Rapid Reaction: Tennessee earns second SEC win in blowout of Kentucky
By Jason Hall
Published:
Quick thoughts from Tennessee’s 50-# win over Kentucky:
What it means: Joshua Dobbs is the real deal. Tennessee’s offense looks much better with a capable dual-threat option under center. The Vols defense also looked stellar after a much needed bye week. Derek Barnett added two sacks to his freshman record (9) and seven tackles. Tennessee is one win away from ending its three-year bowl drought and has momentum to finish its season strong.
What I liked: The Vols looked like a complete team. For the first time in several weeks, Tennessee played a balanced game and looked strong in multiple areas. The “Orange Swarm” defense looked refreshed coming off its second bye week. The offense has caught up to its teammates and provided a strong performance.
What I didn’t like: It may be nitpicking, but Aaron Medley’s missed PAT in the second quarter was disappointing. The freshman kicker has been solid this season, but struggled on several attempts. A PAT attempt should automatic, but it wasn’t the case in Saturday’s game.
Who’s the man: Robert Joshua Dobbs. The sophomore quarterback furthered his hype with another strong performance. Dobbs threw for 297 yards and three touchdowns on 19-of-27 passing. He added 53 yards and a touchdown on 11 rushing attempts.
Key plays: Von Pearson’s 21-yard shovel pass reception gave Tennessee a 7-3 lead in the first quarter. The Vols held momentum throughout the game and added 43 points. Pearson connected with Dobbs on a 16-yard reception in the second quarter to extend the lead to 20-3.
What’s next: Tennessee will host Missouri next week at Neyland Stadium. The Vols end their season at Vanderbilt the following week.
A former freelance journalist from Nashville, Jason covers Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Kentucky
