The energy in the stands at Neyland Stadium could not be better for the Tennessee Volunteers. The place is PACKED and fans are bringing it for this contest against Kentucky. However, the same can't be said for the players, as the Vols have gotten off to a bit of a sluggish start.
In particular, the defense has left a lot to be desired. Early on, Kentucky drove down the field, but they didn't convert on 4th down deep in Tennessee territory. They were ready for anything defensive coordinator Tim Banks had in front of them.
After the Vols missed a field goal, though, the Wildcats got the ball back and once again had no problems moving the ball. Their drive ended with quarterback Brock Vandagriff tossing a 27-yard touchdown to Josh Kattus. The tight end was literally wide open on this play. What in the world was this from Banks' defense?
Touchdown, Josh Kattus! #BBN pic.twitter.com/7njRq7dTiQ
— Chris Beasmore (@CBeasmoreSports) November 3, 2024
Tennessee Vols fans are letting Tim Banks have it over Kentucky's hot start
What made that Kentucky TD even more maddening is the fact that multiple Vols players were there to bring Kattus down, but they just couldn't get the job done. This has been a sloppy game all around for the Vols, which is not what people were expecting.
Tennessee is coming off a bye week and the last time they were on the field, they were taking care of business vs. Alabama. Kentucky is one of the worst teams in the SEC and Mark Stoops' seat could not be any hotter right now.
Despite that, the Wildcats are the ones playing with fire and energy, while Tennessee is yet to fully show up. That's on Josh Heupel for not having his players ready to rock, but it's also on Banks for letting the UK offense look like an elite unit in front of the Tennessee faithful. Things need to be cleaned up and fast.