Tennessee makes it 26 in a row with 24-14 win over Kentucky
Nov. 27 - The University of Tennessee Volunteer football team picked up their 26th consecutive win 24-14 over the Kentucky Wildcats in Knoxville Saturday.
After a 2-6 start Tennessee won out in the month of November to finish the season bowl eligible at 6-6.
With the condition of the Vol program going into the season Cat’s fans though it might be their year. But a stubborn Tennessee defense and the arm of Tyler Bray saw to it the win streak continued. Bray threw for 354 yards and two scores with two interceptions.
Kentucky’s offense had been potent throughout the season averaging better than 34 points a game but the Volunteer defense has held opponents to no more than 14 point in any of their last four games.
"I’m proud of the guys for 
hanging in there and battling," Coach Derrick Dooley said of his Volunteers following the game. "When we were 2-6 we kept working hard. The guys trusted the process not just paying attention to the immediate results but with hard work you usually eventually get what you deserve."
"Defensively we played well," added Coach Dooley. "The best thing they did was not give up the big play. Kentucky had put a lot of points on the board all season but we managed to bend but not break most of the day."
"I though Nick Reveiz fumble recovery in the end zone early in the game changed the momentum of the game," Dooley continued. "It looked like we were going to be down 14-0 in the first quarter. Instead we were up 14-7 by the half."
"The fake punt we ran in the third quarter was big even if we didn’t get points out of it," added Dooley. "Kentucky had just gone 76 yards in 11 plays to tie the score and we’d gone three and out. Making that first down kept their offense off the field and gave our defense some time to rest and make corrections."
"Tyler Bray continues to do a good job," continued Dooley. "He makes mistakes but doesn’t get rattled. He’ll come right back and make a big play. We don’t run the ball very well, as soon as I see the ground game isn’t working I tell the offense to throw the ball. I figure most of the time we’re going to make something good happen one of the three plays."
"I’m extremely happy for this group of seniors," Coach Dooley added. "We ended up with a small core group that helped turn this team around earning the opportunity to play one more game. I don’t know where we’ll go, it could be Nashville, Memphis or Birmingham but we’ll take a couple days off then start to work. We’ll get about 15 more days working as a camp type practice before getting ready for a particular team."
"I’m grateful for the fan support we’ve received all year," stated Dooley. "People never gave up on us. We had well over one hundred thousand in the stands today and that says a lot. When I came here I knew Tennessee had a great football tradition and I’m grateful to be here.
Kentucky was first to put points on the board with 9:50 in the first quarter. Derrick Locke capped of a 10 play, 80 scoring drive from 17 yards out.
In the second quarter Tyler Bray hit Gerald Jones from the 11-yard line knotting the score at 7-7.
Bray connected with Denarius Moore from 11 yards out with 10:50 on the clock in the second quarter. The Vol’s went into the locker room up 14-7 at the break.
Kentucky tied the game at 14-14 in their first possession of the second half going 76 yards in 11 plays. Mike Hartline connected with Tyler Robinson from the two-yard line with 10:10 in the third quarter.
With less than a minute remaining in the third period Tauren Pool pushed it in from the two-yard line capping off a 73 yard 9 play drive. As the fourth quarter got underway the Vol’s were up 21-14.
The final score of the game came on a 36-yard field goal by Daniel Lincoln with 9:19 in the fourth quarter. The score capped off an 11 play, 61-yard drive.
Bray finished with 354 yards completing 20 of 38 attempts. The Vol's netted 76 yards on the ground.
Denarius Moore had 7 catches for 205 yards. The numbers ears Moore ink in the record books becoming the only Vol receiver in history to have more than 200 yards in two games in either a season or career.
Gerald Jones had 6 catches for 77 yards and Luke Stocker had 5 catches for 55 yards.
Tennessee’s defense gave up 118 yards on the ground. In the first half Kentucky’s Derrick Locke had 89 yards but was held to only 8 yards in the second half.
In the air the Vol’s gave up 272 yards and one touchdown with 1 interception.
