Tennessee vs. Kentucky: Three Keys for Each Team

Sep 5, 2015; Lexington, KY, USA; A general view of Commonwealth Stadium before the game against the Kentucky Wildcats and the Louisiana Lafayette Ragin Cajuns. Kentucky defeated Louisiana Lafayette 40-33. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

Saturday’s Tennessee vs. Kentucky game features two teams looking to have a strong finish. Here are the keys for the Volunteers and the Wildcats to win.

The line may say Tennessee by seven, but it is a very strong possibility that Kentucky gets the win over the Vols in Lexington on Saturday.

Even after coming off of a 42-16 loss to the Mississippi State Bulldogs, this is a team that is capable of pulling off anything at home. Remember they nearly knocked off the Florida Gators 14-9 earlier in the year.

So now the Wildcats and the Vols square off, and for once, this rivalry means something.

With Tennessee at 3-4 and Kentucky at 4-3, the SEC East, somehow, is alive for both teams. They would need a miracle, but whomever wins is not out of it.

And they are also not out of a very strong finish to the season, which is something Tennessee is going to need a heck of a lot more than Kentucky when you consider the preseason expectations.

And it’s also something Butch Jones needs more than Mark Stoops just for fan approval.

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Last year Tennessee dominated the Wildcats at home 50-16. It was an offensive onslaught with Joshua Dobbs throwing for 297 yards and three touchdowns and rushing for 48 yards and a touchdown along with Jalen Hurd rushing for 118 yards and a touchdown.

They will be looking to repeat that performance on Saturday, and Kentucky’s recent history this year shows that the Vols pose the exact match-ups that are a nightmare for Kentucky’s defense.

But then you take into account the Florida game, and it is impossible to escape the fact that the Wildcats can give offenses hell. So it really depends on which Kentucky and Tennessee teams show up.

Here are the three keys to the Tennessee vs. Kentucky game Saturday for the Vols and Wildcats each.

Next: Tennessee Key #1: Get Pressure on Patrick Towles