5 Biggest Takeaways: Tennessee takes 50-16 win over Kentucky

Here are five takeaways from Tennessee’s 50-16 win in overtime.

1. Joshua Dobbs lived up to the hype. Joshua Dobbs backed up two weeks of hype with another stellar performance. The sophomore threw for 297 yards and three touchdowns on 19-of-27 passing, while rushing for 48 yards and a touchdown on 10 attempts. Tennessee’s offense looks improved with a capable dual-threat quarterback under center.

2. Jalen Hurd continues his success. Jalen Hurd rushed for 118 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries. It was the third time Hurd recorded over 100 rushing yards this season. The true freshman is one of the SEC’s top tailbacks in his first season, despite battling injuries in several games. Hurd’s ceiling is high and his early in-game experience will further his development.

3. Derek Barnett continues historic season. Derek Barnett added seven tackles, four for loss and two sacks to his season totals. Barnett entered with the school freshman sack record, which he extended to nine sacks. The former four-star prospect is two sacks shy of tying Texas A&M’s Myles Garrett for the SEC freshman record.

4. The Vols have are balanced. Tennessee started the season with a strong defense that saw little help from its offense. In Week 10, the offense looked strong while the defense struggled to stop South Carolina’s Pharoh Cooper. But this week, the Vols looked strong on both sides of the football. Tennessee’s freshmen have gained experience over the course of the season and look improved.

5. Tennessee has momentum in most important stretch. With two games remaining, Tennessee needs one win to snap its three-year bowl drought. The Vols look to have found their stride at the most important stretch of the season. Tennessee looks capable of winning out and could win eight games with a bowl victory.

Jason Hall

A former freelance journalist from Nashville, Jason covers Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Kentucky