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Tennessee football vs. Kentucky: 10 keys for Vols and Wildcats

By Caleb Calhoun

Oct 3, 2020; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee quarterback Jarrett Guarantano (2) looks to throw during a SEC conference football game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Missouri Tigers held at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brianna Paciorka-USA TODAY NETWORK
Oct 3, 2020; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee quarterback Jarrett Guarantano (2) looks to throw during a SEC conference football game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Missouri Tigers held at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brianna Paciorka-USA TODAY NETWORK /
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Oct 3, 2020; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt is seen during the third quarter of a game between Tennessee and Missouri at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., Saturday, Oct. 3, 2020. Mandatory Credit: Calvin Mattheis-USA TODAY NETWORK
Oct 3, 2020; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt is seen during the third quarter of a game between Tennessee and Missouri at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., Saturday, Oct. 3, 2020. Mandatory Credit: Calvin Mattheis-USA TODAY NETWORK /

9. Who has more focus with a huge game for both teams next week?

While Tennessee football is coming off its first loss and the Kentucky Wildcats are coming off their first win, both teams are in different states psychologically than they were last week. However, nest week, each team has a crucial matchup, a likely loss, against one of the two undefeated teams remaining in the SEC.

Rocky Top is facing the Alabama Crimson Tide. Coming off a loss to the Georgia Bulldogs, Kentucky could be somewhat of a trap game for Jeremy Pruitt’s team. After all, Georgia and Alabama, despite dominating the Vols in recent years, still are seen as measuring sticks for the program’s fans and players every time they play each other.

Meanwhile, UK is riding high after beating the Mississippi State Bulldogs. However, right after the Vols, they face that very Georgia team that dominated UT in the second half last week. Will the Wildcats be looking ahead to that one? After all, teams get more excited to face UGA nowadays than they do facing Big Orange Country.

Now, to be fair, Kentucky probably always looks forward to facing the Vols given how much they want to beat them. UT would have an advantage in that Alabama is not a divisional game, but it’s not like Kentucky is competing to win the East after its 0-2 start. Taking all this into account, UK is likely to be more focused, but both teams should take this game more seriously.

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