Vanderbilt football (!) back in the win column in the SEC

Happy Sunday morning! This is trending sports writer Nick Gray. The Commodores!

Vanderbilt football doesn't have to hear about the 26-game SEC losing streak as anything other than history anymore. The Commodores won 24-21 over No. 24 Kentucky on Saturday in a cold and snowy Lexington, with Will Sheppard's TD catch with 32 seconds left providing the margin of victory.

Ray Davis was excited. Mike Wright was back as the starting QB and played well. Clark Lea was very emotional after his first SEC win.

Vandy has been much better this season, better than a 3-win record would have indicated. Now this season has marked progress with the road SEC win at a top-25 team.

As Tennessean columnist Gentry Estes wrote: "It was a worthy reward for a program that chose to keep working to rediscover what had been lost."

Read more from Vanderbilt sports reporter Aria Gerson on the scene in Lexington on the program-building victory.

REPORT CARD: Vanderbilt football grades an 'A' in report card for first SEC win since 2019

LEA EMOTIONAL: Clark Lea's emotional postgame reaction to Vanderbilt football's win at Kentucky is must-see

WINNING SCORE: See Vanderbilt football TD pass vs. Kentucky to end 26-game SEC losing streak

📰 If you aren't already a subscriber, consider signing up for unlimited access to our local sports coverage and all The Tennessean has to offer. Our in-depth reporting on your favorite teams is made possible through subscriber support. 

📱 And download our app! You can personalize it to the news and stories you want to read, whether that be continuing coverage of the Titans season or business and real estate. 

Here’s what the Tennessean is featuring this morning: