Tennessee (7-3, 3-3 SEC) defeated the Kentucky Wildcats (5-5, 4-4 SEC) 49-36 and moved up to second place in the Eastern division standings. The Vols received 21 votes in the A.P. Poll and 20 votes in the Coaches Poll. Tennessee will host the Missouri Tigers on Saturday and opened as a 15-point favorite over the Tigers. Kickoff is at 3:30 pm ET on CBS.
SEC Standings
East West
1) Florida 1) Alabama
2) Tennessee 2) Auburn
T-3) Georgia, Kentucky 3) LSU
5) South Carolina 4) Texas A&M
T-6) Missouri, Vanderbilt T- 5) Arkansas, Ole Miss, MSU
UT opponent recaps:
Appalachian State falls to Troy
The Appalachian State Mountaineers (7-3, 5-1 Sun Belt) fell 28-24 to the Troy Trojans. Troy running back Jordan Chunn ran for two touchdowns, including the go-ahead score with 1:02 left in the game. Tennessee defeated Appalachian State 20-13 on September 1st. The Mountaineers will host Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday.
Georgia Tech wrecks Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech (7-3, 5-2 ACC) fell 30-20 to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (6-4, 3-4 ACC). Once again, VT quarterback Jerod Evans was the offensive leader as he threw for 316 yards and a touchdown. In addition, he ran for 75 yards and two more scores. However, GT backup quarterback Matthew Jordan rushed for 121 yards and two touchdowns to help give the Yellow Jackets the win. Tennessee defeated Virginia Tech 45-24 on September 10th at the Battle at Bristol. The Hokies will travel to play Notre Dame on Saturday. Kickoff will be at 3:30 on NBC.
Florida tops South Carolina
The Florida Gators (7-2, 5-2 SEC) defeated the South Carolina Gamecocks (5-5, 3-5 SEC) 20-7. With UF quarterback Luke Del Rio out, the Gators turned back to Austin Appleby, and it paid off as he threw for 201 yards and two touchdowns. The Gators’ run defense was almost perfect as it limited the Gamecocks to just 43 rushing yards. Tennessee defeated Florida 38-28 on September 24th while the Vols fell 24-21 to the Gamecocks on October 29th. South Carolina will host Western Carolina on Saturday. Due to Hurricane Matthew back in September, the Gators will travel to LSU for pivotal a SEC contest. If Tennessee wins its last two games and Florida loses to LSU, then the Vols will head to Atlanta for the SEC championship game on December 3rd. Kickoff will be at 1 PM ET on the SEC Network.
Georgia upsets Auburn
Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs (6-4, 4-4 SEC) pulled off a 13-7 upset over the ninth-ranked Auburn Tigers (7-3, 5-2). The win gives Smart his first signature victory in his Georgia career. Defense ruled the day as Georgia’s only touchdown came from a Maurice Smith pick-six in the second quarter. The Bulldogs had to rely on freshman walk-on kicker Rodrigo Blankenship to make two critical field goals to help secure the victory. Tennessee defeated Georgia 34-31 on October 1st thanks to a last second Hail Mary. The Bulldogs will host Louisiana-Lafayette on Saturday at noon.
Texas A&M drops to Ole Miss
Texas A&M’s season is starting to derail. Last week, the Aggies fell to Mississippi State and lost quarterback Trevor Knight. The story was no different on Saturday as the Aggies (7-3, 4-3 SEC) fell 29-28 to the Ole Miss Rebels (5-5, 2-4 SEC). Hugh Freeze looked to his highly-touted freshman quarterback Shea Patterson with Chad Kelly out. Patterson didn’t disappoint, throwing for 338 yards and two touchdowns in his collegiate debut. Kicker Gary Wunderlich made a 39-yard field goal with less than 40 seconds left in the game to lift the Rebels past the Aggies. Tennessee lost 45-38 in double overtime to Texas A&M on October 8th. A&M will host UTSA on Saturday at noon.
Alabama rolls Mississippi State
Top-ranked Alabama (10-0, 7-0 SEC) dismantled Mississippi State (4-6, 2-4 SEC) 51-3. Alabama freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts had another career day as he threw for 347 yards and four touchdowns. Hurts also added another score on the ground with 100 yards rushing. With the win, Alabama clinched the SEC West and will play in the SEC title game. Alabama defeated Tennessee 49-10 on October 15th. The Crimson Tide will host Chattanooga on Saturday.
Tennessee Tech topples Tennessee State
The Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles (4-6, 4-3 OVC) bounced back after a blowout loss to Tennessee last week with a 44-16 victory over Tennessee State. TTU quarterback Michael Birdsong had three total touchdowns, while running back Yeedee Thaenrat added another score with 164 rushing yards. Tennessee defeated Tennessee Tech 55-0 last Saturday on Homecoming. TTU will play its last regular season game on Saturday against Murray State.
Missouri anchors Vanderbilt
The Missouri Tigers (3-7, 1-5 SEC) finally recorded a conference win with a 26-17 victory over the Vanderbilt Commodores (4-6, 1-5 SEC). Missouri quarterback Drew Lock threw for 294 yards and two touchdowns. The offense also received help from running back Damarea Crockett, who ran for 154 yards and a touchdown. Vanderbilt continues to struggle to find production at the quarterback position with Kyle Shurmur. He threw for 252 yards but, added two crucial interceptions. Tennessee will host Missouri this Saturday at 3:30 PM ET on CBS. Next Saturday, the Vols will travel to Vanderbilt for the last game of the regular season.
