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Kentucky vs. Tennessee football game first look: Story lines, key players, odds and more

ryan black, louisville courier journal
·7 min read

LEXINGTON — Taking two straight losses into its lone open date of the season, the schedulemakers did Kentucky no favors. It jumps right back into SEC play against a school that always has had its number: Tennessee.

Aside from the earliest years of the series — UK held a 6-3-1 advantage in the first 10 meetings from 1893 through 1912 — the Volunteers have always dominated. The Wildcats haven't won consecutive games in the rivalry since 1976 and 1977. Tennessee leads the all-time series 83-26-9. And UT is 8-2 against Kentucky during Mark Stoops' tenure in Lexington. UK's two wins in the series under Stoops came in 2020 and 2017.

While UK had a week off to focus on getting healthy, iron out issues from the first seven games and try to begin devising a strategy to turn around its fortune against Tennessee, the Vols are coming off a crushing loss at Alabama. UT led 20-7 at halftime but was held scoreless in the final two quarters. The Crimson Tide scored the final 27 points to win 34-20 at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Here are three story lines to watch ahead of Saturday's SEC tilt at Kroger Field:

Can Kentucky finally start to get penalties under control?

Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops has words with an official during the game against Missouri. "Listen, it starts with me. I'm the head coach, and we've got to get the discipline under control," said Stoops after the Cats fell to Mizzou. "But those players have got to help, too, yes. They've got to hold each other accountable as well. It's their football team." Oct. 14, 2023.

The Wildcats rank last in the 14-team SEC in total penalty yardage (479) and penalty yards per game (68.4). And they are next-to-last in penalties per game (7.7).

Many of the flags are centered around behavior, as UK has committed multiple personal foul penalties in back-to-back games — lopsided losses to Georgia and Missouri, respectively.

The Wildcats had more penalty yardage (122) than passing yards (120) against the Tigers.

“It's very vital: We got to be more disciplined as a team," sophomore defensive lineman Deone Walker said after the Missouri game. "That's on the leaders and on the captains. There’s only so much the coaches can do and that is something we have to take more pride in as a team.

"So worry about getting better for our team's sake and stopping the emotional penalties — there were a lot of them. We've got to learn to play with passion, not emotion."

C.L. Brown: U of L, UK football at crossroads heading into pivotal conference games

Can UK defense begin turnaround?

Kentucky Wildcats defensive lineman Deone Walker (0) walks off the field after the loss to visiting Mizzou Saturday. It was Kentuckys second straight loss after getting drubbed by Georgia the week prior. Oct. 14, 2023.
Kentucky Wildcats defensive lineman Deone Walker (0) walks off the field after the loss to visiting Mizzou Saturday. It was Kentuckys second straight loss after getting drubbed by Georgia the week prior. Oct. 14, 2023.

After a solid five-game start to the season, Kentucky's defense has unraveled in its last two games. It gave up 51 points and more than 600 yards to Georgia. And despite jumping out to a 14-0 lead over Missouri at home the following week, UK was outscored 38-7 in the final three quarters.

The Wildcats are 13th in the SEC in third-down conversion percentage (43.9) and near the bottom of the conference in several other defensive categories, including passing yards allowed per game (250.9; 12th), red zone defense (10th) and scoring defense (23.6 points per game; ninth).

"We've just got to do what we do," defensive coordinator Brad White said after the setback to the Tigers, "and we've got to do a better job."

Will Kentucky offense ever quicken tempo?

A constant refrain, from both Stoops and offensive coordinator Liam Coen, since the season started centered around snap counts. The Wildcats' offense wants more plays.

Per TeamRankings.com, in games this season involving two FBS schools, no squad in the 133-team FBS averages fewer plays per game than Kentucky at 55.3. That's three fewer than even the next-closest team: Iowa, which has become a running joke for offensive ineptitude and whose coordinator has a clause in his contract stating the team must reach 325 points this season to keep his job next year.

Needless to say, things could be better in this department for the Wildcats.

Solving the problem hinges upon improvement in two areas: picking up first downs and controlling the clock.

