Hendon Hooker has thrown 18 touchdown passes and just one interception this season. (Tennessee Athletics Photo)
Two of the nation’s best quarterbacks will be showcased nationally Saturday night when No. 3 Tennessee hosts No. 19 Kentucky.
The Vols are led by Virginia Tech transfer Hendon Hooker, who ranks fifth nationally in total offense per game (334 yards) and has 18 touchdown passes with just ONE interception. He led the Vols to a win over Alabama and is second in the Heisman Trophy race based on the Las Vegas odds.
Kentucky is led by Penn State transfer Will Levis who is the No. 7 overall draft prospect by ESPN and ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper still says he could be the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. However, his numbers don’t match Hooker because he’s had various injuries and did not play in UK’s loss to South Carolina.
Levis has completed 69 percent of his passes for 1,635 yards and 13 touchdowns with five interceptions in six games despite UK’s offensive line issues this year. Kentucky’s pro-style offense and more methodical pace does not produce the big numbers that Tennessee’s offense allows Hooker to do.
Levis and Hooker became friends at the Manning Passing Academy last summer.
“He’s a great person,” Levis said about Hooker Tuesday. “You can see why his guys rally around him. He’s a great leader. Most importantly, he’s a dang-good quarterback.”
“He throws an accurate ball. He makes all the throws, he can beat you with his feet. It’s been great to go out there and see him kill it this year. It was great to meet him.”
First-year UK offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello, a five-year NFL coaching veteran, believes the systems Levis has been part of the last two years will help him at draft time.
“Knowing the guys who I’ve talked to and knowing the why and having done every draft for the past five years, I know how it works and I know it’s hard for people to evaluate spread quarterbacks in college in the NFL. There’s a learning curve of things that’s too long to list for a guy that does make it harder for those guys,” the UK offensive coordinator said Tuesday.
“Not to say they haven’t (succeeded). (Kansas City quarterback) Patrick Mahomes is great, a generational player, but he also sat for a year and it was helpful. That’s the difference.”
“Will will be ready-made day one. He’ll walk in and he’ll own it. He can call a play and visualize it. He knows protections, he knows the run game, he knows coverages, he knows fronts, he knows it all. In the big picture it’s why he will be one of the first guys picked.”
However, Kentucky coach Mark Stoops is a big Hooker fan and says Tennessee’s offense is so potent because of the way he runs Heupel’s system.
“I think he makes really fast decisions,’ Stoops said. “If there’s one thing, we all know he’s accurate because of his completion percentage, but I think it’s impressive how accurate he is on deep throws.”
Tennessee is a 12 1/2 point favorite in Saturday night’s game in Knoxville.
8 Responses
I think the Cats have a better shot than most people. It should be a great game.
I am with you Jim
Blue is beautiful, orange is ugly.
Cats by thirty, that would be lovely.
🌹 s are red violets are blue. Oranges are sour and black is too!
you have a way with words Shinny
love your thinking Bordercollie
I think KY does what it always does offensively: eat up clock and score occasionally.. It will be up to the defense to keep the game close enough to win late.
If UK can pressure Hooker, and also contain him, they have a shot. If they don’t, it will be a long night. UK’s defense is the key, and then success with their ground game in rushing the football, pounding the ball for 3 or four yards or more a carry, setting up 3rd and short, with the occasional long run, and potential score from C-Rod. UK can’t be timid in running their offense. Levis has to find his targets quick, and get the ball out. He can’t take sacks, so throw it a way! I say run power at them a lot for most of the night and try to keep the UT offense off the field with sustained drives. This will be UK’s toughest game in 2022. They need this win to motor on toward a special season. Go Cats!!!!