Ground game helps Tennessee top Cats
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Tennessee’s deep and talented running back trio of Jaylen Wright, Jabari Small and Dylan Sampson helped the No. 21 Volunteers overcome a rough night defensively during a 33-27 outlasting of Kentucky on Saturday at Kroger Field.
Wright led the Vols with 11 carries for 120 yards and a touchdown, but it was Sampson who added 17 rushes for 76 yards and scored from 12 yards out with 7:30 remaining for a 33-24 lead. Sampson then added a 24-yard gain as Tennessee was able to run out the clock and get back into the victory column after last weekend’s 34-20 loss at Alabama.
“We had to finish, and I feel like this is a big step in getting where we need to go,” Sampson said. “We’ve got a lot of
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› Visit timesfreepress.com for a column by Stephen Hargis on Saturday’s Vols win.
things we need to accomplish, but this was a big win for us as a team.”
The Vols improved to 6-2 overall and to 3-2 in Southeastern Conference play, attaining bowl eligibility for a third time in as many seasons under coach Josh Heupel, while Kentucky fell to 5-3 and 2-3 with its third consecutive setback.
Tennessee continued its series mastery of the Wildcats, winning for the 36th time in the last 39 meetings, and the Vols improved to 8-0 under Heupel in games immediately following rivalry contests against Alabama, Florida and Georgia. Saturday’s triumph was also
Tennessee’s first in a true road game this season, having suffered double-digit defeats at Florida and at Alabama.
“I’m proud of the fight and the competitive nature of this football team,” Heupel said. “They played for four quarters. They didn’t play perfect, and there are a lot of things we can do better in every phase, but they played hard.
“We were physical, and we talked about having to win the fourth quarter. I felt like we won the fourth quarter tonight.”
Wright, Sampson and Small combined on 37 carries for 228 yards and two touchdowns, with Wright surpassing 100 rushing yards for the fifth time this season. Quarterback Joe Milton III complemented the ground assault by completing 17 of 20 passes for 227 yards