LEXINGTON, Ky. _ There was nothing easy about Kentucky's win over Vanderbilt on Saturday night.
There were massive wind gusts knocking power out in various neighborhoods around Lexington, cold temperatures that deadened kicks and passes.
The No. 14 Cats played from behind early and slogged through a 7-7 tie for the better part of the game before finally pulling ahead behind Benny Snell.
The junior running back ran 7 yards for the go-ahead touchdown with 8:04 to go and help Kentucky put away Vandy for a third straight time, 14-7 at a crisp Kroger Field.
Snell, who walked into the halftime locker room slowly and well after his teammates, fought through what ailed him to carry Kentucky with 169 yards and a touchdown on 32 carries.
The Cats (6-1, 4-1 Southeastern Conference) needed him. The pass attack was grounded with Terry Wilson completing just three of his nine pass attempts for 18 yards. The sophomore quarterback did add 91 yards rushing.
With the victory, Kentucky became bowl eligible for the third straight season. Vanderbilt fell to 3-5 and 0-4 in the league.
Kentucky's move to 4-1 in SEC play is its best five-game league start to a season since 1977.
But the game wasn't without its challenges, especially early.
Since the season opener when Central Michigan managed to score 20 points off Cats miscues, no other opponent had capitalized off UK turnovers.
Until Saturday night, when Vandy capitalized on a Wilson fumble near midfield on the opening drive. Six plays later, QB Kyle Shurmur found C.J. Bolar with a 29-yard pass to the left side of the end zone.
On UK's next drive, a Wilson lateral to Lynn Bowden didn't connect and Vanderbilt again pounced on the mistake at the Cats' 40-yard line.
This time the Kentucky defense held, though, forcing a Vanderbilt three-and-out. The Cats forced three-and-outs in four of the Commodores' final five drives of the first half.
At the break, Vandy had outgained the Cats 141-129, including 103-7 in passing yardage. Wilson connected on two of his four passes for seven yards. Snell had 15 carries for 68 yards in the first half.
Both teams missed field goals in the third quarter and went into the fourth quarter tied 7-7.
Vanderbilt had a chance to break the tie early in the fourth quarter, but on a fourth-and-1 at the Kentucky 16-yard line, Kash Daniel forced a Jamauri Wakefield fumble and nose guard Quinton Bohanna scooped it up to give the ball back to the Cats to set up the 80-yard drive and Snell score.
Kentucky's defense was paced by Daniel, who had 11 tackles despite injuring his hand during the game. Mike Edwards added nine tackles and Davonte Robinson had seven tackles, a career best for the former Henry Clay star.
Josh Allen finished with seven tackles, including one sack and one tackle for loss. He forced a fumble on the final Vandy drive of the game to end it.
The Cats defense held the Commodores to 284 yards, including just 68 yards on the ground. Vanderbilt was playing without leading rusher Ke'Shawn Vaughn.
