If Tennessee is going to put its road woes behind it, Saturday night against Kentucky at Kroger Field would be a good time to do it.

The No. 21 Vols (5-2, 2-2 SEC) are coming off of a 34-20 loss at Alabama last week and facing a Wildcats (5-2, 2-2) team that is fresh off of an open date.

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For Tennessee to avoid its third-straight loss on the road, the Vols will have to avoid the kind of performance that plagued them in the second half against the Crimson Tide.

Tennessee, which led by two scores at halftime, went scoreless over the last two quarters as its offense struggled to replicate early success and the defense gave up a number of explosive plays that allowed Alabama to score 27 unanswered points.

Kentucky's offense has looked pedestrian in its previous two games—both losses to Georgia and Missouri—but leans on a stout run game that has given opposing defense fits at times.

Here is a closer look at the matchup.

Who: No. 21 Tennessee (5-2, 2-2) at Kentucky (5-2, 2-2)

When: Saturday, Oct. 28 | 7 p.m. ET

Where: Kroger Field | Lexington, Kentucky

TV: ESPN (Mike Monaco, play-by-play; Jesse Palmer, analyst; Katie George, reporter)

Line: Tennessee, -3.5

ESPN Matchup Predictor: Tennessee, 70.8%

Series History: Tennessee leads, 83-26-9

-- Josh Heupel has lost back-to-back games just twice in his head-coaching career (six seasons) and has an 11-2 record in games following a loss. He is 6-1 in those games at Tennessee. The Vols last lost two-straight games in 2021.

-- Tennessee has struggled on the road over the last three seasons, holding a 5-6 record in true road games since 2021. The Vols have lost both of their road contests this season at Florida and at Alabama last week. Tennessee won its last meeting at Kentucky two years ago, 45-42.

-- Tennessee's tight ends room is second in the SEC in touchdowns accounted for with five. Fifth-year senior Jacob Warren has three touchdowns receptions this season while graduate senior McCallan Castles has two. It is the most by the position group at Tennessee since 2012, which totaled six scores.

THE VOLREPORT SHOW: Game preview with Justin Rowland of CatsIllustrated.com

-- Kentucky has been successful at Kroger Field under head coach Mark Stoops. The Wildcats have won 17 of their last 22 games in Lexington and are 4-1 this season, including a 33-14 win over a ranked Florida team on Sept. 30.

-- Kentucky started the season 5-0 and 2-0 in league play with wins over Vanderbilt and Florida before dropping back-to-back games at No. 1 Georgia and Missouri at home. The Wildcats were outscored 89-34 in both games.

TENNESSEE:

Joe Milton III, QB

Stats: 140-of-223 passing, 1,535 yards, 12 TDs, 4 INTs, 61.8 QBR

Jaylen Wright, RB

Stats: 91 carries, 593 yards, 1 TD, 6.5 AVG.

Squirrel White, WR

Stats: 39 receptions, 416 yards, 1 TD, 10.7 AVG.

James Pearce Jr., DL

Stats: 15 tackles, 10.0 TFL, 7 sacks, 1 FF

Aaron Beasley, LB

Stats: 45 tackles, 8.5 TFL, 2 sacks

MORE FROM VOLREPORT: Tennessee's defense prepares for Ray Davis, effective Kentucky run game

KENTUCKY:

Devin Leary, QB

Stats: 106-of-195 passing, 14 TDs, 7 INTs, 51.1 QBR

Ray Davis, RB

Stats: 111 carries, 781 yards, 8 TDs, 7.0 AVG.

Tayvion Robinson, WR

Stats: 23 receptions, 338 yards, 3 TDs, 14.7 AVG.

D'Eryk Jackson, LB

Stats: 44 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 1 sack, 1 INT

Maxwell Hairston, DB

Stats: 44 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 5 INTs, 1 FF

11: The number of consecutive games that Tennessee senior quarterback Joe Milton III has thrown a touchdown pass. He passed for two in the first half against Alabama.

217.3: The average number of yards that Tennessee's run game has accounted for through seven games this season. That number leads the SEC and is ranks seventh nationally.

4.0: The average number of sacks that the Tennessee defense has posted this season. The Vols have recorded at least one sacks in 11-straight games. Sophomore EDGE James Pearce Jr. leads the team with seven.

MORE FROM VOLREPORT: Tennessee-Kentucky matchup a clash of offensive philosophies

95.7: The average number of rush yards that the Kentucky defense is allowing per game. The Wildcats rank second in the conference and top-15 nationally in run defense and have held opponents to less than 100 yards in six of their last eight games.

7.0: The average number of yards that Kentucky running back Ray Davis picks up per carry. Davis leads the SEC in rushing with 781 yards on 111 carries.

Injuries continues to plague Vols: Tennessee lost wide receiver Bru McCoy for the season against South Carolina and there is still no timetable for the return of linebacker Keenan Pili, who has been out since week 2 with an injury. The bad news continued for the Vols this week with corner Kamal Hadden announcing season-ending surgery from an injury sustained in the Alabama game.

Tennessee WRs coming off best game: For at least a half, the Vols' offense had some semblance of last season vs. Alabama. Both Squirrel White and Ramel Keyton made key receptions on scoring drives and Milton passed for nearly 150 yards and two touchdowns in the first half. White finished the game with a season-high 111 yards and a touchdown.

Vols look to correct red zone woes: Tennessee was nearly automatic in the red zone last season but have struggled to turn those possessions into touchdowns this season. The Vols rank 10th among SEC teams in red zone efficiency, converting on 28 of 33 trips inside the 20-yard line but only 18 of those have ended in the end zone.

MORE FROM VOLREPORT: Vols' tight ends making most of opportunities in passing game

Both teams feature strong run game: Kentucky features one of the top running backs in the league in Davis and for the most part, he has been enough for the Wildcats in their five wins. Behind running back Jaylen Wright, Tennessee leads the SEC in rush yards per game at 217.3 yards per game with Wright going for 100-plus yards in four of seven games.

Stopping the run: As good as both Tennessee and Kentucky have been running the ball, their defenses have been just as effective in stopping it. The Wildcats are second in the SEC run defense, holding teams to less than 100 yards per game while the Vols are fourth, giving up 109.9 yards. Though both teams have struggled in the passing game, Tennessee holds the edge with 220 yard per game against Kentucky's 196 yards.

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