LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- One of the first signs that confirmed Mark Stoops was the guy who could make the University of Kentucky football program more competitive in the Southeastern Conference came on Oct. 28, 2017.
Kentucky 29, Tennessee 26. It was the Wildcats' second win over the Vols since 1984.
Three years later, Stoops took it up a notch: Kentucky won in Knoxville, 34-7. It was the Wildcats' first victory in Neyland Stadium since 1984.
Stoops could benefit from another victory over the Volunteers to silence the grumbling around the Wildcats' 3-5 season and 15th place status in the 16-team SEC.
The Wildcats finish with Tennessee, Murray State, Texas and Louisville, needing to win three of the four to avoid a losing season and become bowl eligible.
The Time: Saturday, 7:45 pm., Neyland Stadium (101,915), Knoxville.
How to Watch/Listen: TV — SEC Network (Tom Hart, play by play; Jordan Rodgers, analyst and Cole Cubelic, sidelines); RADIO — UK Sports Network, 840AM WHAS (Tom Leach, play by play; Jeff Piecoro, analyst and Dick Gabriel, sidelines).
The Line: Point spread — Tennessee favored by 17.5. Over/under total points scored — 45.5.
The Last Time: The Vols kicked four field goals, enabling them to outlast the Wildcats, 33-27, at Kroger Field despite a 372-yard passing performance by former UK quarterback Devin Leary.
The Series: The Vols have won the last three and lead 84-26-9.
The Records: Kentucky is 3-5 overall and 1-5 in the SEC. Tennessee is 6-1 overall and 3-1 in the league. The teams have one common opponent. Tennessee defeated Florida, 23-17, in Knoxville, while the Wildcats lost in Gainesville, 48-20.
Player to Watch for Kentucky: Quarterback. When a program is shuffling quarterbacks in Game Nine it's a sign of an injury or a season gone wrong. Stoops has not said if he'll go with Brock Vandagriff or Gavin Wimsatt against the Vols. With UK ranked 15th in the SEC in total offense, neither guy has delivered for the Wildcats.
Player to Watch for Tennessee: Quarterback Nico Iamaleava ranks eighth in the SEC in passing yards per game at 202 per game. But he's thrown only one touchdown pass in the last three games and three in the last five.
Sideline Storylines:
- The Wildcats rank last in the SEC in scoring offense at 19 points per game while Tennessee leads the league at nearly 40. But Tennessee has not scored more than 25 points in its last four games.
- The seventh-ranked Vols will be the third Top 10 team Kentucky has faced this season. They defeated No. 6 Ole Miss but lost to Georgia, which was ranked No. 1 on game day. UK will visit No. 6 Texas on Nov. 23, a week before the Governor's Cup.
- UK receiver Dane Key leads the Wildcats with 39 receptions and a dozen of his catches have been for 20 yards or more.
- The Vols will wear their "Dark Mode" jerseys and are coming into the game following an off week after they defeated Alabama, 24-17. The game will be UT's 18th consecutive game.
- Tennessee ranks in the top 10 in a dozen NCAA statistical categories, including total defense, scoring defense and red zone defense.
- Tennessee has allowed only three plays of 30 yards or longer all season —one rush and two passes.
The Quote: UT coach Josh Heupel, whose team had a surprising loss to Arkansas, has urged his players not to overlook the Wildcats:
"You look at Kentucky, a team that does play all three phases of the football game together. Defensively, statistically, one of the best in the league and in the country. That's their run defense and their pass defense as well; some guys over there that we've played for a long time.
"Offensively, got to do a great job against the run. They're big and physical up front. Quarterback can be a part of their run game, and they got dynamic playmakers out on the perimeter and in the backfield. Same thing on special teams. So big test for us. Looking forward to it and should be a great environment."
The Pick: Tennessee 28, Kentucky 10.
Kentucky Football Coverage:
- CRAWFORD | Tennessee 'dark mode' looms for Kentucky team seeking answers
- CRAWFORD | As bad as it gets: Auburn bullies Kentucky 24-10 as Hunter runs for 278
- BOZICH | Will bowl eligibility be the trophy at Governor's Cup for Louisville, Kentucky?
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