LEXINGTON, Ky. – While it was bitterly cold outside Commonwealth Stadium Saturday – 30 degrees at the time of kickoff – it may have felt colder in the Tennessee locker room following the game.
The Volunteers fought through a defensive struggle to defeat Kentucky, 20-7, but the team’s 10th win may have been overshadowed by someone else’s success.
With a win over Georgia Tech and a Florida loss to Florida State, Georgia assured themselves of a trip to the SEC Championship and sent the Vols packing for Florida to play in either the Capital One or Outback Bowl.
“We’re looking forward to whatever comes and it will be exciting,” UT head coach Phillip Fulmer said following the win. “It will be a helluva lot warmer than where we are.”
Nothing seems certain for the Vols (10-2, 6-2 SEC), who are still holding out hope for a Bowl Championship Series at-large bid. The national media seem to think Texas (10-2) and defending national champion Ohio State (10-2) are the two likeliest picks for the BCS at-large bids, but Fulmer said his team is as good a candidate as any.
“I think there are so many positive things you can look at,” Fulmer said. “Tennessee is always gonna travel well.
“They’re (the players) anxious to go wherever … It would be hard for me to believe that a 10-2 Tennessee team wouldn’t get an opportunity to play in a BCS bowl.”
The Volunteers have won six straight games, including 19 straight over the ‘Cats. Kentucky (4-8, 1-7) didn’t roll over in this year’s matchup, though.
The Wildcats actually went to halftime leading the Vols, 7-3. UK’s Arliss Beach scored on a 1-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter, but the seven-minute drive was the most success the ‘Cat offense saw all day.
Tennessee found its offense on the first drive in the second half, with Mark Jones receiving an 18-yard TD pass from Casey Clausen. The Vols’ senior quarterback was suffering from a respiratory infection and that led to a renewed dependence on the ground game.
UT junior tailback Cedric Houston finished with 12 carries for 87 yards and one impressive touchdown run to seal the game. Jabari Davis also finished with 61 yards.
Both running backs said they were pleased with the performance after dismal showings against Vanderbilt.
“We had a lot on us after that game,” Houston said. “We just ran hard and stopped trying to put moves on everybody.
“(Running backs coach Woody) McCorvey just told us to make people pay, so we ran hard.”
That physical play carried over to the defensive side of the ball as well. After starting the year with the youngest defense in the SEC, defensive coordinator John Chavis said he was happy to hold quarterback Jared Lorenzen and the Wildcat offense to 187 total offense yards.
“The maturity is finally were it needs to be,” Chavis said. “We’ve fought hard all season and now we’re in sync.”
The UT secondary shined in the performance, breaking up several Lorenzen passes and recording two interceptions.
“We didn’t play well early,” UT senior strong safety Gibril Wilson said. “But once we read what they we’re doing, they couldn’t really move the ball on us.”
After the second interception at the 11:28 mark in the second quarter, the ‘Cat offense didn’t cross the UT 45-yard line the rest of day.
Wilson shined for the Vols, finishing with nine solo tackles and three deflected passes. He said Tennessee’s performance the last six games should qualify them for a BCS bowl.
“We’re playing good enough to be in the BCS,” Wilson said. “We’re playing well, but the only way to test that will be to play a top 5 team.”
Wilson will have to wait.
BCS bids are handed out on Dec. 7.
