KSR GAMEDAY, presented by FanDuel: Kentucky hosts No. 21 Tennessee

A cool, fall night invites a capacity crowd to Kroger Field. For the 119th time Kentucky and Tennessee will compete on the gridiron. The border rivalry in the old Battle for the Beer Barrel will make or break hearts from the Bluegrass to the Rocky Top. Who will emerge victorious?

The Volunteers returned to glory with a 12-2 campaign in Josh Heupel’s second season. Life after Hendon Hooker has not been so kind. No. 21 Tennessee (5-2, 2-2) travels to Kroger Field with losses in four of its last five road games. The most recent one happened a week ago when a scoreless second half erased a halftime lead at Alabama. Will they be able to bounce back?

It’s the same question Kentucky football fans are asking Mark Stoops’ team. The Wildcats (5-2, 2-2) overcame a deflating 25 minutes of football to retake a fourth quarter lead against Missouri, only to flounder down the stretch. Reeling from two straight losses, the Wildcats got a one-week reprieve, but it has not always been kind to Kentucky. Mark Stoops is just 5-8 after a bye.

Each team is desperate for a win. Emotions will be high in this great American rivalry. Whoever can withstand the ebbs and flows of the game will receive bragging rights and replenished optimism entering the month every college football fan remembers, November.

#BeatTennessee 😤 pic.twitter.com/AhOyDMMESn

— KSR (@KSRonX) October 27, 2023

Kentucky Football Gameday Schedule

It’s closing day at Keeneland and forecasts are calling for temperatures in the mid-60s to get your tailgate rocking and rolling for the primetime event at Kroger Field.

• 1:00: Post time in Race 1 at Keeneland
• 3:00: The KSR Pregame Show Kicks off from KSBar on 630 WLAP
• 4:00: $1 Gameday LexTran Shuttle Starts
• 4:45: The Cat Walk
• 7:00 pm: Kickoff on ESPN

How to Watch Kentucky vs. Tennessee

The Tess Effect is not in play this week. Joe Tessitore is taking his talents across the pond for a Tyson Fury boxing match. Instead, Jesse Palmer and Katie George will be joined by Mike Monaco for the 7 pm EST kickoff. If you can’t attend the game or stream the Cats, you can always listen to the Voice of the Wildcats, Tom Leach, and Jeff Piecoro.

• AM: 840 WHAS, 630 WLAP
• FM: 98.1 WBUL
• Satellite: Sirius 132 or 192

Kentucky vs. Tennessee Gambling Angles

Tennessee is a 3.5-point favorite over Kentucky with a total of 51.5 at FanDuel. Both teams are 4-3 against the spread (ATS) this season. Stoops is 1-8-1 ATS against Tennessee. This is the first time Kentucky has been a home dog against the Vols since 2015.

You can get in on the action with our friends at FanDuel Sportsbook, America’s No. 1 Sportsbook. Head on over to FanDuel.com/kysports where new customers can bet only $5 and receive $200 in bonus bets!

Leave the Halloween Masks at Home

It’s Halloween weekend. Kentucky has not revealed its uniform combination, which means they probably have something special in store for the BBN. You may have something special you want to wear for the occasion, but it can’t include a mask. For safety and security purposes, costume props will not be permitted inside the stadium on gameday and that includes Halloween masks.

The Last Time Kentucky Beat Tennessee

The Wildcats have not logged a win in the series since the final season of the Jeremy Pruitt era. People forget Stoops’ first win over Tennessee was also the final season of the Butch Jones era. I digress. Kentucky kicked off the game with not one, but TWO pick sixes and the Cats were off to the races. It ended with a 34-7 route, UK’s first win at Neyland Stadium since 1984. The day got started with an emotional speech from John Schlarman. It ended with this guy losing his marbles.

Today we prepare for another historic moment between Kentucky and Tennessee. pic.twitter.com/eL3ow7U7At

— Nick Roush (@RoushKSR) October 27, 2023

College Football on TV

No. 6 Oklahoma at Kansas | 12 p.m. | FOX
Indiana at No. 10 Penn State | 12 p.m. | CBS
No. 4 Florida State at Wake Forest | 12 p.m. | ABC
Maryland at Northwestern | 12 p.m. | Big Ten Network
South Carolina at Texas A&M | 12 p.m. | ESPN
Houston at Kansas State | 12 p.m. | ESPN2
West Virginia at UCF | 12 p.m. | FS1
Clemson at NC State | 2 p.m. | The CW
No. 1 Georgia vs. Florida (in Jacksonville, Fla.) | 3:30 p.m. | CBS
BYU at No. 7 Texas | 3:30 p.m. | ABC
No. 8 Oregon at No. 13 Utah | 3:30 p.m. | FOX
Pitt at No. 14 Notre Dame | 3:30 p.m. | NBC
No. 20 Duke at No. 18 Louisville | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN
Mississippi State at Auburn | 3:30 p.m. | SEC Network
Michigan State at Minnesota | 3:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network
No. 22 Tulane at Rice | 4 p.m. | ESPN2
No. 5 Washington at Stanford | 7 p.m. | FS1
No. 21 Tennessee at Kentucky | 7 p.m. | ESPN
No. 3 Ohio State at Wisconsin | 7:30 p.m. | NBC
Colorado at No. 23 UCLA | 7:30 p.m. | ABC
Cincinnati at Oklahoma State | 8 p.m. | ESPN2
No. 11 Oregon State at Arizona | 10:30 p.m. | ESPN
New Mexico at Nevada | 10:30 p.m. | CBSSN
UNLV at Fresno State | 10:30 p.m. | FS1

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Slow Starting Kentucky Scores 90 in Exhibition Win

As you might expect in a freshman-laden team, Kentucky started its season sloppy. There were careless turnovers, poor shot selection and easy offensive rebounds for the Georgetown Tigers. Kentucky let the NAIA squad hang around for a half, leading by one at intermission, before pulling away at the start of the second half.

Adou Thiero sparked a 7-0 run that put the Cats in control. Kentucky outscored Georgetown by 22 points in the second half to pull away for a 92-69 victory at Rupp Arena. Tre Mitchell knocked down 4-of-5 three-pointers to lead Kentucky with 22 points and 9 rebounds. Antonio Reeves added 18 points and Rob Dillingham chipped in 16 points to tip-off the season.

Want more coverage of the Cats? Join the KSR Club.

KSR has been delivering UK Sports news in the most ridiculous manner for almost two decades. Now, you can get even more coverage of the Cats with KSR+. Join the club for premium articles, inside intel, in-depth scouting reports, bonus recruiting coverage, and access to KSBoard, our message board featuring thousands of Kentucky fans around the globe. Just $1 gets you one month of access, and with the Tennessee game coming up, we’re taking 50% off the annual price. Hurry, this offer won’t last long!