The losing streak eventually was going to end. It was just a matter of when and where. The answers: Saturday and Kentucky.
The cracked voice and tears from the normally buttoned-up coach Clark Lea told the story of Vanderbilt’s breakthrough victory, a 24-21 upset of 17-point favorite Kentucky. That finally snapped the Commodores’ three-year losing streak in conference games. Vandy hadn’t beaten a Southeastern Conference team since upsetting Missouri on Oct. 19, 2019, hadn’t won an SEC road game since 2018, hadn’t won a division road game since 2017, hadn’t beaten a ranked SEC team on the road since 2007.