Tennessee football is looking to start off November on the right foot as the Vols host border foe Kentucky at Neyland Stadium on Saturday night.
The Vols are coming off an open date following their best win of the season while Kentucky is reeling having lost three straight games entering the matchup.
Taking a look at three keys for Tennessee to take care of business as multi-score favorites against the Wildcats on Saturday night.
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Tennessee’s Red Zone Defense Keeps Dominating
Perhaps the biggest mismatch in this game is Kentucky’s red zone offense versus Tennessee’s red zone defense. The Wildcats have been dreadful in the red zone this season, scoring touchdowns on just 12 of 24 opportunities. Kentucky has added field goals on eight more possessions but is averaging a meek 4.5 points per red zone trip.
On the other hand, Tennessee’s defense has been incredible in the red zone. In each of their last two games, the Vols forced game changing turnovers at the goal line with James Pearce’s strip against Florida and Jermod McCoy’s interception against Alabama.
Over the course of the season, Tennessee has allowed just eight touchdowns on 23 total trips to the red zone. They’ve also held opponents scoreless in eight of those trips.
Kentucky’s offense isn’t good enough to sustain a bunch of drives to reach the red zone and they don’t have enough firepower to create big play touchdowns. The Wildcats have to be efficient with their scoring chances if they want a chance to pull the upset.
All the evidence points to that not happening if Tennessee’s defense can continue the way they’ve performed to this point in the season.
Avoid Costly Turnovers
Josh Heupel’s first three teams at Tennessee were phenomenal at protecting the ball and not turning it over. That has not been the case for this year’s team and that’s been the case the last two games when Tennessee turned it over three times in scoring range.
That’s the first of two reasons why it’s important. All three of those turnovers came in the first half with two coming on the game’s opening drive. Tennessee needs to have offensive success in the first half of this game and they simply can’t keep shooting themselves in the foot when they’re about to score.
The other side of the turnover coin harps back to the last section. Kentucky’s offense is largely lifeless and Tennessee’s defense has been elite. Make the Wildcats earn whatever points they get in this game. Don’t give them a short field and certainly don’t hand them a defensive touchdown.
That also means no going for it on fourth down at your own 10-yard line if you’re Josh Heupel.
Hit The Big Plays
Few teams have had less answers for Tennessee’s offense than Kentucky has over the last three seasons. The Vols are averaging 41 points in those three games and have hit big play after big play against the Wildcats.
Tennessee’s scored 14 offensive touchdowns against Kentucky in those three games. Seven of them were from over 30 yards including scores of 75, 72, 55 and 52 yards.
Chances are, Tennessee’s going to have opportunities to hit the big play against Kentucky. They were incredibly close to hitting a number of them against Florida and in the first half against Alabama. They finally connected on. couple in the second half against the Crimson Tide.
If Nico Iamaleava and the Vols’ offense can carry that over to the Kentucky game then this one has a chance to be a true rout and a game that makes you think Tennessee could be starting to turn a corner offensively.
