Kentucky vs Tennessee Preview: 4 Bold Predictions for Kentucky Wildcats vs Tennessee Volunteers

The Kentucky Wildcats vs Tennessee Volunteers is one of the more underrated rivalries in college football, in part because it’s been largely one-sided since it began in 1893. While the Volunteers have won 17 of the last 20 head-to-head matchups, this one feels a bit different with Kentucky (7-1) coming to Knoxville as the eighth-ranked team in the nation whereas Tennessee (6-2) is simply trying to stay in the College Football Playoff conversation.

Let’s dive into our bold predictions for Kentucky vs Tennessee at Neyland Stadium.

Kentucky’s RBs Held Under 100 Rushing Yards

Volunteers defensive tackle Xavier Gilliam has wreaked absolute havoc on the interior throughout the season. The box score (11.5 tackles for loss and 6 sacks) is impressive in itself from the 6-foot-2 and 301-pound lineman, but it’s often the things he does that don’t appear in that stat sheet that stand out. He’s going to be a problem for Kentucky, particularly guard Olaus Alinen and center Coleton Price. The Wildcats come into this one ranked 57th in rushing offense (161.6 rush ypg) and 42nd in yards-per-carry average (4.6), with those numbers even worse against SEC opponents. Gilliam is going to cause major problems and be the biggest reason why Tennessee holds Jason Patterson, CJ Baxter and Jovantae Barnes under 100 combined rushing yards.

George MacIntyre is Sacked Twice, Turns the Football Over

Josh Heupel hasn’t announced anything yet, but we’re going to assume that George MacIntyre will be the Volunteers’ starting quarterback in Week 9. While he is 3-1 this season, including the game where he came off the bench in the second-half comeback against Auburn, he’s also shown some real signs for concern. MacIntyre threw 3 interceptions total against Arkansas and Alabama, he averaged just 6.1 yards per pass attempt in his last two starts and two critical mistakes in the fourth quarter against South Carolina played big roles in the loss. There are more than enough reasons for Tennessee fans to be concerned, especially against a Wildcats defense that boasts an 8.94 percent sack rate in its last three games and ranks third nationally in takeaways per game (2.4). Heupel will probably limit how many times MacIntyre drops back to throw in this one, but we expect the second-year quarterback to take multiple sacks and either lose a fumble or throw an interception.

DeSean Bishop Puts Up 90+ Rush Yards, Averages Under 4 Yards per Carry

Through eight games this season, the Volunteers offense has run the football on 60.52 percent of their plays. Kentucky’s defense has had modest success against the run, allowing 6.7 rushing first downs (31st) per game, 121 rushing yards per game (31st) and 3.7 yards per carry (39th). There’s another factor the Wildcats have going for them. While Alabama’s Daniel Hill (104 yards and 5.8 yards per carry) torched them back on Sept. 12, it’s mostly been quarterbacks–Sam Leavitt (39 yards and 1 touchdown), LaNorris Sellers (147 yards and 8.6 ypc) and Marcel Reed (80 yards and 1 touchdown)–that have done most of the damage. MacIntyre poses no real threat with his legs, so it’s all about stopping DeSean Bishop. Given Kentucky’s track record, we think the All-SEC running back is held under 4.0 yards per carry for the third time (Texas and South Carolina) this season. He should, however, receive a big workload.

Faizon Brandon Comes Off The Bench, Leads Tennessee Volunteers to a Win

The Volunteers defense is one of the best in the nation and should do an excellent job keeping Will Stein’s offense in check. With that said, Tennessee’s offense has been far too up-and-down this season and even the change at quarterback hasn’t really helped out the passing game too much. With Kentucky excellent at shutting down running backs but having issues with dual-threat passers, we think Heupel will be forced to make a change in the second half. With MacIntyre having already turned the football over and struggling to keep the passing game in rhythm, Tennessee gives Faizon Brandon another shot. The true freshman’s athleticism and size (6-foot-4) will be a wrinkle that the Wildcats hadn’t prepared for and it will re-ignite the Volunteers offense. Brandon delivers the win over Tennessee’s rival and a new quarterback controversy begins.