The Tennessee Volunteers’ secondary had all it wanted in the first half of

Saturday’s 28-24 victory over No. 9 Arkansas.

The Razorbacks, more specifically Clint Stoerner and Anthony Lucas, tore

the much-maligned unit apart for 274 yards through the air, including plays

of 38, 44 and 62 yards.

“We had a bad game last week,” said strong safety Fred White of the

secondary.

White and the rest of the Vol defensive backs know they cannot afford to

have a bad day Saturday when Tim Couch and Kentucky come to town.

Couch is the nation’s eighth-most efficient passer, with a 156.9 rating,

and leads the country’s No. 2-rated offense. The Wildcats are rolling up

550 yards per game.

Last week against Vanderbilt, Couch completed an amazing 44-of-53 passes

for 492 yards and five touchdowns. The prolific junior has 34 passing TDs

on the season and will almost certainly eclipse the 4,000-yard mark against

Tennessee. He has thrown for 3,938 yards in 10 games for the 7-3

Wildcats.

“Tim Couch is one of those special guys that comes along occasionally,”

said UT head coach Phillip Fulmer. “He makes their offense go.”

Couch, who favors short, quick, intermediate passes, will keep the

Tennessee defense busy Saturday, particularly the linebackers.

And, with Al Wilson nursing a groin injury on top of his long-term shoulder

problem, the Vols may find themselves facing Kentucky’s potent attack for

the second straight season without their best defensive player.

Wilson missed last year’s meeting in Lexington, a 59-31 UT victory, with an

ankle injury.

“We hope to have Al Wilson back,” Fulmer said. “I really don’t know right

now if he’ll be able to play. If he can, I know he will.”

If Wilson is forced to sit out, that will put more pressure on junior

linebacker Raynoch Thompson, who had 10 tackles, including four for losses,

in the Arkansas game.

Thompson, however, said the defense is looking forward to the challenges

presented by Couch and the Wildcats.

“He’s just an exceptional athlete,” Thompson said. “He’s aware of

everything that’s going on around him.”

Thompson, the Vols’ leading tackler with 78 thus far, is one of several Vol

defensive players with nagging injuries. He picked up an ankle injury

against Arkansas while trying to make a cutback. Joining him on the injury

list are fellow linebackers Wilson and Eric Westmoreland (ribs) and

cornerback Steve Johnson (mild concussion). All were listed as probable as

of Tuesday.

Also, wide receiver Peerless Price suffered a rib injury on the opening

kickoff of the Arkansas game, but he, too, is listed as probable.

Notes: The No. 1 Vols (9-0, 6-0 SEC) said they aren’t interested in

getting into a scoring contest with the Wildcats, who are averaging 39.6

points per game. “We know they can score points,” Martin said. “Part of our

game plan is to keep (UK’s offense) off the field, like UAB did to

us.”

Fulmer said SEC Head of Officials Bobby Gadsden called him Monday and

admitted the officials made a mistake when they did not call a penalty on

Arkansas punter Chris Akin when he kicked a loose ball through his own end

zone for a safety late in Saturday’s game.

The correct ruling would have given Tennessee the football half the

distance to the goal line from the point (about the 10-yard line) where the

ball was illegally kicked.