“Overall, probably as a unit, it was one of our better days putting everybody together”. It’s the what-might-have-been yardstick.
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“Winning on the field, winning off the field, winning in the community and first and foremost graduating with a degree, that’s what it’s all about”, added Jones. The Vols collected their first win in the series past year, pulling out a 19-8 victory in Columbia on the season’s penultimate weekend. It’s tough, if you’re a United Kingdom fan, not to be disappointed at the opportunity lost.
600 Games at Neyland Stadium for Tennessee when the Volunteers take the field on Saturday.
A step forward for this program? Yes.
Despite failing to meet lofty expectations, this Tennessee team is loaded with talent on both sides of the ball. The Wildcats did more damage than that. Stephen Johnson went 12 of 29 for 192 yards with an interception, and he was sacked four times.
Meanwhile Tennessee’s offense saw another lineman go down as Dylan Wiesman left the game in the first half, but the Vols shifted Coleman Thomas back to center after he got his first start at right guard, and Jack in-case-of-emergency Jones slid back in at RG.
After defeating Kentucky on Saturday, the University of Tennessee Volunteers are preparing to go against the University of Missouri. UK’s single-game SEC rushing record had stood since 1953. “Nobody’s happy. We have to learn with every opportunity, in our preparation, in big games, in big moments, in tough environments against very good teams, you have to get better each and every day and our team has to bounce back”.
Paced by the backfield, Kentucky outgunned the Volunteers 635-599 but struggled in the red zone. Coach Mark Stoops has been hiding some weaknesses schematically over the past month, able to tweak his defense against offenses more geared toward the run game.
While the defense was stifling the Wildcats until Kemp’s 71-yard TD gallop early in the fourth quarter, the Vols were working efficiently with their offense. “We have to finish in the red zone and score touchdowns and not field goals especially when you are on the road”. “Their dual-threat quarterback put a lot of pressure on us”.
Dobbs hit Malone on an 18-yard gainer and connected with Tyler Byrd on a 44-yard strike, moving the Vols to Kentucky’s 13. The senior evaded a couple of defenders before darting down the right sideline for a 35-yard gain to the 1-yard line. Stoops asked after the game. Hurts is the first Alabama player to have 300 yards passing and 100 yards rushing in the same game.
With the running back tandem of Alvin Kamara (128 rushing yards) and John Kelly (94 rushing yards) healthy and hauling their share of the load as well, the Vols offense was unstoppable. Eventually, Tennessee is going to have to put its money where its mouth is.
“We don’t ever look up at the scoreboard, ” Jones said. The two teams combined for 1,204 total yards, including 789 on the ground, the most combined rushing yards in a Tennessee game this season. Dobbs rushed for 147 yards, threw for 223 more and accounted for five touchdowns. Benny Snell carried 15 times for 79 yards.
“Our kids played physical and played hard”, Kentucky offensive coordinator Eddie Gran said. Five Kentucky players rushed for over 70 yards against Tennessee on Saturday afternoon. It’s the first time that’s happened since Sonny Collins and Mike Fanuzzi did it in 1974. Running back Stanley “Boom” Williams then pounded the ball in from 10 yards out. United Kingdom has never had a duo do that.
Dobbs, Kamara and Kelly combined to rush for 369 yards against Kentucky and almost gave Tennessee three 100-yard rushers in the same game for the first time since 1991 when James Stewart (145), Aaron Hayden (115) and Mose Phillips (107) did it for the Vols against Vanderbilt. Sonny Collins, Rafael Little, and Moe Williams are the others.
Kentucky’s rushing attack is no joke.
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And win is something the need to do, because all the fancy speeches and great recruiting will only get Jones so far in the SEC. The Wildcats’ only other league victory on the road since the start of the 2010 season is a 26-22 win at SC last season.
