Kentucky vs. Tennessee: Ranked Wildcats Take a Six-Game Win Streak Into Neyland for SEC Night Showdown

Kentucky visits Tennessee at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville on Saturday, Nov. 7, in one of the biggest SEC games of the night. Kickoff is set for 6:15 p.m. ET on ESPN. This is a pregame preview, and it will be updated once the game is underway and final.

Both teams are ranked. Vols Wire, using the US LBM Coaches Poll, lists Kentucky at No. 7 and Tennessee at No. 16. FOX Sports has the Wildcats at No. 8, and other rankings differ slightly. Kentucky comes in at 7-1 overall and 5-1 in the SEC. Tennessee is 6-2 and 3-2.

How to watch Kentucky vs. Tennessee

• When: Saturday, Nov. 7, 6:15 p.m. ET
• Where: Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, Tennessee
• TV: ESPN
• Announcers: Tom Hart (play-by-play), Roddy Jones (analyst), Quint Kessenich (sideline), per Vols Wire

Kentucky’s streak against Tennessee’s home crowd

Kentucky has won six straight, including one-point wins over South Carolina and LSU, and is 3-0 on the road, according to FOX Sports. The Wildcats last played on Oct. 24, beating Vanderbilt 34-17.

Tennessee won three straight in October, including a 26-10 win over Alabama, before losing 27-24 at South Carolina. Both teams are coming off an open week, FOX Sports noted. Vols Wire’s schedule shows Tennessee’s other loss was 20-17 to Texas on Sept. 26.

Tennessee coach Josh Heupel is calling it a “dark mode homecoming” and the Vols’ first SEC night game of the season. “You look at their ability to win multiple ways. Finish games, turnover margin, they’ve been elite,” Heupel said of Kentucky, according to Vols Wire. “One of the least penalized teams in the league.”

Key matchups

Kenny Minchey vs. the SEC’s top pass rush

Kentucky quarterback Kenny Minchey has thrown one interception in 232 attempts, and that pick came against Alabama on Sept. 12, FOX Sports reported. Kentucky leads the SEC with a plus-14 turnover margin. But Tennessee leads the conference with 35 sacks, and Minchey has been sacked 17 times, which makes how quickly he gets the ball out on early downs the big question.

DeSean Bishop and Tennessee’s run game

Tennessee running back DeSean Bishop has run for at least 100 yards in four straight games and leads the team with 957 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns, per FOX Sports. The Vols average 213 rushing yards per game, second in the SEC. Kentucky gives up 113.2 per game on the ground.

Kentucky’s receivers vs. a stingy pass defense

Tennessee allows just 165.6 passing yards per game. Kentucky’s Kenny Darby has 38 catches for 507 yards and averages 13.3 yards per catch, while tight end Willie Rodriguez leads the Wildcats with 39 receptions, FOX Sports reported. Darby had 12 catches for 96 yards and a touchdown in the 35-34 win at South Carolina.

George MacIntyre and Mike Matthews

Tennessee quarterback George MacIntyre has made three starts. Receiver Mike Matthews has 16 catches for 210 yards with MacIntyre at quarterback and leads the Vols with 528 receiving yards, according to FOX Sports. Kentucky allows 249.4 passing yards per game but has 12 interceptions.

What’s at stake

Kentucky, at 5-1 in conference play, is firmly in the SEC title race. A win in Knoxville would be another statement for a team that keeps winning close games. For Tennessee, a third loss would make its path in the conference race much harder. The Vols also have road trips to Texas A&M and Vanderbilt plus a home game against LSU left on the schedule, according to Vols Wire.

The scoring tells part of the story. Tennessee allows 16.2 points per game, per FOX Sports, and CBS Sports’ scoreboard listed Tennessee as a 6.5-point favorite with an over/under of 49.5.

FAQ