Postgame Notes: #21/20 Tennessee 33, Kentucky 27

TENNESSEE FOOTBALL POSTGAME NOTES
Oct. 28, 2023 | Lexington, Ky. | Kroger Field
FINAL SCORE: No. 21/20 Tennessee 33, Kentucky 27

General Notes

Saturday's attendance at Kroger Field: 61,665
- The Vols have played in front of a sellout crowd in every game this season.
Tennessee's all-time on-field record improved to 873-412-53 with Saturday's win (NCAA record: 862-412-53).
Saturday marked the 119th meeting between Tennessee and Kentucky and the 58th matchup in Lexington.
- Tennessee leads the all-time series on the field, 84-26-9, with a 40-15-3 on-field record in Lexington.
- The Vols have played (119 times) and beaten (84 times on field) Kentucky more than any other opponent.
- The Vols' 84 on-field victories / 83 NCAA wins over the Wildcats rank as the fifth-most victories for one side in a head-to-head matchup in the FBS.
- The two teams have played every season since 1944.
- Tennessee has won 19 of 21 games in Lexington, including three straight on the field.
- Saturday's matchup kicked off at 7:05 p.m. ET and was the sixth straight time the two teams have faced off at night in Lexington, a streak that dates to 2013.
- Josh Heupel is 3-0 against Kentucky in his tenure as head coach, and the Vols are averaging 40.7 points per game during that span.
Tennessee secured bowl eligibility with Saturday's victory, improving to 6-2 (3-2 SEC) on the season. The Vols have earned three consecutive bowl berths for the first time since 2014-16.
- Josh Heupel is the third head coach in Tennessee history to lead the Vols to bowl berths in each of his first three seasons at the helm, joining Phillip Fulmer (1993-95) and Bill Battle (1970-72) in accomplishing the feat.
The Vols have reached the six-win mark in the month of October in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1998-99. Last season, the Vols were 8-0 after the completion of October.
Josh Heupel owns an 12-2 record following a loss in the same season, including a 7-1 mark at Tennessee. UT has responded with wins the following week after a loss six straight times under Heupel, with four of those victories coming on the road.
- Heupel is 3-0 after the Alabama game, scoring at least 30 points in all three games.

Vol Captains/Coin Toss

Tennessee's team captains for Saturday's game: C Cooper Mays, DB Jaylen McCollough, LS Matthew Salansky, DT Omari Thomas
Tennessee won the toss, elected to defer to the second half. Kentucky received the opening kickoff.

First Time Starters

WR Dont'e Thornton Jr. made his first start as a Vol and sixth of his career in Saturday's game at Kentucky.
- Nine players have made their first career Tennessee starts this season, including five on offense and four on defense.

Team Offensive Notes

Josh Heupel-led teams have scored 30 or more points in 59 games (33 at UCF, 26 at Tennessee) and own a 51-8 record when doing so.
The Vols rushed for 254 yards in Saturday's contest, their most against an SEC opponent this season and third time cracking the 250-yard mark as a team in 2023.
- It was the most rushing yards allowed by Kentucky in any game this season. The Wildcats entered Saturday ranking second in the SEC and 12th nationally in rushing defense (95.7).
Tennessee led Kentucky 10-0 after the first quarter of Saturday night's game. Under Heupel, the Vols have outscored their opponents 406-149 in the opening stanza (75-26 this season). UT has scored at least one first quarter TD in 30 of 34 games under Heupel.
- Tennessee opened the scoring with a 5-play, 70-yard touchdown drive on their first possession, marking the sixth time in eight games this season that the Vols have scored a TD on their opening drive.
Tennessee has finished games strong this season, outsourcing opponents 64-29 in the final frame. This includes a 7-3 edge in Saturday's contest against the Wildcats.

Individual Offensive Notes

RB Jaylen Wright posted his fifth 100-yard game of the season, finishing the night with 120 yards on 11 carries (10.9 avg).
- Wright capped off Tennessee's opening drive with a season-long 52-yard touchdown to put the Vols up 7-0 with 10:47 remaining in the first quarter.
- The score was Tennessee's second longest rushing play of the season and Tennessee's fourth offensive play of 50 or more yards this year.
QB Joe Milton III finished Saturday's games completing 17-of-20 passes for 227 yards and one touchdown. The redshirt senior has a touchdown pass in 12 straight games, tying Casey Clausen (2001-02) for the fourth longest streak in Tennessee history.
- Milton's 85.0 completion percentage set a new career high (min. 10 attempts), topping his previous best of 70.0 (21-of-30) in the 2023 season opener vs. Virginia. It was also the highest by a Vol in an SEC game (min. 20 attempts) since Joshua Dobbs completed 91.2 percent (31-of-34) at Vanderbilt on Nov. 26, 2016.
WR Chas Nimrod hauled in his first-career touchdown reception on a 39-yard pass from Milton midway through the second quarter. It was also the longest reception of his career.
WR Dont'e Thornton Jr. posted his longest reception as a Vol on a 47-yard catch and run to convert a second-and-19 midway through the third quarter. UT went on to kick a field goal later in the drive to take a 26-17 lead.

Team Defensive Notes

The Vols limited the Wildcats to 72 yards rushing, marking the fifth game this season that UT has held its opponent under 100 yards on the ground.
- It was the second lowest rushing output by Kentucky this season.
Tennessee held Kentucky to 0-for-2 on fourth down conversions on Saturday. For the season, UT's opponents have converted 5-of-19 (26.3 percent) fourth down plays.

Individual Defensive Notes

DT Omarr Norman-Lott posted his second sack in as many weeks for an 11-yard loss on Kentucky's first drive of the second half. The drive ended three plays later when DB Tamarion McDonald broke up a pass for Tennessee's second fourth-down stop of the game.

Special Teams Notes

PK Charles Campbell finished 4-for-4 on field goal attempts on the night, setting a season high and tying a career high.
- Campbell converted from 44 yards, 49 yards and 34 yards in the first half and made a 35-yarder in the third quarter. The first two marked the two longest made field goals by Campbell this season.
- Campbell's four made field goals are the most by a Vol since Chase McGrath also made four at LSU on Oct. 8, 2022.

Career Highs

The following players set or tied career highs in the respective statistical categories listed below:

Offense

WR Chas Nimrod
- 39 receiving yards
- 39-yard reception
- 1 touchdown reception
RB Dylan Sampson
- 4 receptions
- 17 rushing attempts

Defense/Special Teams

PK Charles Campbell
- 4 fields goals made (ties career high)
DL Bryson Eason
- 4 tackles (ties career high)
DL Omarr Norman-Lott
- 1.5 tackles for loss (ties career high)
- 1 sack (ties career high)

University of Tennessee Athletics

Players Mentioned

Charles Campbell

Bryson Eason

Cooper Mays

Jaylen McCollough

Tamarion McDonald

Chase McGrath

Joe Milton III

Chas Nimrod

Omarr Norman-Lott

Matthew Salansky

Dylan Sampson

Omari Thomas

Dont'e Thornton Jr.

Jaylen Wright

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