Joe Milton III threw for 227 yards and Jaylen Wright added 120 yards rushing as No. 21 Tennessee withstood a challenge from Kentucky in a 33-27 Southeastern Conference win on Saturday in Lexington, Ky.
Milton completed 17 of 20 passes for one touchdown and no interceptions as Tennessee (6-2, 3-2 SEC) led from start to finish in fending off the Wildcats (5-3, 2-3).
Charles Campbell made all four of his field-goal attempts and Dylan Sampson added 115 total yards (76 rushing, 39 receiving), playing a major role late for the Volunteers.
The sophomore accounted for 52 of the yards on a key 65-yard march in the fourth quarter, which Sampson capped with a 12-yard touchdown carry that put Tennessee up 33-24.
Then, after Alex Raynor kicked a 28-yard field goal to draw Kentucky close with 4:24 left, Sampson helped salt the game away as the Volunteers ran out the clock on the game’s final possession.
In losing their third straight game, the Wildcats got a strong performance from Devin Leary, who completed 28 of 39 passes for 373 yards and two touchdowns.
Tennessee held Ray Davis to a season-low 42 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. Dane Key added seven catches for 113 yards and a touchdown for the Wildcats.
Tennessee jumped in front on its first possession as Wright sprinted 52 yards for a touchdown.
The Volunteers then stuffed Davis on a fourth-and-1 carry at the Wildcats 34, setting up a 44-yard field goal by Campbell that gave Tennessee a 10-0 lead.
Then it turned into a shootout, as both teams scored on their remaining possessions in the first half.
After the teams traded field goals, Leary directed consecutive 75-yard touchdown drives. He capped the first with an 11-yard scoring pass to Barion Brown. Davis finished off the other with a 7-yard TD run.
In between, Milton threw a 39-yard scoring pass to Chas Nimrod, who was wide open on the Kentucky sideline.
A 34-yard field goal in the closing seconds of the first half by Campbell gave Tennessee a 23-17 lead. Campbell then opened the scoring in the third quarter with a 35-yarder with 6:49 to go.
Leary cut the deficit to 26-24 with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Key later in the third, but after that Sampson took advantage of a tired Wildcats defense.
–Field Level Media