Big Orange Report October 23, 2025

 

Same Old Song, Different Verse

Great defenses win big games, half way through this football season we can now safely submit that Tennessee's defense is nowhere close to great, or even average. Maybe bad might be the best adjective to use here. It has been two-plus decades since Tennessee defeated Alabama in Tuscaloosa and frankly, there is no end in sight for that statistic.

Let us not spend much time on this loss because if you watched the game, you don't need to be reminded of what happened. We might just note, however, that the offensive line joined the defense in this mid-term exam and did a pathetic job of protecting Joey Aguilar, who was sacked four times, flushed out of the pocket often and forced to hurry throws on several offensive plays.

One of the most glaring failures was the over rated Tennessee pass rush. Coming into the game, the Vols led the SEC in sacks with 27. That number did not move because UT had no sacks in this defeat. Meanwhile, Alabama entered the game near the bottom of the conference in sacks with nine but added four to that total as the Tide rolled to victory. As a matter of fact, Tennessee posted only three quarterback hurries in four quarters as Ty Simpson enjoyed a comfortable pocket and made pin point throws to his wide receivers. Simpson connected on 19 of 29 aerials for 253 yards and a pair of six pointers.

North to the Blue Grass

Tennessee travels to face Kentucky on Saturday in Lexington. The game is slated to kickoff at 6:45 CDT and will be televised on the SEC network. Coach Josh Heupel takes a 4-0 record into the confrontation against the Wildcats during his career as head coach at UT. This will be the third meeting in Lexington. While the Vols escaped with victories in 2021-23 both games were contested deep into the fourth quarters. Tennessee outscored UK 45-42 in 2021 and held on for a 33-27 verdict in 2023. The expectations this week are that the desperate coaches and players for the home team will throw all they got in the arsenal at the Big Orange on Saturday.

Key Matchups

Vol linebackers vs. Seth McGowan-- Kentucky's senior running back is one of the leading touchdown makers in the league this season. McGowan (6-1, 215) is tough to bring down on first contact and he has sneaky speed when he breaks through the second level. UT linebackers Jeremiah Telander, Arion Carter and Edwin Spillman must plug the gaps between the tackles and stop McGowan before he gets up a full head of steam. Vol defensive tackles can assist the linebackers by holding their ground and avoid being pushed off the line of scrimmage. McGowan is on the Earl Campbell Watch List which names their choice for the top running back in the nation each year. He is also a very capable receiver out of the backfield.

Tennessee blockers vs. Wildcat linebackers-- Seniors Alex Afari (6-3, 230) and Daveren Rayner (6-2, 220) are the heartbeat of the Kentucky defense. Both veterans are established run stoppers and also can be effective when given the green light to blitz the opposing passer. Tennessee's inside offensive linemen have to get off the ball and get a hat on these guys so that they don't disrupt the offense and create some havoc in the backfield. The UK defense made life miserable for Arch Manning and the Texas offense by limiting them to 179 yards total for the game. The Longhorns had just 47 yards on the ground and Manning was 12 for 27 for 132 yards throwing the ball.

Emotional Levels-- For a struggling Kentucky team, taking the ranked Texas Longhorns into overtime had to feel almost like a win. The Wildcat defense was stout and pushed the envelope into the extra period, losing by a field goal in the low scoring contest.

The question for Tennessee and the Vol Nation is simply this, can the staff and the team put the disjointed performance against Alabama quickly in the rearview mirror and prepare for a revved up Kentucky squad that firmly believes that they can not only hold their own but actually whip the Volunteers on Saturday.

Watch for this-- The tone and momentum in this suddenly crucial game for Tennessee might very well be set in the first quarter. The Vols need to come out hitting on all cylinders in this one.

Vol Notes

The BasketVols are gearing up for the fast-approaching season. On Sunday, the men will play an exhibition game against No. 10 ranked Duke. The Vols start the season slotted at No. 18 in the preseason top 25. ESPN2 will televise this battle at 6 p.m.

Coach Kim Caldwell's Lady Vols will begin the year ranked as high as No. 7 nationally in one poll. Tennessee will kick off the regular season on Nov. 4 against North Carolina State.

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