Kentucky scout-team QB Brennan Ward turns practice work into a touchdown against Vanderbilt

Brennan Ward had not taken a snap in a live game all season. Then, in Kentucky's 34-17 win over Vanderbilt on Saturday night, the fourth-string quarterback ran for a touchdown. Head coach Will Stein had asked for the play himself, and the reason was what Ward had been doing in practice.

As SB Nation's A Sea of Blue reported, Ward runs Kentucky's scout team whenever the defense has to prepare for a running quarterback. In that role he has spent weeks imitating some of the most mobile passers on the schedule, including LaNorris Sellers, John Mateer, Sam Leavitt, Marcel Reed and Keelon Russell. He did it well enough that Stein told offensive coordinator Joe Sloan to build something into the Vanderbilt plan that would put the ball in Ward's hands as a runner. Sloan's design put two quarterbacks on the field at once, and Ward finished the run in the end zone. Stein told the outlet he had made it "mandatory" that week to find Ward a running play.

Before Saturday, Kentucky had used few quarterbacks other than its starter. According to the same report, backup Callum Wither had played against Youngstown State and threw one incomplete pass against South Alabama, and Matt Ponatoski took a few snaps in the South Alabama game. Ward's debut adds a new option to Sloan's offense, and opponents now have a short-yardage look with a running quarterback to prepare for.

The effect in the locker room may matter more. Safety Ty Bryant said he was proud to see Ward score. He said coaches often tell scout-team players they are being evaluated, and this showed Kentucky's staff means it. That fits how Stein has run the program since spring, when he kept practices moving with no breaks, skipped publishing a spring depth chart and rotated players to see who earned more snaps. A Sea of Blue noted that mobile quarterbacks are still ahead on the schedule, with Florida, Missouri and Louisville to come, so Ward could get more chances.

What it means for Tennessee

The Wildcats are 7-1 and 5-1 in SEC play. They have won six straight since a 45-17 home loss to Alabama in September. Their record has been built on close finishes as much as blowouts. Kentucky beat South Carolina and No. 10 LSU by a point each, then held Oklahoma to 13 points in a 21-13 road win before handling Vanderbilt. The defense has allowed 17 or fewer points in three of its last four games.

The next game is the toughest stretch so far. After a week off, Kentucky goes to No. 16 Tennessee on Saturday, November 7. It will be the Wildcats' fourth SEC road game. They have won the first three at Texas A&M, South Carolina and Oklahoma, but Neyland Stadium will be a harder place to play. A one-play package for Ward will not decide that game. Still, it gives Tennessee's staff another formation to study in film work.

Vanderbilt has gone the other way. The Commodores started 3-0, then lost five straight and fell to 3-5. They have scored 21 or fewer points in each of those losses. Their next game is at Mississippi State on the same Saturday Kentucky plays in Knoxville, and they need wins to stay in the bowl race.