Tennessee football heads to Lexington on Saturday night looking for its first road win of the season against division rival Kentucky. The Vols are looking for their third straight win in the series and to get back in the win column after last week’s loss at Alabama.
Here’s three keys for Tennessee to beat Kentucky.
Stop The Run
We’re keeping things very basic to start. Kentucky’s offense has been very one dimensional this season. More than that, they’ve not only been very reliant on its rushing attack but also on running back Ray Davis. Where Tennessee has been effective running the ball with a number of players, Kentucky has been reliant on the Vanderbilt transfer.
And Davis is very good. Make no bones about it. The physical running back has been one of the SEC’s best running backs this season if not the best running back.
However, North Carolina State transfer quarterback Devin Leary has been one of the SEC’s most disappointing players this season. Kentucky has struggled to get its passing attack going against virtually any opponent this season, and while Leary isn’t the only player at fault there’s no getting around how disappointing he’s been.
That’s the gist. Kentucky struggles to pass so stopping the run will be important. But there’s a little bit more to it. If Tennessee’s defense can win early downs and force Kentucky into third-and-long they’ll be in an opportune spot to have success.
Against a team that plays at a very slow pace, getting off the field on third downs is immensely important. Stopping the run and forcing Kentucky into obvious passing downs will make it all the easier for the Vols and their talented pass rush.
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Recreate Joe Milton III’s Success From First Half Against Alabama
Tennessee found something with its passing game in the first half against Alabama last week that it hasn’t had all season. The Vols used comeback routes to have more success in the intermediate passing game than they’ve had all season and Joe Milton III made things happen with his legs when plays broke down.
Milton’s strong play gave Tennessee’s offense an element that it hasn’t had all season and it’s no wonder that the Vols put together their best half of the season despite facing a strong Alabama defense.
The problem is Milton has had little to no consistency in his career and that first half success was non existent in the second half. Tennessee doesn’t need to throw the ball as well as they did in the first half. Its running game should bounce back from last week’s struggles against a worse run defense so it just needs enough downfield passing to stay balanced.
If Tennessee can throw the ball respectably it should have plenty of success against a solid but not great Kentucky defense.
End Drives With Touchdowns
Tennessee fans got spoiled by how good Hendon Hooker and the Vols’ red zone offense was a season ago, but even by normal standards, Tennessee has struggled to finish drives with touchdowns this season.
The Vols’ issues in Tuscaloosa were much bigger in the second half but if Tennessee ends two first half drives inside the 10-yard line with touchdowns instead of field goals it’s a completely different game.
While discussing the vasty different offensive styles of these two teams, Heupel emphasized that this will be a low possession game where every opportunity is magnified. That’s why Tennessee has to capitalize on its scoring opportunities in this game, especially if the Vols are unable to score long touchdowns against Kentucky like they did the last two years.
For all of Kentucky’s offensive shortcomings, they’ve been good at finishing drives with touchdowns. The Vols’ offense must match.
