Kentucky 14, Vanderbilt 13

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Posted 10:13PM on Saturday, November 13, 2004

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) Kentucky quarterback Shane Boyd almost lost his starting job last week, but ended up being a hero on Saturday. Boyd, making his final start at Commonwealth Stadium, threw two fourth-quarter touchdown passes to Glenn Holt, including a 25-yarder with 1:39 left, to lift the Wildcats past Vanderbilt 14-13. Kentucky (2-8, 1-6 Southeastern Conference) snapped a seven-game losing streak, while the Commodores (2-8, 1-6) just missed their first SEC road win in four years. Four of Vanderbilt's losses have been by three points or less. ``This has been a very, very difficult season for the seniors,'' Kentucky coach Rich Brooks said. ``To leave Commonwealth Stadium on Senior Day with a victory, and the way we got it, I think is great.'' Vanderbilt led 13-0 entering the fourth quarter, but a 52-yard run by Kentucky tailback Arliss Beach led to a 7-yard touchdown pass from Boyd to Holt with 12:12 left. Kentucky walk-on Dennis Johnson blocked a Vanderbilt punt with 5:35 left, giving the Wildcats possession at the Vanderbilt 20, but the Commodores stopped Kentucky on downs at the 10 with 4:29 left. Vanderbilt couldn't manage a first down and punted again, giving the Wildcats the ball at the Vanderbilt 36 with 2:44 left. It took Kentucky four plays to score. Boyd, being rushed, lobbed the ball into the back of the end zone. ``If I'd had a shotgun, I'd have shot it,'' Brooks said of Boyd's wobbly pass. ``It looked like one of those ducks up there flying around.'' Holt, who caught nine passes for 87 yards, outmaneuvered cornerback Dominique Morris for the ball. ``It looked to me like Dominique jumped too early,'' Vanderbilt coach Bobby Johnson said. ``I was watching the quarterback. I thought we were going to have a chance to sack him and he just flung it down there toward the end zone.'' Taylor Begley's extra point gave the Wildcats the lead. Vanderbilt reached the 50 on its subsequent possession, but an intentional grounding penalty on Jay Cutler cost the Commodores 15 yards. Three incompletions later, the Wildcats took over with 36 seconds left. Vanderbilt had one final chance, from deep in its own territory with 5 seconds left, but Cutler's long pass sailed incomplete. Cutler, playing on an injured ankle, finished 16-of-32 for 202 yards. ``It's pretty tough because it's an SEC game and we had a chance to get a road win,'' Johnson said. ``We played good enough most of the game to win and didn't get it. It's tough.'' Boyd, a senior, had thrown only three touchdown passes all season before Saturday and probably wouldn't have started if redshirt freshman Andre Woodson's ankle had been healthier. Boyd completed 13 of 23 passes for 80 yards, and for the first time all season, Kentucky did not commit a turnover. After the game, Boyd apologized to Kentucky fans for the Wildcats' difficult season, saying ``the chips haven't always fallen our way.'' But Boyd also found it easy to be optimistic. ``This is the start of something good, something we can build on,'' Boyd said. ``Things aren't always as bad as they seem.'' The Commodores scored on the opening drive of the second half on a 13-yard touchdown pass from Cutler to Chris Young, but Patrick Johnson's extra-point attempt went wide left which proved to be the difference in the game. He entered the game 17-of-19 on conversion attempts. ``We can't have our punts blocked and we've got to kick extra points,'' Johnson said. ``We'll change what we're doing.'' Vanderbilt led 7-0 at halftime, thanks to a seven-play, 71-yard touchdown drive. Jeff Jennings scored on a 1-yard run early in the second quarter. Begley missed field goal attempts of 35 and 47 yards, while Johnson had a 21-yard attempt blocked by Kentucky's Lonnell DeWalt. It was the fifth block of the season for DeWalt, a 6-6 freshman.