Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt Preview: Cats Chase Six Straight (7:30 PM ET)

No. 12 Kentucky has a chance to win its sixth straight game tonight, under the lights at Kroger Field.

The Cats (6-1 record, 4-1 in the SEC) host Vanderbilt (3-4 record, 0-4 in the SEC) at 7:30 p.m. ET on SEC Network. Kentucky has won five in a row since the loss to Alabama, including back-to-back overtime wins over South Carolina and LSU and last week's win at Oklahoma. Vanderbilt has lost four straight, most recently to Arkansas. DraftKings (via ESPN) has Kentucky as a 10.5-point favorite, and the forecast calls for the low 60s and dry at kickoff.

THE STORYLINE
Will Stein's first Kentucky team is in the SEC race in late October. A win tonight gets the Cats to 5-1 in the conference going into the open week before Tennessee. Vanderbilt is playing five-star freshman QB Jared Curtis, who's starting with Blaze Berlowitz out with a collarbone injury. Curtis has talent, but he has thrown seven interceptions this season.

THE LOOK
The Cats are wearing the gray alternate tonight: gray jerseys and pants, royal sleeves, gloves and socks, and the blue chrome helmet.

KEYS TO THE GAME
1. Run the ball. Kentucky averages 166 rushing yards a game, Vanderbilt allows 146, and CJ Baxter is cleared to play.
2. Make the freshman uncomfortable. Pressure Curtis early and look for takeaways.
3. Keep Junior Sherrill in front. He's Vanderbilt's top receiver, with 41 catches for 628 yards.

WHO'S OUT
Kentucky is without WR Nic Anderson, TE Lincoln Watkins, CB Grant Grayton, LB Antwan Smith, nickel Jaden Smith and EDGE Sam Greene. Vanderbilt is missing Berlowitz, CB Jaylin Lackey, EDGE Brian Allen Jr. and DTs Aaron Bryant and Nikhil Jefferson, among others. Full list: Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt injury report

HOW THEY STACK UP
Kentucky scores 32.7 points a game, Vanderbilt 23.6. Kenny Minchey has 13 touchdown passes and one interception. Every number is in the full comparison: How Kentucky stacks up with Vanderbilt

Our Take: Kentucky should win this game, and keeping the streak going matters. If the Cats run the ball and make Curtis throw into a pass rush, they head into the open week with a 7-1 record and the whole SEC watching.

WHERE TO WATCH & LISTEN
TV: SEC Network, 7:30 p.m. ET
Stream: ESPN app (with TV provider)
Radio: UK Sports Network (Tom Leach, Jeff Piecoro, Dick Gabriel); 630 WLAP and 98.1 WBUL in Lexington. Full affiliate list at ukathletics.com.

We'll be live all night on Facebook, Instagram and X. Go Cats.

Sources: ESPN game page, Sports Illustrated Vanderbilt game central, On3 SEC availability report, ESPN on CJ Baxter and Nic Anderson, On3 on Kentucky's uniform vs. Vanderbilt, UK Athletics schedule