Tennessee football: Five takeaways from Vols 34-7 loss to Kentucky

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Tennessee quarterback Jarrett Guarantano (2) fumbles the ball and watches as its recovered by Kentucky during a SEC conference football game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Kentucky Wildcats held at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Saturday, October 17, 2020.Kns Ut Football Kentucky Bp /

1. First half mistakes by quarterbacks proved costly

What can you say? Jarrett Guarantano had turnovers on three straight drives, and that’s what set the tone for the whole game. All of them were killers as well given the fact that Tennessee football was moving the ball on two of them.

The first one came after the Vols had forced a turnover. It was 2nd and 2 on the Kentucky 26. Guaratano went rogue on a designed running play and tried to make a quick pass, but Ty Chandler, unaware of the change, ran into him, forcing the fumble.

Then after the Vols forced a punt, Guarantano threw a pick to Kelvin Joseph, who returned it 41 yards for a touchdown. On the next drive, the Vols were moving the ball, but on 1st and 10 at the Kentucky 28, Jamin Davis intercepted a Guarantano pass and ran it back 85 yards for a score.

Jeremy Pruitt then pulled Guarantano and brought in JT Shrout, who threw an interception as well that set up a Kentucky field goal. Down 17-0 by this point, the entire game changed, and Pruitt then put Guarantano back in.

Late in the game, Guarantano was pulled again for Harrison Bailey after the team trailed 34-7. Bailey drove the Vols into the red zone but was then stopped on a fourth down. Overall, though, mistakes by the quarterbacks proved costly. They spotted Kentucky 17 points and took at the very least six points off the board for the Vols, maybe even more.

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