Coach Doug Mathews
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The Kentucky Wildcats come to Neyland Saturday as Tennessee ends the regular season with a three game SEC east schedule that effectively includes three home games……Kentucky and Missouri in Knoxville and Vanderbilt in Nashville. Tennessee is now 1-3 in conference play, 4-5 overall after a 14-3 win over Charlotte last Saturday. A lot to play for in Coach Pruitt’s first season as this season ends. Three teams that are all better than normal against a Tennessee team that is limited in many areas. A sweep of all three gives the Vols a 5-3 mark in SEC play…..a big first year. Two of three puts the Vols in a bowl game and a 4-4 conference mark…..a marked improvement from last year. One win equals improvement and a 0 for 3…..
So let’s look at the Cats. 7 and 2 and the probability of a CFP bowl if they can win their last three games. You can bet Coach Stoops will use the fact that a Kentucky team has not won in Knoxville in 34 years as added motivation if any is needed. There is a reason why they have not won for that long……Tennessee has been significantly better in many of those years. That is not the case this year…..Ky is more talented on both sides of the ball and playing at a much higher level than we are right now. They have a large number of seniors including 9 defensive starters. In past years we could count on a Kentucky defense that was average at best….that is not the case this year. This Cat defense is tough to run on and tough to score on……not exactly what we need to see. They can be had however in the passing game and I expect this is the area Tennessee will attack. To do this our offensive staff will need to find some way to cobble together some combination of offensive linemen that can protect #2 long enough to get some throws off down field.
This is a boring explanation of what this team will need to win and you have heard me say this most every game this year. The fact is this is about the only way this 2018 team can stay in any game and give themselves a chance to win: very low turnover….we have done this in every game since Florida, excellent punting and coverage….Doyle is kicking well and we are covering well.
Defensively expect a game plan much like the last few games. Keeping their QB Wilson in the pocket is key….when he gets outside the pocket he will usually run. While in the pocket he is an average passer and the advantage goes to the Vols. Snell is a dangerous runner and teams that have beaten Ky. stop him before he gets rolling. This CJP defense is not big on run blitz but I expect several on downs that Kentucky has shown they will run. WE have played solid defense for the most part the last few games and if we continue that trend we will have a chance in the fourth quarter.
Let’s “Talk” next week….