Big Blue Preview: Kentucky at Tennessee
Info to Know
| Kentucky at Tennessee | When: Sat., Nov. 7, 6:15 p.m. ET | Where: Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, Tenn. | TV: ESPN | Radio: UK Sports Network |
Preview
After a week off, No. 6 Kentucky returns to action on Saturday, visiting 13th-ranked Tennessee in a Southeastern Conference showdown.
Kentucky (7-1, 5-1 SEC) beat Vanderbilt 34-17 two weekends ago. The win was the sixth in a row for the Cats since losing to Alabama in week two of the season. Three different Cats (Kenny Minchey, Willie Rodriguez and Brennen Ward) each had a rushing touchdown in the win.
Tennessee (6-2, 3-2) also had last weekend off after falling to South Carolina two weekends ago. The loss snapped a three-game winning streak that included an impressive 26-10 win over Alabama.
This will be the 122nd meeting between the schools all time.
Cat Scratches: Cats Focused on Present, Not Looking Ahead
After a weekend off, No. 8 Kentucky will be back in action on Saturday, visiting No. 16 Tennessee in a Southeastern Conference showdown.
Kentucky is 7-1 on the season and will be among the Top 10 teams in the first College Football Playoff rankings that will be announced on Tuesday night. UK head coach Will Stein understands where his team is currently, but he also knows that the Cats don’t need to be focused on the rankings.
“We haven’t talked about that, not that we shy away from the reality of where we are in terms of our conference rank and our conference record,” Stein said. “If you don’t handle your business this week, then nothing really matters.”
Saturday’s game against a long-time rival is obviously important, but Stein and his team are treating it the same way they have treated all of the games this season…Read More
Kentucky-Tennessee Series
The Series
• Tennessee leads the all-time series with Kentucky, 86-26-9.
• Tennessee also leads in Knoxville, 45-11-6.
• UT has a five-game winning streak in the series.
• The last time UK defeated UT was a 34-7 triumph on the road against the 18th-ranked Volunteers in 2020.
• Tennessee has won 19 of the past 20 meetings in Knoxville since 1984.
Connections
• Three Kentucky players are from the state of Tennessee including: running back Martels Carter Jr. (Chattanooga), quarterback Kenny Minchey (Hendersonville) and defensive lineman Kalen Edwards (Dyersburg).
• UK offensive lineman Lance Heard played the 2024 and 25 seasons for the Volunteers.
• UK defensive lineman Tyler Thomas’s identical twin brother, Trent, is a tight end at Tennessee. Tyler is older by one minute.
By the Numbers
1
Will Stein is the first coach in Kentucky history to begin 5-1 in SEC play in his first season
4
Wins against no losses in October, the first time Kentucky has done that since 1977
6
Kentucky’s ranking in the first College Football Playoff poll of the season
12
Interceptions for Kentucky, tied with Alabama for the most in the SEC
33
Passing yards needed for Kenny Minchey to reach 2,000 career passing yards
