No. 7 Tennessee Hosts Kentucky In Classic Showdown

The Tennessee Volunteers will host the Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday in one of college football’s classic rivalries.

Struggling Wildcats

After a promising start to the season, the Wildcats have floundered to a 3-5 record, including a deflating 24-10 loss to Auburn at home.

Kentucky struggled to finish against the Tigers, a problem that has haunted the team all season long.

Despite kicking off the first quarter with two successful drives, the Wildcats could not keep their momentum going, as those would be the last times Kentucky scored on the afternoon.

The team’s offensive struggles have been compounded by subpar quarterback play. Junior quarterbacks Gavin Wimsatt and Brock Vandagriff both played against Auburn, but neither was particularly impressive.

Kentucky OC Bush Hamdan said the team will "evaluate everything" at the quarterback position heading into the Tennessee game, including who will start, Brock Vandagriff or Gavin Wimsatt.

READ: https://t.co/aXfFajlsHQ pic.twitter.com/06B10sRXh6

— KSR (@KSRonX) October 28, 2024

Kentucky has one of the worst passing offenses in the country, ranking 127th out of 134 teams with a team completion percentage of 53.2%. The Wildcats are also averaging only 166.1 passing yards per game.

It’s a quarterback problem, and one the Wildcats hope to solve, fast.

Vols Continue To Roll

Meanwhile, Tennessee has been stellar this season. Sitting at 6-1, the team is in the thick of the College Football Playoff race, with its championship hopes still very much alive.

The Volunteers’ key to success? Defense.

Tennessee’s defensive unit has been one of the best in the country, ranking only behind Texas and Ohio State in total defense. The team hasn’t allowed more than 20 points all season long, even after senior linebacker Keenan Pili‘s season-ending injury.

Tennessee is the only FBS team to allow under 20 pts in every game this season.

They're the 5th SEC team since 2000 to hold each of its 1st 7 opponents under 20.

The previous 4? They all won the National Title (2003 LSU, 2011 Bama, 2012 Bama, 2021 UGA) @3HL1045 @TheRonSlay

— Todd Fuhrman (@ToddFuhrman) October 29, 2024

Additionally, cornerback Jermod McCoy was named as a Jim Thorpe semifinalist, given to the best defensive back in college football.

If there’s one facet of the game where the Vols have looked merely ordinary, it’s offense. Redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava has yet to fully settle into his role, with his up-and-down performance contributing to the team’s only loss of the season against Arkansas.

The Vols’ offensive line has also left much to be desired. In Tennessee’s game against Oklahoma, the Sooners sacked Iamaleava three times and had nine tackles for loss.

Takeaways

This weekend will mark the 81st consecutive year these two teams have met. Over the past 40 years, the Wildcats have only managed to beat Tennessee four times.

As far as rivalries go, Kentucky has been thoroughly dominated, and its chances don’t look very good this season, either. Tennessee edges out Kentucky in nearly every category, and have the advantage of a home crowd.

If there’s one thing the Wildcats have on their side, it’s spite. Losing to your biggest rival year after year is demoralizing, but it can also act as fuel— and as Kentucky looks dangerously close to missing a bowl game for the first time in eight years, the Wildcats will enter Saturday with something to prove.