How No. 18 Kentucky and Tennessee match up — with a game prediction
How the No. 18 Kentucky Wildcats (6-2, 4-2 SEC) and the Tennessee Volunteers (4-4, 2-3 SEC) match up at each position — with a game prediction:
Quarterbacks
▪ Kentucky’s Will Levis (66.3% completions with 1,476 passing yards and 14 TDs vs. nine interceptions) would like to forget he ever visited Starkville. In UK’s disappointing 31-17 loss at Mississippi State last week, the Penn State transfer threw three interceptions and misfired at least twice on passes where receivers were open for touchdowns. The struggles for Levis (17-of-28 for 150 yards with one TD) at MSU came after he had played his two best games of the season vs. LSU and at Georgia.
▪ Tennessee’s season took a turn for the better after an injury to Joe Milton forced new Volunteers Coach Josh Heupel to install Hendon Hooker as QB1. A 6-foot-4, 215-pound redshirt senior, Hooker is the type of dual threat (68.7% completions for 1,578 yards passing with 17 TDs vs. only two picks; 417 yards rushing, four TDs) that has traditionally given UK defenses fits. A transfer from Virginia Tech, Hooker was the Hokies QB when Kentucky beat Tech 37-30 in the 2019 Belk Bowl. In the loss, Hooker went 12-of-22 passing for 110 yards and two TDs and ran for 50 yards on 12 carries.
Advantage: Tennessee.
Running backs
▪ After rushing for 768 yards in Kentucky’s first six games, Christopher Rodriguez has run for only 41 combined yards in UK’s past two contests. Rodriguez fumbled twice at MSU, losing one that set up a Bulldogs touchdown. While declining to specify, UK Coach Mark Stoops suggested that the 5-11, 224-pound product of McDonough, Ga., was less than 100 percent last week. “I don’t need to make excuses for Chris, but he was not at full strength,” Stoops said Monday. Kentucky needs “C-Rod” to get revved up again.
▪ After the transfers of Eric Gray (Oklahoma) and Ty Chandler (North Carolina) thinned out the Tennessee running-back room, junior-college transfer Tiyon Evans (516 yards rushing, six TDs, 6.5 yards a carry average) and sophomore Jabari Small (332, 3, 4.6) have capably filled the void. Small caught four passes for 39 yards in the Vols’ 52-24 loss at Alabama two weeks ago (UT was off last week). He carried twice for 12 yards in Tennessee’s 34-7 loss to Kentucky last season.
Advantage: Kentucky.
Wide receivers
▪ Kentucky star slot receiver Wan’Dale Robinson is second in the SEC in receptions (58) and fourth in receiving yards (645). Senior Josh Ali (19 catches, 257 yards, one TD) returned last week after missing two games due to injury and caught two passes for 9 yards. Sophomore DeMarcus Harris had two catches for 30 yards last week, including his first career TD. Harris (six catches, 75 yards on the season) is “kind of improving and that showed up, which was nice,” Stoops said.
▪ Tennessee’s three main wideouts all caught touchdowns in UT’s loss at Alabama. Cedric Tillman tallied from 70 yards out, JaVonta Payton had a 57-yard score and Velus Jones an 8-yard TD catch. Jones leads Vols receivers (31 catches for 453 yards and four TDs), followed by Tillman (30, 446, four) and Payton (12, 287, five).
Advantage: Tennessee.
Tight ends
▪ Kentucky super senior Justin Rigg (11 catches, 113 yards, one TD) and sophomore Izayah Cummings (seven, 80, one) each caught one pass at Mississippi State.
▪ Tennessee’s Jacob Warren (13 catches, 128 yards, two touchdowns) nor Princeton Fant (eight, 78) caught a pass at Alabama.
Advantage: Even.
Offensive linemen
▪ After UK was held under 70 yards rushing in its past two games, All-America candidate Darian Kinnard will attempt to lead a Wildcats rushing revival from his right tackle spot. Asked about Kentucky’s offensive line play the past two weeks, Stoops said, “I think we always strive for more at any position and (are) never satisfied.”
▪ Tennessee right tackle Cade Mays, a transfer from Georgia, is expected to play Saturday after missing the Alabama game with injury. His younger brother, Cooper Mays, is the Vols’ starting center. Tennessee has allowed more quarterback sacks (28) than any team in the SEC.
Advantage: Kentucky.
Defensive linemen
▪ Kentucky senior end Josh Paschal leads the Wildcats in tackles for loss (10.5) and quarterback hurries (six). With starting nose guard Marquan McCall and tackle Octavious Oxendine injured, Tennessee’s potent rushing attack figures to be a major challenge for the Wildcats’ defensive front.
▪ Tennessee sophomore end Tyler Baron (18 tackles, five tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks) is a player Kentucky recruited ardently. Tackle Elijah Simmons (six tackles, 1.5 TFL), a 6-2, 350-pound road grader, is expected back after missing three games with injury.
Advantage: Tennessee.
Linebackers
▪ Kentucky true freshman Trevin Wallace switched from MLB to OLB and made his first career start at MSU. The 6-2, 220-pound product of Jessup, Ga., recorded 12 tackles with two TFL and was named SEC Freshman of the Week. MLB Jacquez Jones, the Mississippi transfer, had 18 tackles at MSU and is now sixth in the SEC in total tackles (64). OLB/rush end Jordan Wright was carted off the field at Mississippi State and his status for this week is unclear.
▪ Tennessee WLB Jeremy Banks is one of the more disruptive players in the SEC. The 6-1, 224-pound product of Cordova, Tenn., leads the Vols in tackles (60), TFL (nine) and sacks (4.5). “Very good football player, very disruptive,” UK’s Stoops said of Banks. MLB Aaron Beasley has made 48 tackles, 4.5 TFL and recovered two fumbles.
Advantage: Kentucky.
Defensive backs
▪ UK senior free safety Yusuf Corker (52 tackles, 3.5 TFL, eight pass breakups) is the anchor of a Kentucky secondary that will be seeking to get its swagger back after allowing Mississippi State QB Will Rogers to complete an astounding 36 of 39 passes.
▪ Tennessee safety Trevon Flowers (51 tackles, two QB hurries, one interception) is a former Kentucky baseball recruiting commit. Safety Jaylen McCullough is a ball hawk — he has three interceptions, three pass breakups and a forced fumble. UT is 13th in the SEC in pass defense, surrendering 249.4 yards a game.
Advantage: Kentucky.
Special teams
▪ Stoops said on his Monday night radio show that Kentucky’s special-teams performance at Mississippi State might have been the best UK has had in an SEC game during his coaching tenure. Josh Ali returned a punt 74 yards for a TD in Starkville. Place-kicker Matt Ruffolo hit a 41-yard field goal and is now 5-of-7 on field-goal attempts this season with a long of 45 yards (Kentucky has had four place-kicks blocked this season). Punter Colin Goodfellow averaged 53.7 yards on three punts at MSU, including a 70-yarder. The walk-on is averaging 47.5 yards a punt, best in the SEC.
▪ Tennessee place-kicker Chase McGrath is 8-of-10 on field goals with a long of 48. Punter Paxton Brooks is averaging 44.5 yards and has stopped 12 of 31 kicks inside the 20. Kickoff returner Velus Jones (237 returns yards) is one of the best in the SEC.
Advantage: Even.
Prediction
Kentucky 34, Tennessee 30.
