nicksjuzunk
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Tennessee returns to SEC play this week with a visit from one of the many cat based teams in the SEC... this one being, Kentucky. So many animals, and everyone seems to want to be a cat or dog in college sports. Who at South Carolina thought a rooster was the way to go? I mean... I eat chicken every day. Is that supposed to be intimidating? What is life?
Anyways, this is a game Kentucky always has circled, and traditionally, Tennessee hasn't had much to worry about, with dominance being the standard. Times have changed, and Kentucky has been a tough out for the Vols over the last decade, even if they haven't bested us that often. Let's see what Tennessee needs to do to come out on top again.
Keys to Victory:
1. Level Levis: I am well documented on this site as having NEVER been high on Will Levis. To me, it is a bizarre love affair that the media, and I guess scouts have with him. I mean, what on earth is it about this stat line that is so impressive?
Not much if you ask me. Looks like that is flat average of average. However, I will give him his due... he is a decent QB with some tools, even if he is not the #1 Draft Heisman Pick Award Man Guy that he has been made out to be. Levis has what it takes to pick our secondary apart all day long... especially if we aren't healthy back there. It's a legitimate concern. Fortunately, there is a solution. Kentucky's offensive line is lame sauce, having given up 26 sacks this season for an average of 3.71 sacks per game. This includes games against traditional mega- defensive powerhouses such as Youngstown State, NIU, Miami of Ohio, and South Carolina. The solution is simple. Tim Banks is going to blitz the ever living poop dog out of Levis all night long and the Kentucky offensive line will not be able to handle the pressure. I put the over / under of sack at 5.5, and I'm taking the over. Can Levis make enough plays to counteract the blitz? He's only averaging 217 yard passing per game vs. SEC play, which Hendon Hooker thinks is a decent half. His QBR vs. the SEC is a #1 Draft Heisman Pick Award Man Guy worthy 55.3. Can he make enough plays? Don't think so.2. Sod for C-Rod: Chris Rodriguez is a heck of a running back, especially producing with the lame sauce offensive line he has. Tennessee needs to keep him eating sod all day long. The Vols only give up 91 yards per game and Rodriguez is averaging 161.5 over his last two games, having fresh legs from his early season suspension. The magic number here is 120. If Tennessee can keep him from racking up huge plays, it will force Kentucky to abandon the run, as teams tend to do vs. the Vols. This will allow more pressure on Levis and should feed into our game plan nicely.
3. 21: The Vols need an Ace and a Face Card in the first quarter as they go dark mode. Neyland will be rocking and they need to quickly jump up on the Wildcats to keep the fans rowdy and crush hope. If you let Kentucky stick around, they are capable of getting enough big plays to stay around, and you never want to have an off night. Get 21, and get it quick, and go from there.
4. Force Mistakes: Tennessee has been on the plus side of the turnover battle often this year. Will Levis is ripe for the picking. He tends to force things to happen and will likely be too emotional this game to manage himself after he got big mad last year with the Tennessee victory giving him a sad. Put pressure on him, and interceptions will be waiting, if we can have coverage tight enough to get them. Just don't be on the other side of this battle, like in 2020 when JG was a pick 6 machine. That's the only way Kentucky wins.
Prediction: This game has a shot at being a close affair, but everything needs to go right for Kentucky and wrong for Tennessee. Basically, it's the exact same place we have been against so many solid teams for years... just hoping everything lines up. There's not a great chance of that. Tennessee will welcome Cedric Tillman back, and unbelievably, don't really even need him with the sudden emergence of Ramel Keyton and Jalin Hyatt. Will Levis will force passes and he will turn the ball over multiple times over / under 2.5. This game is at home, and barring a nightmare of errors, Tennessee crushes Kentucky... like it's 'sposed to be.
TN 48
KY 24
!!!
