LEXINGTON, KY—Vanderbilt running back Evan Hampton was carted off the field in the first half of Vanderbilt’s 34-17 loss to Kentucky and is legitimately “hurt,” Clark Lea said postgame.

“I've got to get official reads, I'll have an update on that later, but, I mean, he was not able to finish the game,” Lea said. “He was on a scooter, so we're gonna get him X-rays and kind of get the details of that. I hate that for a hometown, a Kentucky native playing back in his home state, it was unfortunate. He's been such a bright spot for us. and has such a bright future for us too. I mean, he's a part of that kind of identity that we're gonna have to forward.”

There’s some level of belief in Vanderbilt’s program that Hampton could be its running back of the future, and it appeared as if he also could’ve helped it in the present.…