By Jay King
Despite how good Kentucky has looked in year one of the Will Stein era, some things never change.
When a sixth-ranked, one-loss SEC team comes into Neyland Stadium, the fanbase should normally be scared, but it was the Kentucky Wildcats, and that took a lot of stress off many Volunteer fans.
Tennessee-Kentucky is one of the most lopsided rivalries in college football, with the Vols holding a commanding 87-26-9 lead. This includes the Wildcats only winning at Neyland once since 1984, that being in the COVID-shortened 2020 season.
34-6, a Tennessee thrashing of the Wildcats, a fourth-quarter masterclass, and another tally in the win column for the Big Orange.
Josh Heupel is now 6-0 over Kentucky.
“Proud of the way they went out there and competed,” said Heupel. “Enjoy it tonight and move on.”
What went right?
Two words: Jim Knowles.
No words can describe just how crucial the Knowles hiring has been for this Tennessee team.
Heading into this game, Kentucky had scored less than 20 points in a game once, which was 17.
They only scored six today.
“A huge part of the game early was red zone defense,” Heupel said. “[We] did a great job of forcing a couple of kicks.”
This marks the first game this season in which the Wildcats did not score a touchdown.
The main catalyst on defense was linebacker Arion Carter, who was all over the field today. He had 13 tackles, two sacks, and four tackles for loss.
The senior has contributed to countless major moments throughout his seasoned career at Tennessee. Against Kentucky, this game ranks high on his career list for performance.
“It was one of them,” Carter said.
Qua Moss forced two fumbles on a Kentucky team whose strength is not turning the ball over.
“I just gotta play ball,” said Moss. “See ball, go get it.”
Dejuan Lane also had a strong performance; as a safety, he had a tackle for loss and set the tone in the first quarter with an interception, giving Kentucky quarterback Kenny Minchey only his second interception of the season.
Lane’s interception has him tied for first in the SEC with four so far.
The offense played like a completely different team in the second half as well.
DeSean Bishop was once again the player of the game on the offense. He had 25 attempts for 109 yards and two touchdowns, both of which came in the fourth quarter. This game marked his second straight 1,000-yard rushing season.
“[He’s] a special player, [and] represents everything that’s good about college athletics,” said Heupel. “He plays a game with a physical presence that is rare, and a huge part of our success tonight.”
Duane Morris also had a major impact in the run game, breaking free for the first score of the game with a 68-yard run of pure speed.
“Once I’m gone, I’m gone,” said Morris. “I’m just really focused on ball security and getting into the end zone.
The offensive line was the unsung hero today, giving up only one sack and three tackles for loss.
Lastly, the Neyland Effect was on full display tonight, as the entire Kentucky offense looked rattled all game.
“Phenomenal environment, knew it would be,” Heupel said. “Our fans were tremendous tonight.”
What went wrong?
Not much went wrong in this dominant win, but the first-half offense had two issues.
Kentucky outgained Tennessee 231-162 in the first half, which is somewhat concerning given the defense’s dominance, but they made it up in the second half.
The one other thing was quarterback play.
Faizon Brandon came in for a few plays, including a solid rushing play and a “passing touchdown” (really a jet sweep) to Mike Matthews, but those were the only snaps he played.
It is clear that George MacIntyre’s role is game manager.
To be fair, that is what happened: he didn’t turn the ball over, but 125 yards and no touchdowns isn’t a good stat line. He also missed a few deep shots throughout.
If the Vols face a team with a better run defense, that could be a problem.
UP NEXT: The Vols are heading to Aggieland to face Texas A&M at Kyle Field.
The Aggies have had a disappointing season so far, going 4-5, but Tennessee has struggled on the road against beatable conference opponents.
They cannot be caught off guard after the highs of a big win, similar to South Carolina in Week 8. The playoffs are within reach: Tennessee controls its own destiny.