Tennessee will want to stop the run first against Kentucky

Kentucky has a reputation in the Southeastern Conference. That reputation was well-earned under head coach Mark Stoops. The Wildcats are a physical run team that gets downhill and can gash run defenses if good fits are not maintained. Stoops and offensive coordinator Liam Coen are working on tinkering with that identity by upgrading the passing game, but competition in the league isn’t shifting their top defensive priority against Kentucky yet.

When you play Kentucky you have to stop the run. That will be Tennessee’s top goal on Saturday night at Kroger Field.

“It’s one of the best rushing attacks in the country. We thought Ray Davis was one of the better running backs in the conference last year when he was at Vanderbilt,” Tennessee linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary told reporters in Knoxville this week. “And he’s continued that, over here at Kentucky.”

“They have a big, physical offensive line, great blocking and athletic tight ends. They present a real challenge for us. But by every measure that you can imagine, they run the ball at a high clip and they do it very, very well. It’s kind of a perfect marriage with Ray Davis with their rushing attack. So it’s a big challenge for us. We have to do a great job of being in our gaps and getting off of blocks and tackling at a high level.”

Through seven games, the Vanderbilt transfer leads the SEC in rushing yards per game (111.6), yards per rush (7.04), gains of 20-plus yards (nine), gains of 30-plus yards (six), and ranks second in rushing touchdowns (eight). Davis is putting together a strong All-American campaign and that is leading the Kentucky ground attack.

In home SEC games, the Wildcats have been lethal on the ground. Kentucky rushed for 210 non-sack yards against Missouri on 7.8 yards per rush with a 63 percent success rate and 10 rushes of 10-plus yards. Against Florida, this offense rolled up 329 non-sack rushing yards on 9.1 yards per rush with 10 rushes of 10-plus yards. The efficiency (41.7% success rate) was not as good against the Gators, but Kentucky made up for it with extra-base hits (five rushes of 20-plus yards).

Kentucky appears to have the best rushing attack in the SEC heading into the final month of the season. The Wildcats are not super efficient but can create big plays in the traditional running game. To stop Kentucky, look for Tennessee to crowd the box and slow down Davis.