Tennessee football vs Kentucky score prediction, scouting report for Week 10 SEC game

Tennessee football welcomes Kentucky to Knoxville for another meeting between the rivals.

The No. 7 Vols (6-1, 3-1 SEC) host Kentucky (3-5, 1-5) on Saturday (7:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network) at Neyland Stadium.

Here’s what you need to know about the matchup:

Kentucky’s offense is the worst in the SEC

It might be too kind to call Kentucky’s offense terrible. The Wildcats have the worst offense in the SEC and rank at or near the bottom in the top offensive metrics.

The Wildcats score 19.1 points per game, a mark that has dropped to 13.5 in conference games. They haven’t scored more than 20 points in a conference game.

Kentucky is last in passing yards per game with 166.1 and second-to-last in total yards with 307.9 yards per game. It ranks No. 12 in rushing yards per game at 141.8.

Tennessee owns the series with Kentucky

Tennessee has dominated the series with Kentucky and the past 40 years have been no exception. UT has won all but three games against Kentucky since 1984, including all but one in Knoxville.

The Vols lost two of those three games by three points, with a 34-7 loss in 2020 being the outlier. They won 26 games in a row between 1984 and 2010.

UT leads the all-time series 84-26-9 with a 44-11-6 record in Knoxville.

Jermod McCoy is an All-SEC cornerback

Jermod McCoy made a game-changing interception against Alabama when he picked off Jalen Milroe in the end zone early in UT’s 24-17 win. The Oregon State transfer was consistently excellent in his first season with the Vols.

“He has all the athletic traits you want, but again, his maturity is a big factor in why he’s playing the way he is,” Vols coach Josh Heupel said Monday.

McCoy leads Tennessee with five passes defensed. He also had an interception in UT’s 25-15 win at Oklahoma on September 21. He has made 14 tackles.

Heupel praised the way McCoy plays in man-to-man defense at the line of scrimmage. He likes McCoy’s ball skills in the secondary, defending 50-50 balls and disappearing. He called McCoy’s competitive calm an elusive complement to his physical skills.

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What about the slow start of Tennessee football

Tennessee was shut out in the first half of three straight games for the first time since 1963. It is uncharted territory for Heupel, who was not fouled out in the first half in his first three seasons at UT.

He explained that the issues are not exclusive to one area of ​​the offense. Against Alabama, the issues included turnovers, a missed field goal, offensive line miscues and more.

“It’s a combination of all of us getting a little bit better, coaches and players together,” Heupel said.

Score prediction

Tennessee 34, Kentucky 10: Tennessee doesn’t have to worry about the Kentucky score. It has to worry about scoring at a higher clip. The lowly Wildcats are a good opponent to work out the kinks before heading into the final third of the season.

Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @By MikeWilson. If you like Mike’s reporting, then consider a digital subscription which gives you access to everything.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee-Kentucky Prediction: Will Vols Beat Wildcats?