{{pageModel.leagueAbbr}} {{pageModel.subtitle}} | Las Vegas Review-Journal
College Football
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Tennessee 33, Kentucky 27
When: 7:00 PM ET, Saturday, October 28, 2023
Where: Kroger Field, Lexington, Kentucky
Temperature: 68°
Head Official: Steve Marlowe
Attendance: 61665

Joe Milton III threw for 228 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 18 of 21 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 372 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

Top Game Performances
Rushing
Tennessee   Kentucky
Jaylen Wright Player Ray Davis
11 Attempts 16
120 Yards 42
10.9 Avg Yards 2.6
1 Touchdowns 1
0 Long 0
Receiving
Tennessee   Kentucky
Dont'e Thornton Jr. Player Dane Key
3 Receptions 7
63 Yards 113
21.0 Avg Yards 16.1
0 Touchdowns 1
0 Long 0
Team Stats Summary
 
  Yards Scoring Defense
Team Tot Rus Pas TD FG INT Sck FF
Tennessee 481 254 227 3 4 0 1.0 0
Kentucky 444 72 372 3 2 0 2.0 0