Tennessee’s bye week couldn’t have come at a better time.

Sure, injuries have been mounting for weeks and a week off prior to Ole Miss or Alabama for some guys would have been beneficial.

But now the Vols turns their attention to No. 12 Kentucky in what is likely the most winnable game out of a brutal four-game stretch against four teams ranked in the top 12. With a date with No. 1 Georgia looming the following Saturday, UT’s bye week couldn’t be sandwiched any better within the current gauntlet.

Just because its trip to Lexington may provide the best opportunity at an upset doesn’t mean that it will be easy. Kentucky is a physical football team and the Vols are especially banged up in the trenches.

“Let’s start by trying to get some guys healthy,” Josh Heupel said following Tennessee’s 52-24 loss to Alabama on Saturday night as his team enters the bye week. “We’re at that point in the season, and you guys know, a big part of it is us getting healthy here this week.

“At the same time, we’ve got a third of our season that’s left here, the back four games. Making a decision that, collectively as a group and individually, that we’re going to go fight and strain to make the changes that we need to, to play our absolute best football. We play really hard. We have to play smarter. Our margins aren’t wide enough for us to not play a little bit smarter.”

The guys who are banged up on offense are well-documented.

Hendon Hooker didn’t look the same running the ball against Alabama, Tiyon Evans and Cooper Mays were seen gutting through ankle injuries, Cade Mays — UT’s best offensive lineman — essentially hasn’t played in the last games, and along with Evans, running backs Jabari Small, Len’Neth Whitehead and Jaylen Wright continue to nurse wounds.

The defense has taken a backseat to the offense in terms of injuries, but that doesn’t mean that a bye week isn't much-needed for Tim Banks’ unit that has far-exceeded expectations through eight games.

Yes, Elijah Simmons continues to nurse an ankle injury, Theo Jackson has been limited of late, Christian Charles has been unavailable due to a knee injury and several others are dealing with nagging injuries, but the real toll on the defense has come from the amount of time they’ve been on the field.

Alabama won time of possession 40:26 to 19:34. It was the first time this season an opponent has been on the field for 20 minutes more than Tennessee, but it was the third time an opponent has been on the field for 10 more minutes, and the seventh game in which the opponent has done so for at least five more minutes.

Over the last two weeks, UT’s defense has been on the field for 193 plays. Alabama and Ole Miss’ defenses were on the field for 133 plays.

“I thought defensively we competed extremely hard and well for three quarters,” Heupel said. “In the fourth quarter, just kind of wore out a little bit. That’s offensively not helping enough and staying on the field in some of those third-down conversions. You look at the third-down conversion rate for us offensively, not nearly good enough. Then defensively, just on the field too much.”

Tennessee will practice just three times this week, on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, as it looks to get healthier and rest up ahead of next Saturday’s trip to Kentucky.