All for Tennessee
Fansided

Tennessee football: Vols upset Kentucky Wildcats 24-7

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - NOVEMBER 10: Marquez Callaway #1 of the Tennessee Volunteers catches a last second pass during the first half of the game between the Kentucky Wildcats and the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on November 10, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - NOVEMBER 10: Marquez Callaway #1 of the Tennessee Volunteers catches a last second pass during the first half of the game between the Kentucky Wildcats and the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on November 10, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Tennessee football scored its first win over an SEC or Power Five team at home since the Missouri Tigers in 2016. The Volunteers beat Kentucky SCORE.

Jarrett Guarantano hit Marquez Callaway for a 39-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass  to end the first half as Tennessee football dominated the Kentucky Wildcats. The Vols jumped out to a 24-0 lead and ended up winning the game 24-7.

With the victory, UT moved to 5-5 on the year and 2-4 in the SEC, one game away from a bowl, while Kentucky fell to 7-3 overall and finished 5-3 in the league. It was also their second straight loss after a 34-17 loss to the Georgia Bulldogs.

The story early was Tennessee football’s defense. Jeremy Pruitt’s team shut Kentucky out, but the Vols only got a field goal in the first quarter to go up 3-0. In the second quarter, however, the Vols scored two touchdowns. One was based on an 81-yard drive in which Guarantano completed two passes for 45 yards while Tim Jordan finished the job with a three-yard touchdown run. Then there was the Hail Mary to give UT a 17-0 lead.

The Vols continued their dominance in the second half, opening it up with an eight play 85-yard drive that was highlighted by a 59-yard run from Jordan Murphy on a reverse and ended with a two-yard touchdown pass from Guarantano to Dominick Wood-Anderson. That TD gave the Vols a 24-0 lead.

Kentucky made it interesting by scoring a touchdown late in the third quarter and driving into Tennessee territory in the fourth. But the Vols then blocked a field goal that would’ve made it a two-score game, securing their control in the game.

Guarantano finished with 197 yards while completing 12 of 20 passes for two touchdowns and no interceptions. UT had 215 yards rushing, led by Ty Chandler, who had 89 yards on 16 carries. Tim Jordan added 63 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. Callaway led the team in receiving with two receptions for 56 yards.

On defense, the Vols held the Wildcats to 262 total yards. Benny Snell Jr. had 20 carries for 81 yards, while Terry Wilson completed only 21-of-34 passes for 172 yards and one touchdown with one interception. Daniel Bituli led the Vols with eight tackles and two for a loss while Darrell Taylor had two sacks and Deandre Johnson added another.

Tennessee football is one win away from a bowl and has two very winnable games coming up against the Missouri Tigers and Vanderbilt Commodores on the road. The Wildcats, meanwhile, could still get to nine wins with the MTSU Blue Raiders at home and Louisville Cardinals on the road. Both games are winnable. However, this game exposed them as a very overrated 7-2 team, something they probably didn’t want.

Home/Vols Football