Kentucky-tennessee showdown will be decided by the ‘Big Uglies’
You know they say football games are won in the trenches.
Thus, we present to you Kentucky vs. Tennessee, Saturday, 12 p.m., Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, the battle of what the late, great Keith Jackson called the “Big Uglies.”
The Tennessee offensive line is called “The Tennessee Valley Authority.”
The Kentucky offensive line is called “The Big Blue Wall.”
The Tennessee offensive line was ranked No. 2 behind Alabama in SEC Network analyst Cole Cubelic’s SEC offensive line rankings heading into 2020.
Cueblic ranked Kentucky at No. 3 coming into this season, after UK was a semifinalist for the 2019 Joe Moore Award which honors the nation’s best offensive line.
Tennessee’s offensive line helped the Volunteers rebound from a slow start to win their final six games, including a bowl game, in 2019.
Kentucky’s offensive line paved the way for the Wildcats to finish fourth nationally in rushing offense in 2019.
With the offensive line leading the way, Tennessee running back Eric Gray rushed for 246 yards in the Volunteers’ win over Vanderbilt last year.
With the offensive line leading the way, Kentucky quarterback Lynn Bowden rushed for 284 yards in the Wildcats’ win over Louisville last year.
Tennessee returned five starters on its offensive line for 2020 in left tackle Wanya Morris, left guard Trey Smith, center Brandon Kennedy, right guard Jerome Carvin and right tackle Darnell Wright. Plus, the Vols picked up transfer Cade Mays, a transfer from Georgia.
Kentucky returned four starters on its offensive line for 2020 in left tackle Landon Young, center Drake Jackson, guard Luke Fortner and right tackle Darian Kinnard.
Tennessee’s Smith, a 6-foot-6, 300-pound senior from Jackson, Tenn., was a first-team ALL-SEC selection by the league’s coaches in the preseason. College football yearbook guru Phil Steele ranked Smith as the No. 2 NFL Draft-eligible guard heading into 2020.
Kentucky’s Kinnard, a 6-foot-5, 345-pound senior from Knoxville (of all places) and Jackson, a 6-foot-2, 292-pound senior from Versailles, were firstteam ALL-SEC selections by the league’s coaches in the preseason.
Tennessee’s Morris, a 6-5, 320-pound sophomore, was named to the second team.
Kentucky’s Young, a 6-7, 322-pound senior, was named to the second team.
Tennessee rushed for 232 yards in a 3512 win over Missouri the second week of the season.
Kentucky rushed for 408 yards in a 42-41 loss to Ole Miss the second week of the season.
Last Saturday, Tennessee was held to just 57 yards on eight second-half drives in its 44-21 loss at Georgia.
Last Saturday, Kentucky was held to just 157 total yards in its 24-2 win over Mississippi State.
Tennessee Coach Jeremy Pruitt: “We didn’t run the ball very well at all. Didn’t seem to get in rhythm offensively. We created a couple of big throws there. But to win in this league, you have to be able to run the ball.”
Kentucky’s Kinnard: “We didn’t come close to anywhere near our standards that we like to play with considering we have a lot of good players here. We expect greatness every time we’re on the field.”
Tennessee’s Pruitt on Kentucky: “Defensively, they’ve always created issues in our league, the last three or four years. Really good in the red area. A lot of blitzing, varieties of coverages there, so you gotta do a nice job.”
Kentucky Coach Mark Stoops on Tennessee: “A very good team, a team that seems to be more physical each year Jeremy is there and the way they recruit and the way they are coaching. They are getting better at each level.”
Tennessee’s Gray on Saturday’s game: “I still believe our offensive line is one the of the best offensive lines in the country, no matter what, so I think we’ll definitely have some success running the ball.”
Kentucky offensive coordinator Eddie Gran on Saturday’s game: “I promise you our offensive line will be ready for the challenge.”
NEXT GAME Kentucky at No. 18 Tennessee
When: Noon Saturday
TV: SEC Network Records: Kentucky 1-2, Tennessee 2-1
Radio: WLAP-AM 630, WBUL-FM 98.1
Series: Tennessee leads 81-25-9
Last meeting: Tennessee won 17-13 on Nov. 9, 2019, in Lexington.