Kentucky Football is hitting a much-needed bye week that gives the Wildcats a chance to heal up and hopefully have most of the roster ready to play at No. 16 Tennessee in Week 10. That’s the hardest game left on the schedule, especially when you consider the Wildcats haven’t beaten the Volunteers since 2020 and have just three wins in this series since 1985.
So yeah, having close to all hands on deck for this one would be ideal, and one of the biggest Wildcats to monitor is star edge rusher Sam Greene.
After going down with a knee injury in the win at Oklahoma, Greene was ruled out for last week’s matchup against Vanderbilt.
During his Monday radio show, head coach Will Stein said the team is hopeful Greene will be good to go next week vs. Tennessee.
“Sam is getting better every day. We’re expecting him back,” said Stein. “He’s a ball player. He’s such a great guy. He’s one of the captains of our team, so we’re hoping to get him back full-go by this next game.”
According to Pro Football Focus, Greene has registered three sacks and 11 total pressures this season while making 10 stops (tackles causing an offensive failure based on the down and distance). His 75.8 defensive grade is fourth on the team, and he’s tied for the team lead in forced fumbles with two.
Without him against Vanderbilt, Kentucky’s stout pass rush didn’t produce as much pressure as it did with Greene in the lineup. The Wildcats got three sacks, but only 13 total pressures, compared to 28 at Oklahoma and 24 vs. LSU in the previous two weeks.
In fact, since losing to Alabama, Kentucky’s defense racked up at least 23 pressures in every game until Saturday’s win over the Dores.
Without Greene, it’s still a good pass rush, but with him, it could be what ultimately helps this team break through to the playoffs for the first time in program history.
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