No. 19 Kentucky faces its biggest test of the season Saturday, as it heads to Knoxville to face No. 3 Tennessee.

Given the schools’ proximity to each other, it’s certainly a rivalry game. Yet this will mark the first time in 71 years that both teams are ranked coming into the game, which surprised Wildcats coach Mark Stoops.

“That does surprise me that it’s been 71 years,” said Stoops during Wednesday’s SEC coaches teleconference. “Hopefully, we’ll both continue to be ranked while we’re playing. For myself, it’s about taking care of our own backyard and our own program. … That’s my concentration.”

Stoops did, admit, however, that when it comes to rivalries, it’s probably Louisville that most Kentucky fans would see as the Wildcats’ biggest rival.

“I think just because of where we’re located, you hear more about Louisville,” Stoops said. “We’re located in the same state, an hour away.”

If Kentucky is going to pull off the upset Saturday, finding a way to slow down Tennessee’s vaunted offense will be a must. And that’s a tall task given that the Vols rank first nationally in scoring offense and total offense.

Stoops said Wednesday that he believes the Key to Josh Heupel’s offense has been the play of senior quarterback Hendon Hooker.

“I think he makes really fast decisions,’ Stoops said. “… If there’s one thing, we all know he’s accurate because of his completion percentage, but I think it’s impressive how accurate he is on deep throws. ”

Kentucky’s game at Tennessee is set for 7 p.m. (ET) on Saturday night and will be televised by ESPN. The Volunteers are currently 12.5-point favorites.