LEXINGTON, Ky. – The statistics were what they were.
In Tennessee’s 45-42 topping of Kentucky on Saturday night at Kroger Field, the Volunteers yielded 612 yards on 99 plays as the Wildcats converted 12 of 17 third-down opportunities and gobbled up 46 minutes and eight seconds of possession time. The Vols now rank 126th among the 130 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in third-down defense, allowing a 48.4% success rate, and are dead last in possession time, with their defense on the field for 35:57 per game.
Finding positives other than Alontae Taylor’s 56-yard interception return for a touchdown midway through the third quarter might seem futile, but the fourth quarter did provide a few.
Tennessee recorded all three of its lost-yardage stops in the final 15 minutes, and Kentucky’s final four plays were Will Levis incomplete passes. The Wildcats also lost the ball on downs twice during the final quarter, which had Vols first-year coach Josh Heupel praising the perseverance of his defenders.
“They have a competitive nature and a competitive composure, too,” Heupel said. “Whether something positive or negative happened on the previous drive, they have the ability to come back over and reset. It’s something we talk about and we try to train, but for them to do it in this moment against a really good football team on the road speaks to who they are and what they are becoming as a unit.