Three Things Tennessee Must Do to Beat Kentucky
By Tucker Harlin
#7 Tennessee (6-1, 3-1) is set to face Kentucky (3-5, 1-5) Saturday in Neyland Stadium. Kickoff is at 7:45 p.m. ET and the game airs on SEC Network.
These are three things Tennessee must do in order to defeat the Wildcats.
START FAST
I’m definitely borrowing from the one and only Russell Smith with this one, but look at Tennessee’s three wins over Kentucky under Josh Heupel and tell me I’m wrong.
Hendon Hooker found JaVonta Payton for a 75-yard touchdown on the first play of the game in 2021. Hooker found Jalin Hyatt for 55 yards and a touchdown on the first possession in 2022. Jaylen Wright ran for a 52-yard touchdown on the Vols’ first offensive possession in Lexington last season.
There’s an obvious science to this.
Mark Stoops hasn’t built the Kentucky football program to play catch up. If Tennessee scores 17 or more in the first three quarters, the chances of a Wildcats comeback will diminish.
UNLEASH DYLAN SAMPSON
I know the fans want to see Nico unlock a new gear in the pass attack against Kentucky, and maybe he does.
But Tennessee can absolutely destroy this Kentucky team on the ground.
Auburn running back Jarquez Hunter ran for a whopping 278 yards in Lexington last weekend. Florida backup running back Jadan Baugh ran for five touchdowns against the Wildcats in Gainesville.
Let’s not forget what Dylan Sampson did at Kroger Field last season. While he didn’t lead the Vols in rush yards for the game, his efforts on the final scoring drive of the game were the difference between a win and a loss.
Now that Sampson’s the feature back in this system, I fully expect a 150-plus yard game from him. The Tennessee single-season rush touchdown record should be broken by the final whistle.
LET THE DEFENSIVE LINE EAT
Outside of Oklahoma, Kentucky is the worst offense Tennessee will face in the SEC this year.
The last time Kentucky saw a defensive line close to the caliber of Tennessee, it was against South Carolina. It surrendered five sacks and 11 tackles for loss to the Gamecocks at home.
The two best components of the Wildcats’ offense are at receiver, but getting the ball to Dane Key and Barion Brown has been a challenge for whichever quarterback is under center.
The options of Brock Vandagriff and Gavin Wimsatt at quarterback have been suboptimal at best, and neither has the ability to escape and hurt an opponent with his legs.
I don’t believe this is the week Tennessee’s defense gives up over 20 points.
