My grandfather always used to watch the Kentucky/Tennessee game and repeat the phrase “It’s the hope that kills you” and it happened again this weekend in Lexington. This time I got to experience it with my children. As Tennessee was driving to try and steal points to close out the half there was a review that was clearly not a legal catch. My 7-year-old daughter was confident that was going to be overturned. Me, a 33-year-old Kentucky football vetern, turned to her and told her don’t count on it, it’s going to stand. She asked how I knew that and all I could say was because “they’re Tennessee and we’re Kentucky”.
Losing to Tennessee stinks but we should all be used to it by now. It doesn’t matter how good we are or how bad they are. It really doesn’t matter how we play. They’re Tennessee and we’re Kentucky.
Offense
The passing game had its best game of the season. Devin Leary was an impressive 29/39 for 372 yards and 2 TD. The two young WR have received a ton of criticism (deserved) but they balled out. Dane Key led the way with 7 catches and 113 yards with 1 TD while Barrion Brown had 5 catches for 58 yards and 1 TD.
This was the passing attack we were all promised and something I think could be a solid building block going forward. Leary made some truly tremendous throws and there were no hideous drops. The OL also largely kept Leary clean only giving up one sack against a good Tennessee DL
The decision to take a deep shot on 3rd and 11 that missed and forced a long FG is haunting in hindsight, but this was Leary’s best game as a Wildcat. The dude has received a ton of criticism from local and national media but came out and did his part. He deserves a ton of credit for that.
The negative is the running game was completely non-existent. It needs to be said that Tennessee is one of the best run defenses in the country, but it is hard to win SEC games when you don’t control the line of the scrimmage. 24 carries for just 72 yards as a team isn’t going to cut it.
Defense
On Halloween weekend the Kentucky defense delivered another horror show on defense. Tennessee completely controlled the game as they rushed for 253 yards and that allowed Joe Milton to never get out of his comfort zone. He was an efficient 18/21 for 228 yards and 1 TD (when a Kentucky DB just tripped over his feet and fell).
There were a couple of drives in the 3rd quarter where the Kentucky defense wrestled the Vols into what I would call a stale-mate, but the offense failed to capitalize turning it over on downs and then missing a long FG. Missed tackles in the 4th killed any chance of Kentucky really winning the game.
Brad White seemingly refused to adapt to the game as it was happening in front of him and doubled down on his scheme. He’s a good defensive coach but this was not his best performance. The culmination of this was of course a Kentucky DL not knowing the rules and faking an injury to try and get a clock stoppage to try and ice the Tennessee kicker. Kentucky wasn’t going to win anyway but it was an embarrassing way to go out and this kind of defensive performance is not what Mark Stoops has built the Kentucky identity on.
Special Teams
Wilson Berry was only asked to punt once and it…wasn’t good. It was the first drive in the game and the Kentucky offense goes 3 and out, and really needed a big punt to flip the field on Tennessee. Instead, we got off a 36-yard punt and Tennessee takes over at the 30. That isn’t awful but also not in anyway helpful. Thankfully the offense kept Berry off the field the rest of the night.
The kicking game looms in games with small margins and unfortunately it did in this one too. I’m not going to be upset with Raynor because I think he was let down by the offense. Instead of trying to get Raynor closer on a 3rd and 11 early in the 4th quarter Leary attempted a deep shot to Barion Brown that missed. Raynor was asked to attempt a 53-yard FG that missed. That would have given Kentucky a one-point lead but instead Tennessee drives down the field and scores a TD that essentially ended the game.
To make matters worse Tennessee’s kicker was 4/4 including a truly awful attempt that unluckily doinked in. Peak Kentucky Football.
Final Thoughts
If we were honest, we all knew Kentucky was going to lose this game. Tennessee is our Daddy and there isn’t much we can do about it. A catch that clearly wasn’t a catch gifted Tennessee a cheap FG, a doinked FG, and a panicked decision to go for it on 4th down on the 2nd possession add up to 9 free points for Tennessee and as usual that ended up being the difference.
I do think there was progress offensively, but the defense is now facing some serious questions. There were also some questionable coaching decisions and in typical BBN fashion we’re now in a full on “state of the program” melt-down.
Kentucky will now travel to Starkville; a place where they haven’t won since 2008. Mark Stoops’ job is not in any danger, but he is in serious danger of losing all the momentum and goodwill that he had built over the course of the last 7 seasons. He needs to win this game.
