No. 3/3 Tennessee rolls over No. 19/17 Kentucky, 44-6
Submitted by U.T. Athletics
October 29, 2022, 12:50 a.m.

Image by UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE -- In a nationally-televised Saturday night showdown in which No. 3/3 Tennessee debuted its highly-anticipated "Dark Mode" uniforms, junior wide receiver Jalin Hyatt turned out the lights on the school single-season record for receiving touchdowns and the Volunteers remained unbeaten, rolling over No. 19/17 Kentucky, 44-6.

The 38-point margin of victory was the largest against a ranked Southeastern Conference team since a fifth-ranked squad from Rocky Top took down No. 9 Florida in Knoxville, 45-3, on Oct. 13, 1990. With a fifth-straight sellout crowd of 101,915 packing Neyland Stadium, UT scored at least 40 points for the sixth time in 2022, including the past four games, to improve to 8-0 overall and 4-0 in SEC play. UK managed only 205 yards of total offense, including 98 passing, against a stout Big Orange defense and committed three turnovers. The Cats fell to 5-3 in all games and 2-3 in league contests. It marked the first time since Nov. 9, 2019 the Vols held an opponent under 100 yards passing and was the lowest point total UT held an SEC opponent to since Oct. 18, 2008 when the Vols defeated Mississippi State 34-3.

After hauling in two touchdown passes versus the Wildcats, Hyatt now has 14 scores via the air in 2022, surpassing the previous program record of 13 recorded by Marcus Nash in 1997. Hyatt ended the evening with five receptions for 138 yards (his fourth 100-yard receiving effort this year) and became the first receiver in school history to record multiple receiving touchdowns in four consecutive games in the same season. He also is the first Vol wideout with multiple receiving touchdowns in four games in a single season since Nash did so in 1997.

Hyatt's quarterback, redshirt senior Hendon Hooker, put together a 19-of-25 night for 245 yards and three touchdown tosses while rushed for another. It marked the 20th consecutive game Hooker has recorded a touchdown pass. He now has 52 touchdown tosses and only four interceptions during his UT career, including totals of 21 and one, respectively, in 2022.

The Vols finished with 422 yards of total offense, with 177 of that on the ground. Junior running back Jabari Small led the way with 79 yards on 21 carries, while sophomore Jaylen Wright was good for 73 yards and a touchdown on only seven carries.

Defensively, redshirt-senior linebacker Juwan Mitchell, junior safety Doneiko Slaughter and redshirt-junior corner back Brandon Turnage all intercepted highly-touted Kentucky quarterback Will Levis. Mitchell also led his team in tackles with eight in the ballgame. The Vols added four sacks for 23 yards in losses. Senior end Byron Young led Tennessee with 1.5 sacks, while Da'Jon Terry and Omari Thomas each tallied one.

It didn't take long for the Big Orange to strike first. After receiving the opening kickoff, on the fifth play of the game, Hooker found Hyatt wide open down the field for a 55-yard touchdown bomb. That reception was the 13th score of the year for Hyatt, tying Nash for the UT standard. Senior Chase McGrath's extra point kick made it 7-0 UT with 13:33 left in the opening stanza.

The Wildcats got on the scoreboard with 4:44 to go in the first quarter when running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. barreled into the end zone from the three yards out to cap a nine-play, 68-yard drive. Matt Ruffolo's PAT attempt, however, was blocked by UT's Terry, allowing Tennessee to maintain the lead, 7-6. As it turned out, those would be the only points Kentucky scored.

The Vols tied a mark from the Pitt game for the most plays in a scoring drive all season, converting a pair of fourth-down tries and going 75 yards to hit paydirt with 14:56 left in the second period. Redshirt-senior tight end Princeton Fant notched a rushing touchdown for the third straight game, and his fourth rushing TD during that span, barreling into the end zone from two yards out after lining up as a running back in the shotgun. McGrath's PAT try was off the mark, making it 13-6 Big Orange.

After forcing the Cats to punt, Tennessee needed just two minutes, 42 seconds to pad its lead. Wright punctuated an eight-play, 77-yard possession with a touchdown carry, providing the Vols their 11th one-yard scoring play of the season. McGrath was accurate on the PAT this time, pushing the score to 20-6 with 11:12 remaining in the second quarter.

UK threatened to put more points on the board late in the second, facing a 3rd & seven at the Tennessee 12. The Wildcats came up empty, however, as Slaughter delivered a timely hit on intended receiver Dane Key. The pigskin squirted skyward, and Mitchell was there to snare his first career interception and return it 48 yards to the Kentucky 45.

With just 44 seconds left in the half, Tennessee got another shot at points when a Colin Goodfellow's punt from deep was forced directionally sideways by Kalib Perry, who narrowly missed a block, and sailed out of bounds at the UK 35. The Vols needed only two plays and 22 seconds to find the end zone, with Hooker finding Hyatt wide open again for a 31-yard strike that reset the UT single-season record for receiving touchdowns at 14. Tennessee would open up a 27-6 lead and take that tally into the locker room.

After successive sacks of Levis by Terry and the tandem of Tyler Baron and Young, the Wildcats were forced to punt on their first possession of the second half. The Vols took over at the Kentucky 41-yard line and advanced to the visitors' 12 before McGrath came on to boot a 29-yard field goal that increased the lead to 30-6 with 8:57 to go in the third.

Slaughter recorded another takeaway for the Vols with 5:29 left in the third, blanketing the Kentucky wideout in coverage and snaring the 50-50 ball, handing Levis his third interception of the evening and setting up Hooker and company at the UT 42. Five plays later, Hooker ran the option to the left side, looked the defender off, and kept the ball, bouncing into the end zone from eight yards out, extended Tennessee's advantage to 37-6 with 3:58 remaining in the third period.

After a nifty 34-yard punt return by junior Dee Williams set Tennessee up at the UK 13, Hooker found Small wide open in the end zone for six on the first play from scrimmage. McGrath's extra point put the Vols up 44-6 with 7:47 left in the ballgame, and that's the way it would end.

The Vols travel to Athens next weekend to take on No. 1/1 Georgia at 3:30 p.m. in Sanford Stadium. The game will be televised by CBS. P

Postgame Notes