The Kentucky Wildcats have arrived at their latest big moment in 2022. They still have Georgia to play later in the season, but their annual game against Tennessee is bigger than ever, due to the fact that Tennessee is better than it has been in a long time.
By Matt Zemek
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Everyone who has followed the SEC over the past 40 years knows how much of a nemesis Tennessee has been for Kentucky. Now Tennessee is a legitimate national championship contender. Could this change the dynamics of the battle when the Wildcats go to Knoxville for Saturday night’s game? Maybe … but what ultimately matters is that UK has to play at a high level for any of this to matter. The Wildcats need their best game to take down the Vols. Let’s look at what Big Blue must do in Neyland Stadium:
1 – Offense must come alive
You will recall that last year, Kentucky and Tennessee played a shootout. Kentucky didn’t win, but it came very close. No, Kentucky can’t really afford to play a shootout, but it will need to score at least 30 points if it wants to have a decent chance of winning. Will Levis has fought through injuries this season and has understandably been lest than his very best, but he will need to hit big plays down the field against a less-than-great Tennessee defense whose biggest win this season was a game in which it allowed 49 points to Alabama and was fortunate for that number to not be north of 50 points. It can’t be “same old same old” for Kentucky on offense in this game. Everyone has to step up, not just Levis, but it’s obvious that the quarterback has to do the heavy lifting in Knoxville.
Also see: SEC Football Preview/Prediction: Kentucky at Tennessee
2 – Smart gambles
The Kentucky defense can’t play it safe against Tennessee’s elite offense. The Wildcats have to be able to rush Hendon Hooker and make him crack, forcing at least two turnovers if not more. While the pass rush is the first priority for Mark Stoops and his staff, that can’t be the whole game plan, because Josh Heupel is going to create plays which will enable Hooker to throw the ball quickly and trust his quick, athletic receivers to run in open space after the catch. Quick throws will limit what Kentucky can do with its pass rush. This sets up a dynamic in which Kentucky corners and linebackers might need to jump on short routes and take risks. Reading keys and nailing film study will need to give Kentucky some chances to create turnovers and change the dynamic of this game.
3 – Ball control and fourth downs
Kentucky has to be able to produce drives which take six or more minutes off the clock … and then score touchdowns, certainly when the game is competitive. (This obviously wouldn’t be valuable if Tennessee is leading by 14 or more points.) The Wildcats will have to go for it on nearly every fourth down. They will need to be at their best in these high-leverage situations. They will need to control the ball for at least 38 minutes if not more if they want to have a reasonable chance of winning.
Saturday‘s game begins at 6:00 PM CT (7:00 PM ET). This game will be televised on the ESPN Network.
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