Kentucky football’s SEC home losing streak has now extended past 750 days, more than two years, following an overtime defeat to the Texas Longhorns. While Stoops’ seat continues to get hotter and more uncertainty permeates the program, the Tennessee Volunteers come to Lexington.
It is well known that Kentucky has beaten Tennessee just three times since 1984, and trails the all-time series 26-85. This Saturday, the odds don’t seem much better.
Led by fifth-year head coach Josh Heupel, the Volunteers
bring one of the most explosive offenses in the country, tied with Oregon (cough…Will Stein) for second in scoring offense with 44.1 points per game.
Can the Wildcats refocus after such a deflating loss? Can they maintain their offensive momentum?
Let’s take a look at the matchup.
Slow Down Vols’ Pass Rush
Tennessee’s secondary is not only the worst in the SEC, but among the worst in the country, allowing more than 250 passing yards per game. What they lack in their defensive backfield, they try to make up for with their defensive front and by getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
With 26 total sacks, the Volunteers are tied for the third-most in the country. It is not just one player; it is a balanced attack, with four players having three or more sacks on the season. The analytics provide even more evidence with a 9.6% sack rate and a 3.04-second average time to pressure, both among the top 10 nationally.
A lot of money was spent on this Kentucky offensive line, which is graded outside the top 10 in the SEC thus far. This will be one of their biggest challenges of the season, and they must meet.
Offensive Efficiency
Kentucky went for 395 total yards last week against Texas, their most in an SEC game since October 2023 against, coincidentally, Tennessee. Can they carry that momentum into this week?
Cutter Boley, who is coming off back-to-back 225-yard-plus passing games, is looking more comfortable and confident with each game. With a weak Tennessee pass offense, a lot is going to ride on his arm. However, Boley’s biggest flaw is his decision-making under pressure, as one NFL scout told us last week, he gets “flustered.‘
The Tennessee defensive line is going to get to him, but can he maintain his composure and make plays?
Injury Bug
Following a physical game against Texas, Kentucky’s injury situation is far from ideal, with 14 players on the initial injury report, including five starters, two key offensive weapons, Seth McGowan (questionable) and Willie Rodriguez (probable).
On the other side, Tennessee has just seven players with injuries. Linebacker Arion Carter, the team’s leading tackler, and No. 2 tight end Ethan Davis are both listed as questionable, while starting cornerbacks Jermod McCoy and Rickey Gibson III are out.
Having stayed healthy for much of the season, the benefit of having two early bye weeks, this is a bad stretch of games to be dealing with injuries, starting with Tennessee. Having injuries to key players does not bode well for Kentucky’s chances.
Key Players
Chris Brazzell II, WR
- 602 receiving yards (14th nationally, 2nd in SEC)
- 7 TDs (T-6th nationally, Leads SEC)
Joey Aguilar, QB
- 1,948 yards (T-9th nationally, Leads SEC)
- 64.6% completion percentage
- 15 TDs (T-18th nationally, T-2nd in SEC)
Kentucky Wildcats vs. Tennessee Volunteers
- Game Time: 7:45 PM EST on October 25th, 2025
- Location: Kroger Field in Lexington, KY
- TV Channel: ESPN will have the coverage for this game.
- Announcers: Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers, and Cole Cubelic will call the action.
- Online Stream: ESPN+ and the ESPN app.
- Radio: Tom Leach and Jeff Piecoro have the UK radio call on the UK Sports Network.
- Satellite Radio: XM Channel 203, Sirius Channel 98, Internet Channel 966
- Replay: ESPN+ and SEC Network (check local listings).
- Rosters: UK | UT
- Stats To Know: UK | UT
- Advanced Stats
- Weather.com Forecast: 54 degrees and cloudy with no chance of rain.
- Odds: FanDuel Sportsbook has Kentucky as a 9.5-point underdog with an over/under of 53.5 points. ESPN gives the Wildcats just a 24.9% chance of victory.
- Predictions: TeamRankings has Tennessee winning by two scores, 31-24. Sportsbook Wire has the Volunteers by a touchdown and a two-point conversion, 34-26. DRatings.com picks Tennessee with the largest margin of victory, 31-20. I believe this is a bad matchup for Kentucky. They don’t have the firepower to keep up with the Tennessee offense, and they will fall 31-17.
