Though the seasons feels as if it began just yesterday, there are only three games remaining on the Kentucky Wildcats’ 2018 regular season slate. The first of the three will kick-off this Saturday, as Kentucky travels south to battle the Tennessee Volunteers. The game serves as Kentucky’s most significant remaining threat to a potential 10-2 season, as well as their final SEC outing of the year.
Winning out for the Wildcats would due them the justice of a popular bowl game, as well their best season in 31 years. The clock has to be dialed all the way back to 1977 when referencing a 10-win Kentucky football season.
Adding in a bowl win would increase that number to 11, which would tie the program’s record for most wins in a season and was last achieved in 1950 when the legendary Bear Bryant was marching the sidelines in Lexington, KY.
While achieving these goals would be something spectacular, Kentucky must handle their business first. Though the Volunteers are 4-5 (fifth in the SEC East), they do boast a road win at 21st-ranked Auburn. Other than that one outing, Tennessee has lost by an average of 23 points in SEC play.
Kentucky, despite their blowout loss to the Georgia Bulldogs last Saturday, has a 5-2 in-conference record with their only other loss coming in overtime at Texas A&M. The Wildcats have won their other five SEC games by an average of 10.8 points.
Quarterback Terry Wilson is playing his best football of the season, passing for 267 and 226 yards in his previous two games. He had failed to throw more than 165 yards before then. While Benny Snell’s numbers have taken a dent as Wilson’s numbers have increased, the All-SEC running back has a favorable matchup on Saturday against the 66th-ranked rushing defense.
Giving up 34 points was foreign territory for the Kentucky defense, a unit of which had not given up more than 20 all season. Though road games are always a challenge in the SEC, expect the veteran group to relocate their groove against the country’s 119th-ranked offense.
The Wildcats are road-favorite in a SEC game for just the ninth time over the past decade. With their record as 7-1 in the first eight games, expect that trend to continue on Saturday.
Kick-off is set for 3:30 P.M. EDT on SEC Network.