Tennessee stays on the road for a second consecutive week for the first and only time in the 2023 season when they take on Kentucky in Lexington in Week nine of the college football season.
It’s a tough turnaround for the Vols as they will have had to play Alabama in Tuscaloosa the week prior. But as is always the case against the Cats, history is on Tennessee’s side.
Kentucky has beaten Tennessee just three times since 1985, with two of those instances (2011 and 2017) coming in Lexington.
Regardless, the Wildcats will be one of Tennessee’s toughest opponents this season. Let’s take a look at why.
What Happened in 2022
After a 10-win 2021 season, Kentucky came back down to earth last year. The loss of OC Liam Coen and some weapons on offense really hurt Kentucky.
Will Levis was not the same quarterback he was in 2021, and Kentucky struggled to win games, finishing 8-5 with a bowl loss to Iowa.
But heading into this season, there’s plenty of reason for optimism.
After spending a year with the Rams, Coen is back to assume play calling duties, and his quarterback will be NC State transfer Devin Leary. Like Levis, Leary had had a great 2021 campaign followed by an underwhelming and injury-riddled 2022 season.
Outside of Jayden Daniels and Joe Milton, it’s hard to argue that any other SEC quarterback has more upside than Leary.\
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2023 Offense Outlook
The hope is that the combination of Coen’s return and Leary’s addition can quickly turn Kentucky’s offense around. To help them out, Kentucky boasts one of the best wide receiver corps in school history.
Upcoming sophomores Barion Brown and Dane Key return after All-American freshman seasons, in which they combined for over 1,100 yards.
At running back, Kentucky lost Chris Rodriguez Jr. to the NFL, but they replenished well by adding Vanderbilt transfer Ray Davis.
Davis is an explosive back with a lot of potential, but he’ll have to run behind a suspect offensive line.
After a horrific showing in 2022, Kentucky has rebuilt their offensive line with transfers and moved some experienced guys to different positions, but it remains to be seen if that will work or not.
Leary and the receivers should ball out, but the offensive line could prevent Kentucky’s offense from getting back to that 2021 level.
2023 Defense Outlook
Kentucky will likely have another strong defensive unit under DC Brad White despite having to replace multiple starters.
Defensive tackle Deone Walker returns after a Freshman All-American season, and safeties Jordan Lovett and Zion Childress along with OLB J.J. Weaver all look poised for breakout seasons.
There’s holes to fill at inside linebacker and cornerback, but Trevin Wallace and D’Eryk Jackson have enough experience to where they shouldn’t have too much trouble taking over as starting inside linebackers. And at corner, Kentucky hit the transfer portal to bring in a handful of highly touted recruits. We’ll see if they can reach their potential in Lexington.
Prediction
Kentucky’s defense is the definition of solid, and their offense has the potential to be great.
I’m high on Leary, but I’m low on the offensive line. Ultimately, the lack of talent up front will prevent the Wildcats from winning 10 games.
Kentucky is still an underrated team and look to be the third-most talented team in the east, but Tennessee will be too much for them in late October.
The Vols win a close one in Kroger Field.
Tennessee 31, Kentucky 27
