How No. 19 Kentucky and No. 3 Tennessee match up — with a game prediction

How the No. 19 Kentucky Wildcats (5-2, 2-2 SEC) and No. 3 Tennessee Volunteers (7-0, 3-0 SEC) match up at each position — with a game prediction:

Quarterbacks

▪ Kentucky senior Will Levis (69.5% completions, 1,635 passing yards, 13 touchdowns, five interceptions) played a stellar game vs. Tennessee in last season’s 45-42 Wildcats loss to the Volunteers — except for one play. The transfer from Penn State completed 31 of 49 passes for 372 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for 47 yards and two TDs. However, UT’s Alontae Taylor jumped the route on a short out pattern and returned a Levis interception 56 yards for a touchdown that ended up being the difference in the outcome.

▪ If the Heisman Trophy vote were this week, Tennessee super-senior Hendon Hooker could — should — be the winner. The Virginia Tech transfer is completing 70.6 percent of his passes and has thrown for 2,093 yards with 18 TDs vs. a solitary pick. Last season against UK, the 6-foot-4, 218-pound Hooker completed 15 of 20 passes for 316 yards and four touchdowns. Hooker also ran 11 times for 41 yards. Three seasons ago, in Kentucky’s 37-30 come-from-behind victory over Virginia Tech in the Belk Bowl, Hooker completed 12 of 22 passes for 110 yards and two TDs and ran 12 times for 50 yards.

Advantage: Tennessee.

Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker (5) is completing 70.6 percent of his passes and has thrown for 2,093 yards with 18 touchdowns vs. only one interception.

Running backs

▪ Redshirt senior Christopher Rodriguez turned in one of the best performances of his stellar Kentucky career in the Wildcats’ 27-17 victory over Mississippi State two weeks ago. “C-Rod” carried 31 times for 197 yards and scored two touchdowns. With 3,135 career rushing yards, the McDonough, Ga., product needs 199 yards to pass Moe Williams (3,333 yards) for third on the all-time UK rushing list. In three previous games vs. UT, Rodriguez has carried the ball 47 times for 263 yards and one TD. Junior JuTahn McClain had nine carries for 30 yards vs. Mississippi State but also caught three passes for 48 yards.

▪ Tennessee’s Jabari Small (397 rushing yards, eight TDs, 4.5 yards per carry) had a 37-yard touchdown run in UT’s win over UK last season in Lexington. This year, Small ran for 127 yards at LSU and 90 yards vs. Florida. Jaylen Wright leads the Volunteers in rushing yards (405 yards) and has averaged 4.8 ypc and scored four TDs.

Advantage: Kentucky.

With 3,135 career rushing yards, Kentucky star running back Christopher Rodriguez (24) needs to rush for 739 yards in UK’s remaining games to pass Benny Snell (3,873) as the Wildcats’ all-time rushing leader.

Wide receivers

▪ Even though he missed the Mississippi State win due to injury, Virginia Tech transfer Tayvion Robinson continues to lead UK in receptions (25) and receiving yards (392) and is tied for the team lead in TD catches (three). The 5-11, 187-pound product of Virginia Beach, Va., is expected back for Tennessee. Nashville product Barion Brown (24 catches, 350 yards, two TDs) and Frederick Douglass High School alumnus Dane Key (20, 322, three) are both earning mid-season Freshman All-America consideration. In the win over MSU, walk-on Rahsaan Lewis (five, 52, one) had his first career TD catch and caught four passes for 42 yards. Redshirt frosh Dekel Crowdus, another ex-Frederick Douglass star, had a late, 50-yard reception vs. State that essentially sealed UK’s victory.

▪ Tennessee’s Jalin Hyatt is having a First Team All-America-caliber season. The 6-foot, 185-pound junior has 40 catches for 769 yards and 12 touchdowns. In UT’s streak-busting 52-49 win over Alabama, Hyatt caught six passes for 207 yards and five touchdowns. A transfer from USC, Bru McCoy has 24 receptions for 394 yards and two TDs. Ramel Keyton (20, 357, three) is also highly capable. Standout Cedric Tillman (17, 246, one in three games) may return vs. UK after being sidelined for six weeks following surgery to repair an injured ankle. Tillman caught six passes for 79 yards and a TD vs. Kentucky in 2021.

Advantage: Tennessee.

Tennessee wide receiver Jalin Hyatt (11) has 40 catches for 769 yards and 12 touchdowns this season.

Tight ends

▪ Ex-Bowling Green High School star Jordan Dingle (10 catches, 109 yards, two touchdowns) has caught at least one pass in every Kentucky game but one (Youngstown State). True freshman Josh Kattus has yet to catch a pass but has drawn praise in recent games for his blocking.

▪ Tennessee’s Princeton Fant (14 catches, 128 yards) has yet to catch a TD this season but threw one, a 68-yarder, to Jalin Hyatt on a trick play in UT’s 65-24 demolition of Tennessee at Martin last week. Jacob Warren has five catches for 99 yards this season. He caught an 18-yard TD pass vs. UK in 2021.

