Winning in Lexington is almost a must for Tennessee football to keep their bowl hopes alive. Here are five key Volunteers to making that happen.
The last time Tennessee football met the Kentucky Wildcats, they won in an upset, which is shocking in itself to say. It got them to 5-5 and in position to make a bowl game. This year, they’re in the same position.
If the Vols beat UK again, they’ll have a chance at a bowl by beating either the Missouri Tigers or Vanderbilt Commodores. Last year, with the same two opponents to close out the season, they lost both games and finished 5-7.
But they first have to put themselves in that position, and this time, their playing the Wildcats on the road. And the last time they went to Kentucky was 2017. That year, Kentucky was the fourth straight loss for a program unraveling under Butch Jones.
Jeremy Pruitt wants to prove that his second team as Tennessee football’s head coach is doing the opposite. When his team beat Kentucky last year, he relied on his defensive prowess and key plays from specific players. That formula is exactly how the Vols have won their past two games as well.
So on Saturday, he’ll be looking to such guys to step up again. As Mark Stoops continues to run a receiver at quarterback in Lynn Bowden Jr., the Vols have got to be ready for anything and everything that comes their way.
In order to do that, the stars of this game need to be elite defensive players, similar to last week’s game. Then they just need a couple of skill players to step up on offense. We’ll break down where that all can come from in this post.
Which players can continue this hot streak for Rocky Top? How will they go about handling another road test? Let’s break all that down here. These are the five key Vols to watch for when Tennessee football visits the Kentucky Wildcats.