5 Things You Need to Know About the Tennessee Volunteers

It is football time in the Bluegrass once again. The Kentucky Wildcats welcome the rival Tennessee Volunteers to Kroger Field this evening for a 7:00 p.m. kickoff. The ‘Cats will be looking to snap a two game losing streak after back-to-back losses at Georgia and Mississippi State. Nothing would turn the tide around better than a win over the Volunteers.

Tennessee is sitting at 4-4 in Josh Heupel’s first season after back-to-back losses to Ole Miss and Alabama. A date with #1 Georgia looms after the Kentucky games for the Vols as well in what is just a brutal stretch of their schedule. A win in Lexington would give the Volunteers a chance at a .500 record in the Southeastern Conference which would shatter the preseason expectations in Knoxville. However, in this rivalry, nothing is going to come easy. Expect an absolute battle between the blue and the orange under the lights at Kroger Field.

As always, make sure you have read Adam Luckett’s Scouting Report and Freddie Maggard’s take on what Kentucky must do to beat the Vols. Now, let’s dive in to the five things you need to know about the Tennessee Volunteers.

Quarterback Hendon Hooker Leading the Way

It only took two weeks for the Volunteers to switch quarterbacks from Joe Milton to Virginia Tech transfer Hendon Hooker. The move sparked a drastic improvement in the offense as Tennessee is now near the top of the SEC in scoring.

Hooker brings explosiveness to the table both through the air and on the ground. Averaging over nine yards per passing attempt, the redshirt senior has thrown for an impressive 17 touchdowns against just a pair of interceptions. Hooker also finds success with his legs gaining 417 yards with four touchdowns. The quarterback leads the team in rushing attempts while placing second in yards and touchdowns. Limiting the explosive plays will be a key to victory for the Wildcats in this one.

Running Back by Committee

We’ve already touched on how Hendon Hooker factors into the Volunteers rushing attack. However, there are also several running backs that will see action under the lights. Junior tailback Tiyon Evans has rushed for 516 yards in just six games and has found pay dirt six times. Evans averages an impressive 6.5 yards per carry.

Sophomore Jabari Small and redshirt freshman Len’Neth Whitehead (if healthy) will each see carries. Small has three touchdowns and 332 yards while Whitehead is a constant big play threat averaging 5.7 yards per attempt. Kentucky must slow the run game, which includes Hooker, in order to get their defense off of the field against the Vols.

Explosive Options out Wide

The Tennessee Volunteers two top receivers, Velus Jones Jr. and Cedric Tillman each average just a tick under 15 yards per reception. However, it is JaVonta Payton who Hooker targets when he is really ready to blow the roof off of the defense.

Jones Jr. is a sixth-year senior that leads the Vols with 31 catches and 453 yards to go along with four touchdowns. Tillman, a redshirt junior, has reeled in ten receptions of over 15 yards making him one of the top explosive threats in the SEC. Also, as mentioned, JaVonta Payton is getting a ridiculous 23.92 yards per catch. He may just have 12 receptions, but five of those have gone for touchdowns including four scores from 25+ yards out. Be mindful of the deep ball against the Volunteers.

Havoc in the Backfield

70 tackles for loss speaks for itself. Despite being 11th in the SEC in sack rate, the Tennessee Volunteers are the best in the nation at collecting tackles for loss. Multiple looks up front keeps opposing offensive lines on their toes and has allowed the Vols to get teams behind the chains. However, as with any aggressive defense, it also opens them up to allowing big plays on the ground.

Jeremy Banks at linebacker leads the group nine tackles for loss including 4.5 sacks. Super senior nickel Theo Jackson and star defensive tackle Matthew Butler each have contributed 6.5 tackles for loss a piece. Those are the primary havoc creators. Kentucky must get back to their successful ways on the ground against Tennessee. Staying ahead of the chains and limiting the negative plays will be critical.

Strength in the Secondary

This will be an important bounce back opportunity for Will Levis the Volunteers feature a stout secondary that has created some turnovers. The veteran unit is led by cornerback Alontae Taylor with six combined interceptions/pass breakups. On the outside at cornerback, Jaylen McCullough also has six combined interceptions/pass breakups while nickel Theo Jackson has broken up a team-leading seven passes.

The backline of the Vols defense is ready to create takeaways at all times. They also come up and help to create the backfield havoc that has Tennessee atop the nation in tackles for loss. The secondary can do a little bit of everything. We will find out tonight if Levis and company are ready to take down their rival.