Advantage: Even.

Offensive linemen

▪ Kentucky starting right tackle Jeremy Flax is expected back at Tennessee after missing most of the past two games due to injury. While helping Christopher Rodriguez run for 197 yards vs. Mississippi State, the UK offensive line also surrendered only one QB sack. That was easily the best pass-protection performance of the season to date for the Wildcats. “The offensive line definitely was much better,” UK Coach Mark Stoops says. “They’re definitely improving.”

▪ Tennessee returned four of its five starters along the offensive front from 2021. Left guard Jerome Carvin (37 career starts) and right tackle Darnell Wright (35) are the most experienced of a veteran crew. Left tackle Gerald Mincey is a transfer from Florida whose initial recruiting commitment was to Kentucky.

Advantage: Tennessee.

Kentucky right offensive tackle Jeremy Flax (77), right, is expected to return from injury this week at Tennessee.

Defensive linemen

▪ A 6-6, 330-pound Detroit product, Kentucky tackle Deone Walker (17 tackles, two tackles for loss, two QB hurries, two pass breakups) has been reaping mid-season Freshman All-America honors. Junior nose guard Justin Rogers, another Detroit import, had two tackles in the win over Mississippi State and now has 11 stops on the season.

▪ Tennessee rush end Byron Young leads the Volunteers in sacks (3.5) and has a whopping 12 quarterback hurries. Last season vs. UK, Young recorded a pair of sacks, including one that foiled a Kentucky fourth-down-conversion attempt early in the fourth quarter and set up UT for a short-field touchdown drive. End Tyler Baron (11 tackles, two TFL, one sack, five QB hurries) is a player Kentucky recruited ardently.

Advantage: Tennessee.

Kentucky defensive tackle Deone Walker (0) has made 17 tackles, with two tackles for loss, two quarterback hurries and two pass breakups.

Linebackers

▪ Kentucky WLB DeAndre Square led the Wildcats with 11 tackles and also had the game-clinching interception in the win over Mississippi State. The 6-1, 222-pound super-senior from Detroit leads the Wildcats with 52 tackles. Against UT’s high-octane offense, UK needs disruptive efforts from super-senior SLB Jordan Wright (33 tackles, seven TFL, three QB hurries, three pass breakups, one interception, one forced fumble) and junior OLB/rush end JJ Weaver (20 tackles, three TFL, one forced fumble).

▪ Tennessee MLB Aaron Beasley and WLB Jeremy Banks each had 14 tackles in last season’s win vs. Kentucky. This season, Beasley has 39 tackles, four TFL and eight QB hurries; Banks has 29 stops, 2.5 TFL and seven hurries.

Advantage: Kentucky.

Defensive backs

▪ Kentucky cornerback Carrington Valentine had six tackles and a QB sack off a blitz in the victory vs. Mississippi State. Super-senior strong safety Tyrell Ajian had an interception in UK’s 34-7 win at Tennessee in 2020, but did not have his best game vs. the Volunteers last season in Lexington. Redshirt freshman free safety Jordan Lovett (28 tackles, two pass breakups, one QB hurry) will be a key player this week for Kentucky.

▪ Tennessee free safety Trevon Flowers leads the Volunteers in tackles (40) and is tied for the team lead in interceptions with two. A 5-11, 200-pound super-senior, Flowers initially committed to Kentucky to play baseball before changing his mind on a school and a sport. The status of starting strong safety Jaylen McCollough is unclear after he was charged with felony aggravated assault for allegedly punching a man in the face this month. McCollough had six tackles and a pass defended vs. UK last season.

Advantage: Kentucky.

Tennessee wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. (1) caught a touchdown over Kentucky strong safety Tyrell Ajian (23) in UT’s 45-42 win over UK last season at Kroger Field.

Special teams

▪ Kentucky super-senior punter Colin Goodfellow is averaging 41.6 yards a kick. On 21 punts, he has pinned the opposition inside their 20 eight times. Super-senior place-kicker Matt Ruffolo is 9-of-13 on field-goal attempts with a long of 50 yards. True freshman Barion Brown is averaging 43.3 yards on seven kickoff returns with one touchdown. The freshman had a punt-return TD called back in the win over Mississippi State due to penalty.

▪ Tennessee place-kicker Chase McGrath booted a 40-yard field goal as time expired that allowed the Vols to snap their 15-game losing streak vs. Alabama. On the season, McGrath is 10-of-13 on field-goal tries but is only 3-of-6 from outside 40 yards. Punter Paxton Brooks is averaging 40.1 yards a kick but has stopped only three of 14 kicks inside the opponents’ 20-yard line. Punter returner Dee Williams is a weapon, averaging 19.8 yards on six returns.

Advantage: Even.