UK ranks outside the top 100 in both first downs gained (127; tied for 109th) and time of possession (27:14 TOP per game; 119th).

Three Kentucky players to watch

Kentucky Wildcats wide receiver Barion Brown (7) celebrates teammate Devin Leary's touchdown against Missouri at Kroger Field Saturday. The Cats were up 14-0 in the first quarter. Oct. 14, 2023.
Kentucky Wildcats wide receiver Barion Brown (7) celebrates teammate Devin Leary's touchdown against Missouri at Kroger Field Saturday. The Cats were up 14-0 in the first quarter. Oct. 14, 2023.

Devin Leary, sixth-year senior quarterback: Leary still hasn't found his footing since UK started SEC play. He has yet to complete better than 52% of his passes or eclipse the 250-yard mark in four games. And while he did toss two touchdowns against Missouri, it was offset by a pair of interceptions. Tennessee will make him earn it Saturday night: The Volunteers rank third in the SEC in pass efficiency defense, allowing a hair more than 200 yards per game through the air and giving up 19.4 points an outing (third fewest in the conference).

Barion Brown, sophomore wide receiver: Injuries and inconsistency have prevented Brown, who had a fantastic freshman season in 2022, from taking the next step this fall. He has only one touchdown reception through seven contests and just one game of 100-plus receiving yards (against Vanderbilt). A breakout performance against the Volunteers — the home state team for the Nashville native — would go a long way in helping the Wildcats' beleaguered offense.

Daveren Rayner, senior linebacker: Rayner, who joined Kentucky as a transfer from Northern Illinois after spring practice concluded, made his first start as a Wildcat in the loss to Missouri. In place of injured star Trevin Wallace, Rayner flourished, posting a game-high 10 tackles. If Wallace is sidelined against the Vols — or if he's limited physically — Rayner could be counted on again.

Three Tennessee players to watch

Joe Milton III, sixth-year senior quarterback: While Milton isn't playing at the Heisman Trophy-type level of his predecessor, Hendon Hooker, he has been solid in 2023. Milton has thrown for 1,535 and 12 touchdowns on 62.8% passing (140 for 223) while tallying just four interceptions. He was 28 of 41 for 275 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in the loss at Alabama and led the Vols in rushing (59 yards on 15 carries).

Jaylen Wright, junior running back: Wright is averaging 6.52 yards per carry, second in the league to his counterpart Saturday: Kentucky's Ray Davis averages 7.04 per attempt. Unlike UK's Davis-centric focus in the backfeld, Wright is one of four Vols with 47 or more carries this season. He leads the team in carries (91), yardage (593) and has scored one touchdown on the ground.

Kamal Haddon, fifth-year senior defensive back: Haddon ranks third nationally in passes defended per game (1.6), trailing only West Virginia's Beanie Bishop Jr. (1.9) and Missouri's Kris Abrams-Draine (1.8). He has three interceptions this fall; only four SEC players have more, led by Kentucky's Maxwell Hairston, who is tied for the national lead with five.

Kentucky vs. Tennessee odds

Kentucky is a 3 ½-point underdog at home against Tennessee, according to the DraftKings college football odds.

WANNA BET? Top Kentucky sportsbooks and sports betting apps reviewed

How to watch Kentucky vs. Tennessee football game

Who: Tennessee (5-2, 2-2 SEC) at Kentucky (5-2, 2-2)

When: 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28

Where: Kroger Field; Lexington

TV: ESPN

Radio: Tom Leach (play-by-play), Jeff Piecoro (analyst) and Dick Gabriel (sideline) will have the UK radio network call on 840 AM in Louisville and both 630 AM and 98.1 FM in Lexington and online at UKAthletics.com. The game also will be carried on satellite radio: Sirius (Channel 138), XM (Channel 190) and the SiriusXM app (Channel 961).

Streaming: Authenticated subscribers can access ESPN via TV-connected devices or by going to WatchESPN.com, the WatchESPN app or ESPN+.

From the hardwood: With no Ivisic, Dillingham and Thiero shine during Blue-White scrimmage

Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.

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This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Mark Stoops, Kentucky football vs. Tennessee Volunteers in SEC game