5 Things You Need to Know About the Tennessee Volunteers

Kentucky can’t seem to win at Kroger Field. A 2-11 record in the Wildcats’ last 13 home Southeastern Conference games certainly proves that out. However, the only thing harder for the ‘Cats than winning at home may be winning at Neyland Stadium. Two wins in Knoxville in nearly 50 seasons proves that point. This season has already gotten away from Coach Mark Stoops and company, but beating Tennessee would certainly be a nice treat for Big Blue Nation.

Tennessee is coming off of a bye week after defeating, at the time, #7 Alabama in Knoxville. The wins in the Southeastern Conference haven’t exactly been pretty, but they are finding a way. Now ranked #7 themselves, the Volunteers have a legitimate path to the College Football Playoff. Kentucky playing spoiler on Saturday night would certainly be a fun moment in another very disappointing season.

As always, we have all of your pregame needs right here on Kentucky Sports Radio dot com for the 7:45 p.m. (Eastern Time) kickoff on SEC Network between the Kentucky Wildcats (3-5, 1-5) and the Tennessee Volunteers (6-1, 3-1). If you haven’t already, you have to dive into Adam Luckett’s Scouting Report. That is your in-depth, football-nerd preview. For those in search of a more surface level look at what to expect on Saturday evening, you are in the right place. Let’s dive on in to five things you need to know about the Auburn Tigers.

Success is Hard to Come By in Knoxville

This Kentucky Football team hasn’t had much success at home of late. They are an ugly 2-11 in their last 13 SEC home games. Currently the ‘Cats have lost back-to-back home matchups against Vanderbilt and Auburn. Historically speaking, heading to Neyland Stadium is not a good way to snap a losing streak.

The Tennessee Volunteers have dominated the all-time series leading 84-26-9. It has gotten even more lopsided recently with the Volunteers winning 26 straight from 1985-2010 and 10 of their last 12 since then. Only twice has Kentucky gone into Knoxville and won since 1977. This season has essentially gotten away from Coach Mark Stoops and company and Saturday night’s contest one be an easy one to get the train back on the tracks.

Tennessee Hasn’t Found Their Footing Offensively

Coach Josh Heupel has become one of the leading offensive masterminds in college football. He led three consecutive Top 15 offenses at Central Florida before landing inside the Top 20 in each of the last three years at Tennessee. However, this Volunteers offense hasn’t performed to that level. A run-heavy attack has nearly eliminated explosive plays and the offensive line has proven to be leaky.

Extreme tempo is still a big part of the Tennessee Volunteers offense. However, the results simply haven’t been the same. This group is 11^th nationally in run play percentage which trails only Texas A&M within the power conference ranks. Their adjusted EPA/play is -0.05 which puts them 89^th nationally. Points per drive (2.51), havoc rate allowed (42.5%) and red zone touchdown percentage (64.71%) each rank no better than 45^th in the country.

Early in the season it looked like Tennessee was on pace for another elite offense. They won 69-3 in week one, hung 51 points in a blowout at NC State in week two, and then beat Kent State 71-0 in week three. However, Southeastern Conference play has become a bit of a struggle. Despite a 3-1 record, including a win over Alabama on October 19^th, the Volunteers are scoring just 21.5 points per game. They haven’t broken 25 points in SEC play. If Kentucky’s defense can flex their muscles a bit this contest should at least remain close.

Volunteer’s Running Back Has Become a Star

There were flashes from day one with Dylan Sampson. He rushed for just shy of 400 yards as a true freshman for the Tennessee Volunteers. Then, last season, he upped the ante to nearly 800 total yards from scrimmage with eight touchdowns. Now, through seven games, Sampson has amassed 838 rushing yards on 144 carriers with an incredible 18 rushing touchdowns. He hasn’t been held under 90 rushing yards in a SEC game yet.

Coach Heupel is very clearly relying on the running game this season. The Volunteers have run the football at least 40 times in each of their six victories. Over half of those attempts come from Dylan Sampson. It will be imperative for the Kentucky defense to slow down Tennessee’s star tailback.

Nico Iamaleava at Quarterback

There was a lot of hype surrounding five-star prospect Nico Iamaleava when he landed in Knoxville. However, that hype has been met with mixed results. After flashing some potential as a true freshman, Iamaleva has been handed the keys to the Tenessee Volunteers offense here this season. He has completed 108 of 170 passes for 1,413 yards and eight touchdowns. When you compare his non-conference stats to his play within the SEC though you see a clear difference.

Tennessee has been able to win games in SEC play, but Iamaleava certainly hasn’t had as much success. His completion percentage of 58.3% and yards per attempt of 6.9 aren’t anything like what he was able to put up in those three early season victories. Typically an explosive offense, the Volunteers have traded that in for efficiency with Iamaleava. Along with consistently moving the chains with an efficient passing game, Iamaleava keeps a lot of plays alive with his legs. That dual threat nature will be something that Kentucky must be well aware of under the lights at Neyland Stadium on Saturday night.

Volunteers Feature a Dominant Defense

The script has officially been flipped in Knoxville this season. It has been the strength of the defense that has led the Tennessee Volunteers to success this season. This team is allowing less than one point per drive posting the best number in the country. They are first nationally as well in third down conversion rate allowed at just 23.71%. The Volunteers rank second in college football in yards per play allowed, adjusted EPA/play, havoc rate, yards per rush, and red zone touchdown percentage. There is no denying just how good this group has been.

While the offense has sputtered a bit in conference play, the defense has done their part. Tennessee is allowing just 17 points per game through four SEC contests. This defense is littered with future NFL Draft picks, veteran starters, and talented transfer portal additions. Kentucky’s offense will have their work cut out to find success against this Volunteers defense.