Everything Vanderbilt Head Coach Clark Lea Said After Vanderbilt’s Win Over Kentucky

Vanderbilt cruised to a victory over Kentucky on Senior Day. Here is everything Clark Lea said.

Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea works with his team during the third quarter against Kentucky at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. | Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

NASHVILLE – That is how you finish your homestand the right way.

Vanderbilt came away with a blowout victory over Kentucky Saturday afternoon by a score of 45-17 on Senior Day. With the win, Vanderbilt finished undefeated at home in 2025.

Vanderbilt controlled the game from the very start. The Commodores used three touchdowns in the second quarter to help them bury Kentucky early and never looked back. After the game, Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea talked to the media. Here is everything he said.

Opening Statement

“It was a night for our seniors, and I'm really proud of the way the team rallied around that. They showed up and played and played in a way that represented the guys that have given so much to this program. Some of those guys we've talked about this week have been here for five years, Some of them for two, some of them one. Some of them have been here for eight months, but they've all left an imprint on our program, and that's a group that led us to the first undefeated season at home here since 1982. It's a group that's led us to nine regular season wins for the first time since 1915. It’s a group that deserves the attention and respect that they've gotten, and I'm grateful for them. I hope that I coach in a way that represents their toughness, their commitment, and I'm really proud of them and happy for them too. So it was our night. It was their night, and this team showed up for them, and I thought we handled ourselves coming off the bye week really well. Sometimes these late season buys can disrupt a little rhythm. This group is ready to play. And, you know, we put together a performance that I think we need to be proud of and we need to celebrate.”

The performance that Diego turned in. You know, how much has he blossomed as a passer this year, and that performance to do something that hadn't been done ever topping what Whit Taylor did back in 1981? What does he mean to this team?

“I think I've run out of things to say. I mean, he, I believe you made a reference. Single season record for total yards, and then single game record for passing yards. I love how we've evolved our system to fit his strengths. I think spreading the field out, letting him spray the ball around. Our receiving group has stepped up a ton and also our offensive line given his face and protection. But you asked about Diego. I've said this every week, but he's the best player in the country. Deserves to be in the Heisman conversation. He tips the field when he steps on it. There's only a few players in the world that when the ball's in their hand, if they can take over a game. He's done that repeatedly here, and I think we've really found a chemistry and rhythm with what his skill set is and how we best put him in good positions. We did that tonight, and obviously his numbers reflect that. So I'm happy for him. He deserves this. My God this is a guy that has been doubted every way you can be doubted and counted out, and all he's done is bet on himself. He's taken risks, he's leaned into trust, he's shown up and done the work. And I hope everyone's paying attention. I know my children are. This guy is one of one, and he's a great role model and a great team member, and we’re grateful for what he's done for us."

Clark, when you get into late third quarter, early fourth quarter, are you having to think about the playoff with some of the being aggressive offensively, maybe still trying to to impress some people who weren't here today?

“I don't know what matters and what doesn't. I would say that I want to do everything I can to best position our team to be successful. And there's a balance there between maintaining that aggressive posture and also protecting the guys that are going to need to be out there to play for you when you get there. And so, we wanted to play competitive football up until the point in time where we got in the fourth quarter and we felt like it was time to pull back and give other guys a chance to build some of that depth out. Then also honor some seniors and play a lot of football. But I wasn't going to pull back just because this needed to be a statement win for us. I'm going to be honest that was as much about our seniors as it was about whoever's making the decision to count us in or count us out the way I see it. We need to be focused now on finishing at Tennessee and finishing in Knoxville, and that's how we give ourselves the best chance. So I wanted the performance for our seniors. Obviously, we want to play as long as we possibly can. And we want to keep our goals within reach. I'm not so sure how much the score margin counts or doesn't count. We want to play the best we can.”

Some of the TV cameras, I think, caught you and Diego's conversation. What was that conversation like?

“I said to him, you're done. And he said to me, ‘Coach, please.’ I said, ‘No, we're gonna aim for a championship. I want. I want you healthy for the playoffs.’ And he came back and said, ‘Please.’ He didn't ask for much. And you know what? Maybe I'm wrong. I mean, I felt like at the third point at which he stopped me and said, ‘Can I please go back out there?’ It almost felt like I owed him this. I owe him the chance to go back out. So, we did. We sent him back out. And after that, that was the drive that ended in the interception. And ultimately, you know, we knew that that needed to end the night. But again, a ton of respect for him, and I appreciated his desire.”

One of the seniors that had a moment tonight was Kolbey Taylor with an interception. He looked a little emotional coming out of the tunnel as he was being honored today. Can you just talk about his impact on the program, just what he means to this team?

