LEXINGTON, Ky. – No. 21/20 Tennessee will look to get back in the win column when it travels north for an important divisional battle against Kentucky on Saturday night at Kroger Field in Lexington.
With both teams sitting at 5-2 overall and 2-2 in Southeastern Conference play, Saturday’s contest will be pivotal when it comes to staying in contention in the SEC Eastern division race.
BROADCAST INFO
Saturday’s game will be televised in primetime on ESPN with Mike Monaco (PxP), Jesse Palmer (analyst) and Katie George (sideline reporter) on the call. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. ET.
Fans can listen to Tennessee’s official radio broadcast on the Vol Network (Local: WIVK-FM 107.7/WNML-FM 99.1) over 70 stations across the state of Tennessee and the southeast, SiriusXM (Ch. 134 or 191) and the SiriusXM app (Ch. 962), as well as the Varsity App. A live audio stream of the broadcast will also be available on UTSports.com and the Tennessee Athletics App.
Bob Kesling (PxP), VFL Pat Ryan (analyst) and Brent Hubbs (analyst) will call the action, with VFL Jayson Swain handling sideline duties for the Vol Network radio broadcast. The Big Orange Countdown pregame show begins two hours prior to kickoff at 5 p.m. ET.
NEED TO KNOW
Big Orange Bounce Backs
Josh Heupel has lost back-to-back games only twice in his six seasons as a head coach. He owns an 11-2 record following a loss in the same season, including a 6-1 mark at Tennessee and 5-1 record at UCF. The only time it occurred at UT was in his first season in 2021 as the Vols dropped back-to-back games to No. 13 Ole Miss and No. 4 Alabama. UT has responded with wins the following week after a loss five straight times under Heupel with three of those victories coming on the road, including a 45-42 win at No. 18 Kentucky in 2021. The Vols beat UTSA, 45-14, at home following their loss to Florida earlier this year.
Special Teams Edge
Tennessee’s special teams have provided a big boost this season, specifically the punt and punt return units. Return specialist Dee Williams ranks second in the SEC and third nationally in punt return average this season at 17.7. Williams notched his second career punt return touchdown with a 39-yarder in the third quarter versus Texas A&M on Oct. 14 that changed the game. He was named SEC Special Teams Player of the Week in the win.
On the flip side, redshirt freshman punter Jackson Ross continues to be a weapon for the Big Orange, as well. The Australian ranks sixth in the SEC in punting average at 43.8 yards per punt with seven 50-plus yarders and 12 downed inside the 20. Ross shattered the Tennessee single-game record for punting average last weekend at Alabama, booting the ball five times for 266 yards (53.2 avg). The previous record of 53.0 was established twice by Jimmy Colquitt (vs. Auburn, 1983; at LSU, 1982). Ross’ average was boosted by a career-long 71-yard punt in the fourth quarter, which was the longest punt by a Vol since Joe Doyle also had a 71-yarder against Georgia on Sept. 29, 2018.
Defensive Disruption
In now three seasons under defensive coordinator Tim Banks, the Vols lead the SEC in tackles for loss per game with 7.67 since the start of the 2021 season. They have amassed 253 TFLs and 48 takeaways during that span. In its last 36 quarters of football entering the Kentucky game, Banks’ unit has racked up 77 tackles for loss and 35 sacks.
Tennessee is second in the SEC and sixth nationally in tackles for loss per game with 8.1. They are also second in the SEC and tied for 11th in the FBS in total tackles for loss with 57.0. The Big Orange rank second in the SEC and fourth in the FBS in sacks per game with 4.0 and have recorded 28 total sacks, which is third in the SEC and fifth nationally. UT has registered at least one sack in 11 consecutive games dating back to last season’s contest against Missouri on Nov. 12.
Last Time Out
Tennessee built a 20-7 halftime lead, giving Alabama its largest home halftime deficit in Bryant-Denny Stadium since 2019, but the ninth-ranked Tide outscored the Vols 27-0 in the second half to come away with a 34-20 victory in Tuscaloosa.
Joe Milton III finished the game 28-of-41 through the air with 271 yards passing, a pair of first-half touchdowns and no interceptions. He added a team-high 59 yards on the ground and fired touchdown passes to Squirrel White (39 yards) and McCallan Castles (six yards). White went over 100 yards for the second time in three games, finishing with a career-best 10 catches for 111 yards. Charles Campbell drilled a pair of first-half field goals (24, 26), and Jackson Ross set the UT single-game record for punting average (min. 5 punts), booting the ball five times for 266 yards for an average of 53.2.
Tamarion McDonald was the Vols’ leading tackler with 10 while Gabe Jeudy-Lally, Joshua Josephs and James Pearce Jr. each registered sacks. Pearce’s was also a forced fumble, marking his third straight game with a sack. The Vols outgained the Tide 404-358 offensively but were 0-of-3 on fourth down in the loss.
SERIES HISTORY
Tennessee leads, 83-26-9 (on field) | 82-26-9 (NCAA)
One of the most played rivalry games in college football history, the Vols and Wildcats will meet for the 119th time on Saturday. UT has played and beaten Kentucky more than any other opponent and its 83 on field wins (82 NCAA) are the fifth most victories in any head-to-head matchup in the FBS.
ABOUT KENTUCKY
Led by head coach Mark Stoops, who is in his 11th season at the helm, Kentucky enters Saturday’s game at 5-2 overall and 2-2 in SEC play after starting the year 5-0 before dropping its last two contests on the road at Georgia and at home to Missouri.
The Wildcats rely heavily on their running game, which is led by fifth-year senior Ray Davis, a Vanderbilt transfer that leads the SEC with 111.6 rushing yards per game and 7.0 yards per carry. Davis also leads the league with 13 total touchdowns, eight rushing and five receiving. NC State transfer Devin Leary has started all seven games under center for UK, completing 106 of 195 pass attempts for 1,377 yards, 14 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Leary’s top targets include wideouts Tayvion Robinson (23 rec., 338 yds, 3 TD), Dane Key (17 rec., 282 yds, 2 TD) and Barion Brown (23 rec., 276 yds, 1 TD).
Defensively, Kentucky is among the nation’s best at stopping the run, allowing just 95.7 yards per game on the ground, which ranks second in the SEC and 13th nationally. Linebacker D’Eryk Jackson and defensive back Maxwell Hairston are tied for the team lead in tackles with 44. Hairston is also tied for the national lead with five interceptions and has returned two of them for touchdowns. The duo of Deone Walker and Trevin Wallace have combined for 11.5 tackles for loss and are tied for the team lead with 3.5 sacks apiece.