KNOXVILLE - The Tennessee football team jumped out to a 24-point lead and cruised to a 24-7 win over 12th-ranked Kentucky on Saturday at Neyland Stadium.
The Volunteers (5-5, 2-4 Southeastern Conference) close the regular season with next week's home game against Missouri and a Nov. 24 trip to Vanderbilt, and a win in either would clinch bowl eligibility.
A week after facing Georgia with the SEC East title on the line, Kentucky (7-3, 5-3) struggled mightily in its quest for its first win at Neyland since 1984.
Here are five takeaways from the Vols' biggest win of the season:
1. Who's who: It seemed from the start that Tennessee, which has dominated this series, was the ranked team and the Wildcats were the underdogs, although the roles were reversed coming in. The Vols took control with a Brent Cimaglia field goal on their second possession, and they used aggressive play calls to keep Kentucky's defense off balance the entire game.
2. Solid rushing attack: A week after their worst rushing performance of the season, the Vols responded with their best ground showing against a Power Five conference opponent this season. Tennessee finished with 215 rushing yards, with Ty Chandler and Tim Jordan combining for 152.
3. Offensive line: The much-maligned Vols' front five controlled the line of scrimmage, with the Vols racking up 412 yards of total offense and creating holes for their backs. Quarterback Jarrett Guarantano was only sacked once, in the first half, and the rest of the game he had time to make any and all of the throws, which helped jump-start the offense.
4. Defensive dominance: Kentucky was held to 262 offensive yards, its second-fewest in a game this season. Darrell Taylor had four of the Vols' five sacks, and once Tennessee took control of the game, the defense was able to pin its ears back and attack, which helped limit SEC season rushing leader Benny Snell Jr. to 81 yards on the ground.
5. Marquee win - at home: It's been a while since the Vols were able to gain a marquee win on their own turf. Their October victory over a 21st-ranked Auburn team was in Alabama, so when they had the chance to celebrate Saturday evening, Vols fans didn't leave the stadium, cherishing the moment. The Vols are not in a bowl yet, but they're a lot closer to attaining that goal and now have the momentum of back-to-back wins, with one a quality victory over a Top 25 team that was in the top 10 of the College Football Playoff rankings two weeks ago.
For more coverage, check back later and read Sunday's Times Free Press.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3.