“He means a lot to me personally. This is a guy that has been through a lot in life, and he's taken time to lean into trust here and understand kind of what this program is doing and helping them. And we had a challenging year. Last year was just up and down for him. In January, we really had to have some kind of direct conversation. This is such a spirited guy. And I mean, if you come out to practice, he is every day with energy and spirit, enthusiasm and loves football. And I can't say enough about the consistency he's found this season, and it's not perfect, but he's playing at a high level, and he's being a great teammate. On the whole, he's found that rhythm and kind of that peace and that trust, and so what a great moment for him tonight to come up with that interception. I think he ran it all the way to the end zone and celebrated it the right way too. I'm very happy for KT. He's such a valued member of our program and I think, such an example of what development can look like, what relationships can do. And while we don't give up on each other, we step into the support we have, the conversations, we create alignment. And we can create memories together. So really proud of him, happy for him again, grateful he's with us.” 

The secondary has struggled at times in the past couple weeks. It looked like Mark Davis got the start there. What have you seen from Mark and his growth over the past couple months? And also, what was your general assessment of the secondary play today?

“I thought defensively we were organized tonight. Now, this was a really hot team, Kentucky. I got a ton of respect for them, a ton of respect for Mark Stoops and the program he's built. I've said this before. I think in so many ways, he's modeled what building a program looks like in this conference, and so they've really found a rhythm here as the seasons wore on, and we needed to play well on defense. We felt like generating possessions was going to be critical to us putting distance between the two teams, and that means we got to play well on third down. That means we got to get them all off schedule and keep them off schedule and turn the ball over. And so defensively, we did that. We were organized, we communicated well. We played with confidence. It looked to me like we returned to form. You know, early in the season, the Missouri game, it resembled that kind of performance. I think, if I'm not mistaken, 213, yards of offense in the fourth quarter. You know where we were. We were down the bench and just getting guys out there to play. And I just say that to say I don't want in the numbers to lose what I felt like was a really strong defensive performance, and particularly the secondary. I thought we covered well, obviously we were able to disrupt the ball and get turnovers. Dontae Carter showed up a couple times physically, a young player that's continuing to ascend. And we've had a tough couple of weeks on defense, but I think that has less to do with our people, more to do with organization, and so I was proud of the way the staff came together. The players bought into it, and we got back to some of the things that we needed to do, just from getting a call, getting aligned, knowing what we're looking at, and getting to our technique faster than the opponent.”

How does it feel to go out there and dominate a team in conference play like you did tonight? 

“It feels good. I'm proud of our team. I think I've got a ton of respect for Kentucky. I felt like the way we played on defense early set a tone for us. Created the possessions we were able to jump out to the lead, and then in the middle two quarters, we just pushed the gas down. And we can do that, but I think that performance is representative of the heartbeat of our program. It's representative of the sacrifice and suffering and the endurance of our seniors. And if I'm happy about anything is that we send those guys out the right way. I mean, they have been shoulder to shoulder with me. I'm in a role that most times resembles a parent, but I feel closer to a brother, and that's because of the things we've gone through together. And as they move on, I just want to make sure that they are honored for what they've contributed.”

Diego and you guys have obviously thrown it a lot lately, does that represent improvement on his part, or just sort of just giving him more opportunities to do it as a passer?

“We have changed in some ways, and in some ways, I mean, in dramatic ways. The personality of our offense. And you know, we can go and I think we had in the first quarter, one offensive possession, as I have it. So that looked like we ended the first drive with 14 plays, nine minutes and 48 seconds, and we kicked the field goal. As we kind of turn the page on last season to this season, how do we become more explosive on offense? Well, one way we found to do that is change tempo, get our skill out there, spread the field out. Diego sees it really well, and lets him cook. And so that system has been a part of our kind of understanding of what it's going to take for us to win. And how do we win as many games as we possibly can? It's points for possession, first down series success rate. Those are the things we're looking at. There's no question he's evolved. There's no question that this game is really slow for him. And I think when we put him in those situations where we can get the defense on their heels, he makes them pay, if they're not in the right position. And sometimes you use that tempo just to slow the defense down a little bit. And now all of a sudden we got really explosive skill and space, and a guy with a ball in his hand that knows what to do with it. So it's a combination of those things, but really a testament to how versatile he is as a player. And, yeah and a credit to Tim Beck too. I can't say enough about what Tim's meant, and his leadership on that side of the ball. Pretty remarkable.”

Tre Richardson had a really big game today, two or three touchdowns. What did you make of his performance?

“It was explosive. I mean, he got a game ball for us. I had him for six catches, 154 yards, and three touchdowns. I mean, two of those I felt like were just him getting behind and out running the secondary, you know, and a good pass and a really nice catch. But I mean, his speed out there. He had the kickoff return too. And you guys are going to look at that. I mean, that's a real play. It got called back for a hold. But, sometimes that happens. I mean, not a lot of people that can impact the game that way, Tre can. We're glad to have him, and I've been so impressed with how he's come in. He has his son, he's battled some personal adversity, he's moved around a bunch in college. A new setting, new conference, new teammates, new coaches, and he has just been totally himself, and he's comfortable, and he's confident, and he's made great connections, and he's such a smart player, so smart in the meeting rooms. And when he gets out in the field, all that gets him in the right position, and then he can hit the accelerator and run past you, you know. He's been a great story this season, and obviously had an elite night tonight. I'm very, very happy for him.”