As an ugly first half came to an end Saturday afternoon in Nashville, tempers flared between <a href="https://www.on3.com/teams/kentucky-wildcats/">Kentucky</a> and <a href="https://www.on3.com/sites/the-dore-report/">Vanderbilt</a>.



Kentucky‘s <a href="https://www.on3.com/rivals/cutter-boley-151566/">Cutter Boley</a> threw a hail-mary pass to the end zone with no time remaining in the half, which was intercepted by Vanderbilt cornerback <a href="https://www.on3.com/rivals/martel-hight-146698/">Martel Hight</a>. Hight returned it 36 yards before he was slung to the ground by Kentucky tight end <a href="https://www.on3.com/rivals/willie-rodriguez-161939/">Willie Rodriguez Jr.</a>, which incited the confrontation.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on both Vanderbilt and Kentucky coaching staffs as we head into halftime in Nashville <a href="https://t.co/78JfGLTdji">pic.twitter.com/78JfGLTdji</a>— Stephanie Otey (@StephOtey) <a href="https://twitter.com/StephOtey/status/1992356771953054146?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2025</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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Kentucky rolled into Nashville on Saturday riding a three-game winning streak. Needing just one win over its final two games to clinch its ninth bowl game appearance in the past 10 seasons, the Wildcats came out flat and suffered a miserable opening half.



After punting on its opening drive, Vanderbilt held the ball for a nine minute, 15-play, 53-yard drive which resulted in a field goal. It then forced another Wildcat punt and immediately scored on a <a href="https://www.on3.com/rivals/diego-pavia-36926/">Diego Pavia</a> 71-yard passing touchdown to wide receiver <a href="https://www.on3.com/rivals/tre-richardson-153385/">Tre Richardson</a>, extending the lead to 10.



Vanderbilt scored once again with 4:35 remaining in the second quarter, as Richardson found pay dirt for a 15-yard rushing touchdown. Kentucky kicker <a href="https://www.on3.com/rivals/jacob-kauwe-236252/">Jacob Kauwe</a> drilled a 47-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 14, but Pavia responded with yet another monstrous touchdown pass to Richardson. This one went 56 yards, making it a 24-3 Vanderbilt lead heading into the break.

Kentucky-Vanderbilt-penalized-after-fight-breaks-out-heading-into-halftime

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Kentucky, Vanderbilt penalized after fight breaks out heading into halftime

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