Vanderbilt vs. Kentucky: Five things to watch

Vanderbilt already is assured a sixth straight losing record. So what now?

Coach Derek Mason wants his Commodores to finish the stretch run of the season with a lot of energy and no regrets.

“When you can create your energy and you’re confident in what you do, you can play the game and not worry,” Mason said. “We’ve got to let our energy find the ball, and let the ball find us. If we do that, we’ll be good.”

VANDERBILT FOOTBALL:A Tennessean subscription gets you unlimited access to our Vanderbilt football coverage

Vanderbilt (2-7, 1-5 SEC) will host Kentucky (4-5, 2-5) at 2:30 p.m. Saturday on SEC Network. Here are five things to watch for the Commodores:

Riley Neal is back at quarterback

Quarterback Riley Neal, who started seven of the first eight games, will return from a concussion. He looked good in his last two appearances before the injury. Neal tossed the game-winning touchdown pass in the fourth quarter against Missouri, and he threw another touchdown pass on the opening drive against South Carolina. So will Neal make a notable difference for a struggling offense, or is he just the best bad option?

Defense has learned to make timely stops

Lost in the offense’s dreadful performances, Vanderbilt’s defense has shown improvement, especially near the goal line. In the past three games, the Commodores made three fourth-down stops and forced four turnovers inside the 20-yard line. Kentucky loves to milk the clock with a steady ground attack and long drives. Vanderbilt must make a stand, either in the red zone or sooner, to prevent the Wildcats from settling into a comfort level.

Kentucky rarely passes, so stop the run

Kentucky lost three quarterbacks to injuries – starter Terry Wilson, backup Sawyer Smith and freshman Nik Scalzo. Smith has returned, but wide receiver Lynn Bowden Jr. is still playing quarterback for a run-oriented offense. In his four consecutive starts at quarterback, Bowden has rushed for 613 yards while completing only 16 passes. Sure, Vanderbilt must respect the occasional pass from the Wildcats. But the Commodores won’t win unless they contain Kentucky’s ground game.

Get Ke’Shawn Vaughn back on record pace

Ke’Shawn Vaughn has 818 rushing yards in nine games. He needs to average 155 yards per game against Kentucky, ETSU and Tennessee to catch Ralph Webb for Vanderbilt’s single-season record of 1,283 yards. Last season, Vaughn finished second on the list with 1,244 yards. It would take three standout performances for Vaughn to get the top mark, but he’s done it before. He averaged 184 yards in his last three full games last season, excluding the Tennessee game, which he left early with an injury.

Utilize Kalija Lipscomb and Jared Pinkney before it’s too late

It’s become almost comical how little Vanderbilt has used wide receiver Kalija Lipscomb and tight end Jared Pinkney, both All-SEC performers last season. Through nine games last season, they combined for 88 receptions and 11 TDs. This season they have 48 receptions and two touchdowns. Is their under-use solely tied to poor quarterback play and play-calling? Or can Lipscomb and Pinkney take some of the blame? Either way, they need to be a big part of the offense for Vanderbilt to earn its second SEC win of the season.

Reach Adam Sparks at asparks@tennessean.com and on Twitter @AdamSparks.