Kentucky football fell to No. 7 Tennessee at Neyland Stadium by a score of 28-18.
In a contest that was closer than most thought headed into the game, there’s lots to talk about, so here’s three things that stood out in the loss to the Volunteers.
Dylan Sampson – that’s it
Coming into tonight’s game, Tennessee running back Dylan Sampson has proven to be one of the best in the SEC, if not the nation.
Before facing off with the Cats, he piled up at least 110 rushing yards in each of his last three games and seven total touchdowns, a crutch for the Volunteer offense.
Sampson went down in the first quarter after Jamon “Pop” Dumas-Johnson forced him to fumble the ball and did not return for the rest of the half, so backup Peyton Lewis took over his carries, tallying just 24 yards on eight carries and punching in a touchdown from the 1-yard line.
When Sampson returned to the field, the Tennessee offense got an immediate spark, benefiting from seven and 14-yard rushes to put it in scoring range, but the field goal attempt was no good.
Shortly after that, Brock Vandagriff fumbled the ball, setting Tennessee up inside its own 50-yard line.
Sampson then added the Vols’ second touchdown on a 7-yard rush to take their first lead of the night in the middle of the third quarter.
Essentially putting the game on ice, Sampson led the Volunteers into the red zone with a 16-yard run and finished it off a few plays later with a 6-yard touchdown where he simply wouldn’t be denied.
He finished the night with 141 yards rushing on 27 attempts for two scores.
If one thing is clear, when Sampson goes, so do the Tennessee Volunteers.
First quarter offense showed signs of life
After scoring just 43 points in its last three games, it feels safe to say that the Kentucky offense has struggled in recent weeks.
This week, the Bush Hamdan offense looked brand new in the first quarter against the Volunteers, starting with running back Jamarion Wilcox ripping off a 50-yard run on the first play of the game.
Even after stalling out in the red zone on the first drive, the Cats struck first thanks to a 25-yard back-to-the-sideline catch by Dane Key that put them in scoring position.
Vandagriff, who was this week’s starting QB, then connected with Josh Kattus on a 27-yard catch-and-run for the score.
Vandagriff was 8-14 on passing the opening quarter of play for one touchdown and one pick for 107 yards, just 13 yards shy of his final stat line against Auburn.
Each team suffered from a turnover in the first, but neither team capitalized and the Cats were the only ones on the scoreboard after fifteen minutes, giving Kentucky some hope against a top 10 opponent.
The Kentucky offense cannot continue to dry up after quick starts if it’s going to hang in there with the likes of Texas and Louisville to close out the season.
Turnovers kill Kentucky yet again
Despite keeping things close in the first half, the Wildcats fell apart fast and hard in the third quarter.
Coming out of the half, Kentucky held a 10-7 lead over the No. 7 team in the country and even survived a potentially costly turnover after Tennessee kicker Max Gilbert missed his second field goal.
That lead then melted away starting with the fumble by Vandagriff that led to the Sampson touchdown.
On Kentucky’s next possession, Vandagriff took a hard sack that saw him leave the game and not return, sending in back-up Gavin Wimsatt for the Cats’ next drive.
After handing the ball off or keeping it himself for seven plays in a row got Kentucky to the Tennessee 27, his first pass attempt was a 67-yard interception on a target intended for Kattus.
That turnover led to Vol quarterback Nico Iamaleava’s first and only touchdown of the night to Miles Kitselman for a 21-10 Tennessee lead.
Turnovers and offensive red zone struggles have been the common themes amongst Kentucky’s losses whether they’re blow outs or close games.
Unless the Cats can stop shooting themselves in the foot, fans might not see another win against a quality program for the rest of this football season.
