ESPN reporter Laura Rutledge attended the Week 13 game between Vanderbilt and Kentucky. For a crucial game that can have playoff implications for Clark Lea’s Commodores, the 11-year broadcast veteran sported a clean, stylish look. Rutledge shared her outfit of the day on her Instagram story.

In the story, we can see her wearing a red leather trench coat, which perfectly suited the cloudy weather at FirstBank. She appeared alongside her friend Joyce Jones, and both seemed excited about the upcoming game.

Rudledge wasn’t alone, as she also posted an Instagram story with American journalist Marty Smith, who was also in Nashville. The IG story took a humorous turn when Smith went searching for a protein drink and ended up grabbing a Tofurky product, a vegetarian turkey alternative made from wheat protein and organic tofu. It seems that the mood was great in Nashville.

Her role at the game remains unclear; her ESPN colleagues, Mark Jones (play-by-play), Roddy Jones (analyst), and Quint Kessenich (sideline), were in the broadcasting team for the matchup.

Ahead of the game, Laura continued her weekly tradition of making her children pick the winner. While her son Jack hasn’t been lucky with his picks, her daughter, Reese, is on a hot streak. Even this time around, it seems like the streak is going to continue. Jack picked the Wildcats to cause an upset and end Vandy’s playoff hopes. On the other hand, Reese went with Diego Pavia and his team.

As for the game, this is Vanderbilt’s moment to shine. With an 8-2 record, the Commodores remain in playoff contention. However, they must beat Kentucky in Week 13 and then defeat Tennessee at Neyland Stadium in the regular season finale to secure a playoff spot.

Vanderbilt’s playoff contention pathway

Losing to the Texas Longhorns set back the Commodores in the playoff race. However, that didn’t mean they were out of it. After losing to the Texas Longhorns, the Commodores rebounded with a 45-38 victory against Auburn, led by quarterback Diego Pavia, who threw 25 out of 33 passes for 377 yards and 3 touchdowns.  Now they find themselves against 11th-place Kentucky, which has surprisingly been on a three-game win streak.

The Wildcats initially sat dead last in the conference, but they have managed to climb back up. Head coach Clark Lea will certainly take notice of that. Vanderbilt cannot afford to lose to Kentucky, as a defeat would effectively end its hopes of making the playoffs. However, playing at FirstBank gives the Commodores an advantage heading into the matchup.

Beating Kentucky still won’t solve all their problems, because Tennessee awaits them in the season finale. Head coach Josh Heupel’s team currently sits ninth in the SEC and will also be looking for a win against the Florida Gators. If the Volunteers beat Florida, the showdown with Vanderbilt will become even more high-stakes.

For now, Vanderbilt’s primary focus remains Kentucky. If Diego Pavia continues performing at his current level, Clark Lea will have little to worry about and can use the extra time to prepare for Tennessee, the playoff gatekeepers.