The Tennessee Volunteers defeated the Kentucky Wildcats 28-18 over the weekend, putting the Vol’s record to 7-1. Yes, it wasn’t the biblical evisceration we hoped for, but it should have been. 2 would be touchdowns were dropped by Brazzell and Nimrod. Plus Max Gilbert was 0-3 on field goal attempts. Those 23 points would’ve made Saturday night a 50-plus-point performance and that’s just how thin the margins are in college football. Even with the margin of victory not being what most expected, I saw a ton of good signs for the Vols moving forward.

First off, this was Nico’s best game of the year. He threw for 292 yards and completed 28 passes to 9 different receivers. He looked sharp and in control and without the 2 dropped balls he would have been over 400 yards passing with 3 touchdowns. Secondly, the tight ends seem to be the solution when it comes to facing a 3-man front. Kitselman and Staes combined for 9 catches, 124 yards, and a touchdown. Tennessee used them in the flats and up the seams to move the ball against a Kentucky defense dropping 6-7 players in coverage. If Heupel can continue this and find even more ways to move the ball against teams dropping in coverage, this offense could open up big time.

Furthermore, the defense continues to make plays when needed. They forced a turnover on downs on Kentucky’s opening drive and forced 3 turnovers throughout the game. I don’t know how anyone can say this defense is anything short of elite at this point and if they continue their stellar play in the last 4 games, Tennessee will be a tough out for anyone. Yes, even Georgia a team as turnover prone as anyone in the SEC through 10 weeks.

Lastly, I would like to give a special shout-out to Dylan Sampson as he continues his historic season. Sampson officially broke Gene McEver’s 95-year-old single-season touchdown record on Saturday night. He has been the engine of the offense with his metronome-like play through Tennessee’s first 8 games. The craziest part is that with 4 games remaining, he might set a touchdown record that lasts for another 100 years.