LEXINGTON, Ky. — Tennessee football played poor situational and complimentary football throughout the first seven weeks of the 2023 season— particularly in road losses at Florida and Alabama.
But with its lead and season teetering in the fourth quarter at Kroger Field, Tennessee consistently executed on both sides of the field to earn a 33-27 victory over its divisional foe.
“Didn’t play perfect,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said. “A lot of things we can do better, but they played hard. We were physical and we talked about having to win the fourth quarter. Felt like we won the fourth quarter tonight.”
Much like a week ago at Alabama, Tennessee played poorly in the third quarter. After scoring on every possession in the first half, the Vols scored just three points on three third quarter drives.
Tennessee punted the ball back to Kentucky on the fourth quarter’s opening play and the Wildcats’ offense immediately moved the ball across midfield as it did all day. But the Vols’ defense bowed up and forced a 53-yard Alex Raynor field goal.
The kick would have given Kentucky its first lead of the season. Instead it drifted wide left. An Aaron Beasley personal foul after the play backed Tennessee’s offense up. It was the last critical mistake the Vols made all night.
After the poor third quarter, Tennessee’s offense responded with a massive 13-play, 80 yard touchdown drive. After struggling to finish drives all game, Milton found Dylan Sampson to move the sticks on third-and-10. Sampson strolled into the end zone from 12 yards out on the ensuing play and the Vols had some much needed breathing room.
Sampson proved critical on that drive, as he would on the ensuing drive on a night he totaled 115 all purpose yards.
“D-Samp was really special tonight,” Heupel said.
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Kentucky’s ensuing drive went how many of its drives went all night. The Wildcats quickly got into the red zone but for the second time in five red zone trips, Tennessee held Kentucky to a field goal.
That gave Tennessee the ball back with just over four minutes left. A field goal would essentially ice the game. On a night where the Vols’ running game bounced back in a big way, nothing was more impressive than what they did on the final drive.
Mark Stoops, Josh Heupel, myself and all 61,000 fans at Kroger Field knew Tennessee was going to run the ball. That didn’t matter. Joe Milton III threw one pass— a screen that Sampson magically turned into a conversion.
Four plays later, Milton converted third-and-seven with his legs on a designed run, but what was most impressive was how Milton slid in bounds after reaching the yard to gain. It kept the clock moving and all but put Kentucky away.
For an offense that has struggled situationally this season and for a quarterback whose awareness has been poor, it was a high IQ play which capped off the best four minute drive of Heupel’s tenure.
“We got hats on hats for the most part and when it got to the third level, running backs made plays,” Heupel said of the drive. “They ran through people and made them miss and went forward. … That’s what you want to do offensively when you get into four minute mode. We did a great job in the box. Oline, tight end, running backs and quarterbacks were a part of that too, controlling the edge defender. Really proud of the opportunity we got to finish the game with it.”
The margins are always small in college football and are even more so this season with smaller gaps from the top to middle of the conference. In both its losses and in its win over Texas A&M, the Vols didn’t play smart or complimentary football.
Tennessee improved to 6-2 (3-2 SEC) and earned its first road win of the season by doing just that in the Bluegrass State.
