History says UK football needs every advantage to win at Tennessee. Here are 2.
You know what is going to tell us if the surreal year that has been 2020 has descended completely into bizarro world?
If Kentucky scores a rare football victory at Tennessee’s Neyland Stadium on Saturday.
When Mark Stoops and troops — fresh off of shutting down Mike Leach’s Air Raid with six interceptions in a 24-2 victory over Mississippi State — visit Knoxville, UK will be seeking its first win there since 1984.
That is 17 straight losses for the Cats in the cavernous Neyland Stadium.
Of course, UK having lost 33 of the past 35 meetings vs. UT, there have not been an abundant number of Cats victories over the Vols anywhere.
“Look forward to an opportunity next week against Tennessee,” Stoops said after the Mississippi State game.
In the long litany of Kentucky football frustrations against Tennessee, the current era has to rank among the most excruciating periods for UK backers.
By some metrics over the past 14 years, UK can claim football superiority over UT.
Since 2006, Kentucky has played in nine bowl games; Tennessee has played in eight.
Since 2008, Kentucky has had six losing seasons; Tennessee has had seven.
Since Stoops became Kentucky coach in 2013, UK has won 20 SEC football games vs. teams not named Tennessee; UT has won 17 SEC football games vs. teams not named Kentucky.
Yet UK’s improved relative standing in comparison to UT has not translated into the head-to-head competition between the two teams.
Stoops is 1-6 vs. Tennessee as Kentucky head man.
In the 21st century, UK is 2-18 against the Volunteers.
Two years ago, the best Kentucky team of the past four decades went to Knoxville favored to win.
Only one week after playing Georgia in the game that decided the SEC East championship, the Wildcats showed up in Knoxville flatter than a punctured bike tire.
The result was a dispiriting 24-7 loss to a UT team that finished 5-7 that took some joy out of what became a 10-3 season.
In the final moments of last year’s game in Lexington, Kentucky was trailing 17-13 but had the football two yards from victory over Tennessee.
On fourth-and-goal with 1:17 left, UK star Lynn Bowden ran right on an option play.
Tennessee’s Daniel Bituli and Ja’Quain Blakely combined to haul Bowden down for no gain, pinning another agonizing defeat on the Cats.
Four times in the past 15 seasons — 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2019 — Kentucky has had the football inside the UT 10-yard line at the end of regulation needing a touchdown to beat the Volunteers.
All four times UK has failed to score that touchdown.
Are there reasons to think this year could be different?
Kentucky (1-2 SEC) turned in one of its finest defensive efforts in years against Mississippi State.
The Wildcats defended Leach’s Air Raid to perfection, mostly dropping eight players into pass protection and bottling up MSU’s short-passing attack with assignment discipline and excellent tackling.
After a shaky start to the season, it was the kind of performance with which a defense can regain its mojo.
Alas, the Kentucky offense was a different story.
One week after gaining 558 yards against Mississippi, the Wildcats were held to 157 yards by a far stouter Mississippi State defense.
It was the second-lowest total yardage figure for a Kentucky offense (149 yards at Florida in 2016) in the Stoops coaching era.
After playing perhaps his best game at Kentucky vs. Mississippi, UK quarterback Terry Wilson had a slog (eight of 20 passing for only 73 yards) vs. MSU.
If UK could put together the offense that gained 558 yards vs. Ole Miss with the defense that picked off six Mississippi State passes, it would have something.
As for Tennessee (2-1 SEC), Jeremy Pruitt’s Volunteers saw an eight-game win streak snapped Saturday at No. 3 Georgia.
Up 21-17 at halftime, the Vols were dominated in half two by Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs, outscored 27-0 in a 44-21 loss.
So does UT come into the UK game angry with a point to prove?
Or, as Kentucky did in 2018 off a disappointing loss to Georgia, does Tennessee show up with little petrol in its emotional tank?
Don’t forget, the game on the Tennessee schedule after Kentucky is Alabama.
UK might be a bit of a trap game for the Vols.
One other thing to keep in mind. An Oct. 17 meeting between Cats and Vols is unusual in a series usually contested in November.
As best as I can tell, Kentucky is 3-2 vs. Tennessee all-time in football games played in October.
When you’ve endured as much football frustration as UK has at the hands of UT, you have to take your positives where you can find them.
