Rich Scangarello is getting his first dose of being the opposing playcaller facing Tennessee when Kentucky makes the trip to Neyland Stadium on Saturday.

The Wildcats’ offensive coordinator reacted to the notion that the Tennessee offense will put pressure on his unit to keep up. He noted that last year, Kentucky ran 94 plays against the Vols, which was far more than the Cats had in any other game.

“Just the way they play is going to lend itself to more possessions,” he said. “Again, we have to make our possessions count, and if we do that with points, we’re OK. If we don’t, yeah, it’s going to be difficult to keep up with them. It’s our job to take care of the rock and make it matter. I’m excited for this challenge.”

He added that it’s 2 different styles in a tough environment, and Kentucky must play its game and let the chips fall where they fall.

Scangarello said he loves the environment at Neyland Stadium, which will be different than other road games this season UK has had, from Florida to Ole Miss. It’s why he’s coaching in the SEC, he said.

“People are living and dying with every call, and it’s pretty neat,” he said.