Kentucky associate coach Vince Marrow is obviously ready to put that Mississippi State behind him as the Cats prepare to host Tennessee Saturday. (Vicky Graff Photo)
For Kentucky to beat Tennessee a second straight season certainly would put the UK fan base back in a jovial mood after consecutive losses to Georgia and Mississippi State and also keep alive hopes for a 10-win regular season — something Kentucky has not done since 1977.
However, the Vols also know the importance of Saturday night’s game in Lexington and what their fan base expects when they play the Wildcats and senior cornerback Alontae Taylor was brutally honest about that Tuesday.
“One thing I heard when I came in (to play at Tennessee) is that you don’t lose to Kentucky and we didn’t have that happen last year,” Taylor said.
Remember UK won 34-7 in Knoxville last year, the first time in 36 years that Wildcats had won a game at Neyland Stadium, and probably is one big reason the Vols have a new coach this year.
“I was watching a video last night when we had the goal-line stop against Kentucky at Kentucky (in 2019) and it kind of gave me chills. I was like, ‘That’s who we are.’ So this game is personal,” Taylor said.
That 2019 game was one UK could have won but the Vols stopped Lynn Bowden on fourth-and-goal to escape with the win or UK could be going for a third straight win in the series.
That’s why it was sort of personal for Kentucky last year when the Cats had their largest margin of victory over Tennessee since 1935. It was also only Kentucky’s fourth win against Tennessee since 1984.
But now Kentucky has a chance to post wins over Florida, LSU and Tennessee in the same season and beat the Vols in back-to-back years. Despite last week’s loss at Mississippi State, Kentucky is a slight favorite.
14 Responses
Tennessee; they low down they dirty and they some snitches!
You have a way with words Beau
He is right!!!
I would hope so. The level of effort shown in the MSU game was absolutely unacceptable. That was the old UK way. We expect this team to live up to the hype and be ready to play good football this Saturday.
And I don’t give a good screaming crap what some UT receiver with a girl’s name has to say.
Tell ’em Norman
Kentucky win’s the game by 2 touchdowns ppl??? Go Big Blue!!!
Hope you are right Eddie
Alontae may be sorry he ever made that comment. No more "sleep walking" Cats! Get after UT, and send them home losers. They will be in your house come Saturday. If UK can get pressure and contain Hooker they win. They need C-Rod to go for about 150 yards.
I sure hope he woke up the Cats with that insult
i hope they dont let those tennessee women bring there spit bottles into the stadium……..there known to throw them.
Harold Chambers was one of my best friends. He has passed away but I remember what he said to me after I went to U. of Kentucky to play football and he went to U of Tennessee to play football. After two years at U of Tennessee Harold transferred to Western Kentucky to finish his college career. Harold told me that he almost flunked out when he went to Western. I asked why because he was an Honor Student when we went to Danville High School. He said he never opened a book or went to a class while he was at Tennessee and that they scolded him when he inquired about going to classes. So when he transferred to Western he had a very difficult time getting back into academics. Harold was one of the most honest persons I have ever known in my nearly 80 years of life. So I believe him with all my heart. Hopefully Tennessee has stopped this kind of nonsense with their student athletes.
How many UT football coaches saw their career at UT end following a loss to UK? I know it is at least 2, and perhaps 3 or 4. I recall one, Bill Battle, lost to UK and on Monday morning, a moving van, hired by certain UT fans, arrived at his home.
Beating UK is viewed as a right in Knoxville, and Stoops needs to put that to bed.
A victory this week can be a good start to that.
Nothing sucks like a Big Orange.
My earliest days as a UK fan were built around a hatred for anything colored that brand of orange.
I think Stoops has done some really good things for UK football, but beating Tennessee on a regular basis, and in back to back years, could make him a good choice to run for governor of the Commonwealth eventually. They are without a doubt a sorry lot, and this UT team will be trying their best to embarrass this Kentucky football team inside Commonwealth Stadium, infamously now called (Kroger Field). Don’t let that happen Cats!!! Put some "thump" on them!!!
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