Kentucky previews Tennessee matchup as Will Stein faces Jim Knowles defense

The eighth ranked Kentucky Wildcats will travel to Neyland Stadium on Saturday to play the 16th ranked Tennessee Volunteers. Yahoo College Football, Yahoo Sports Top, and the Knoxville News Sentinel reported that Kentucky head coach Will Stein previewed the matchup at a Tuesday press conference, calling it an awesome opportunity against an elite opponent. [1][2][3]

Kentucky holds a 7-1 record and a six game winning streak under Stein in his first season as head coach. Yahoo Sports Top reported that Kentucky is seeking to improve upon a 5-7 record from the 2025 season, while Tennessee enters the game following a loss to South Carolina attributed to team miscues. [2][3][4][6]

The game marks the fourth matchup between Stein's offense and Tennessee defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. Yahoo College Football and On3 reported that Stein acknowledged the challenge of competing against Knowles, while 247Sports noted that Tennessee co-defensive coordinator Anthony Poindexter previewed the game for the Volunteers defense. [1][8][9][10][12]

William Stein previously played quarterback for Louisville before coaching at Texas, UTSA, and Oregon prior to taking the Kentucky head coaching position. Jim Knowles joined Tennessee as defensive coordinator after serving as head coach at Cornell from 2004 to 2009. Kentucky previously earned a road win against Oklahoma this season, as FTMQ Sports reported earlier. [14][15][16]

Tennessee opens as a 6.5 point favorite according to score prediction models reported by CBS Sports, while Yahoo Sports Top noted that Tennessee has historically dominated the series against Kentucky. [6][7]