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Kentucky football fans paint Tennessee landmark 'The Rock' before showdown in Knoxville

Brooks Holton, Louisville Courier Journal
·2 min read
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Kentucky football fans made their presence felt in Knoxville, Tennessee, before the No. 19 Wildcats' showdown with the No. 3 Volunteers on Saturday night.

A group of UK fans laid claim to "The Rock," a staple of UT's campus since the 1960s, by covering it in blue paint early Saturday morning. With white paint, they dubbed the Volunteers' landmark the "Big Blue Rock" and wrote "Cats by 90" on the front.

Tennessee fans didn't take too kindly to the gesture. By Saturday afternoon, a livestream feed from "The Rock" on UT's official website showed Volunteers faithful — artist Chloe Peterson, to be exact — had painted over the front to feature a Halloween-inspired mural of quarterback Hendon Hooker rocking one of the black jerseys the team plans to wear against Kentucky.

"Your #bigbluerock is no more!" Peterson wrote in an Instagram post.

Tennessee fans pose for a picture at The Rock, a landmark on campus, before the Volunteers' game against Kentucky on Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022, in Knoxville, Tn.
Tennessee fans pose for a picture at The Rock, a landmark on campus, before the Volunteers' game against Kentucky on Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022, in Knoxville, Tn.

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The back of "The Rock," however, was still covered in blue at last check of the livestream Saturday.

Kentucky football fans made their presence felt before the Wildcats' game against Tennessee on Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022, by painting The Rock, a landmark on the Volunteers' campus in Knoxville, Tn.
Kentucky football fans made their presence felt before the Wildcats' game against Tennessee on Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022, by painting The Rock, a landmark on the Volunteers' campus in Knoxville, Tn.

The back-and-forth battle for "The Rock" between Southeastern Conference rivals showcases the landmark's intended purpose. UT's website says the hunk of stone is "a place of free expression on campus, a public canvas where thousands of artists have expressed themselves."

Kentucky and Tennessee kick off at 7 p.m. from Neyland Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPN, with Chris Fowler (play-by-play), Kirk Herbstreit (analysis) and Holly Rowe (sideline) on the call.

The undefeated Volunteers (7-0, 3-0 SEC) are 11.5-point favorites over the Wildcats (5-2, 2-2), according to the VegasInsider.com consensus line. UK is 26-82-9 overall against UT in a rivalry that dates back to 1893.

Reach recruiting and trending sports reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @brooksHolton.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky football vs. Tennessee: UK fans paint UT's 'The Rock' blue