little time to plunge into the end zone to cut the deficit to just 10 points. Two minutes before the close of the third quarter, Kentucky trimmed the lead to seven with a chip shot field goal from Tennessee native Lones Seiber.

Early in the fourth, Nickson once again had the offense rolling. Scrambling and short passes put the Commodores on the Kentucky 4. Junior RB Jared Hawkins took the subsequent snap and cruised four yards into the end zone to widen the Vanderbilt lead, 31-17.

Kentucky found themselves with good field position, and Cobb took the team down into the red zone once again. After a big 33-yard completion to E.J Adams, Vanderbilt watched Randall Cobb find pay dirt almost untouched. The ‘Dores looked determined to stop the suddenly lively Kentucky offense.

With about five minutes left, the Randall Cobb and the crew got the ball back. The first three plays amassed 37 yards, and Kentucky appeared to be strolling down the field with ease.

At the Vanderbilt 29-yard line, the ‘Dores defense began to stiffen up. They were looking for a big play to lock up the game and secure bowl eligibility.

On a crucial fourth down, Cobb dropped back and fired a rocket that ended up in the hands of a playmaker. Unfortunately for Kentucky, that playmaker played for Vanderbilt. D.J. Moore’s second interception sealed the sixth win for the Commodores and a shot at a bowl game this winter.