Scouting Report: Tennessee Volunteers

Tennessee Volunteers (4-5) (1-4 SEC)   Kentucky rolls into Neyland Stadium looking to end a 4-game losing streak on the year.  It used to be the dreaded 26..27..28 year-long losing streak to Tennessee, but thankfully that was ended in 2011.  Regardless of any streaks, the Cats are most importantly trying to become bowl eligible.  They're just one win away, while the Volunteers still need two.  Both teams have had their ups-and-downs this season, but today may decide who goes bowling for the holidays.  Neither team has reached a bowl game since the 2010 season.  Let's take a closer look at what we can expect from Tennessee.

Offense:

Tennessee recently had a change at quarterback, and by looking at the results, it's helping.  Sophomore QB Josh Dobbs has added a dual threat for the Volunteers' backfield, burning defenses through the air and on the ground.  In just two games played, Dobbs has thrown for 493 yards and 4 touchdowns.  On the ground, Dobbs has rushed for 241 yards and 3 more touchdowns.  That's seven touchdowns in just two appearances for him, and that means trouble for Kentucky.  The Wildcats' defense did a good job of containing Dak Prescott a few weeks ago, but will have to do it again if they want to keep Tennessee close. Tennessee's leading tailback is Jalen Hurd.  For the year, Hurd has rushed for 598 yards and 2 touchdowns.  He's also coming off of a career-best performance against South Carolina, where he had 21 carries for 125 yards (6 yards per carry).  In that game, he also had 58 yards receiving and a touchdown. Receiving for the Volunteers, Alton Howard leads the way with 401 yards and a touchdown.  Tennessee currently averages 235.1 yards through the air, which ranks 61st in the nation.  On the ground, they're only averaging 131.4 yards, ranked 99th overall.  Scoring wise, the Volunteers are averaging 26.2 points per game, placing them 81st overall in offense. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="256"] Quarterback Josh Dobbs[/caption]

Defense:

On the other side of the ball, the Volunteers are lead by linebacker AJ Johnson.  For the year, Johnson already has 96 tackles, 2 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles.  I think it's safe to say he'll be all over the field today and we'll be hearing his name a lot.  Other impact players on defense include defensive back Cameron Sutton (3 interceptions)  and defensive end Derek Barnett (7 sacks).  Barnett is only a Freshman, but has caused teams problems all year long.  Kentucky's front line HAS to protect Towles in the pocket and keep the pressure from Johnson and Barnett away.  If not, it could be another long day for Neal Brown's offense. Statistically, Tennessee's defense is giving up 25 points per game, placing them 51st in the nation.  Their pass defense is actually pretty good, only allowing 121.3 yards receiving per game.  That ranks them just inside the top 50.  On the ground, the Vols allow 172.0 yards rushing per game, ranked 77th nationally. So if Kentucky can get their running backs into a rhythm early on, we could see some long, dominating drives from the Cats.  That's something UK needs in order to allow their defense time to rest on the sideline.  It'll also help take the pressure off of Patrick Towles, but in the end, it all comes down to the performance of UK's offensive line.

Prediction:

I think it'll be a somewhat slow, low scoring game.  Both teams look similar on paper, but Tennessee is coming off of a huge win followed with a bye week.  Plus this game is being played in Neyland, not Commonwealth.  I want to say UK wins, so I'll go with that, but it's going to be close.  Offense and defense will have to play complementary football in order to defeat the Vols.  Special teams can't afford to give up any big plays either.  If any unit decides to not to show up and play 100%, Tennessee wins easily.  With that being said, I believe Coach Stoops finally gets this team firing on all cylinders again.  It's crunch time! Cats win 24-21.  MVP: Boom Williams Tell us your predictions and MVPs in the comments section below.