No. 6 Kentucky lost 34-6 to No. 13 Tennessee at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville on Saturday night, as the offense failed to reach the end zone.
Kenny Minchey threw for 224 yards for the Cats. C.J. Baxter added 54 yards rushing, while Jovante Barnes contributed 48 yards on the ground.
The visiting team moved the ball on its opening possession, picking up two first downs and crossing midfield before punting.
With 56 seconds remaining in the opening period, Daune Morris broke free for a 66-yard touchdown run. Cooper Ranvier kicked the extra point to give the Volunteers a 7-0 advantage.
Kentucky answered with a second-quarter drive featuring runs of 14 and 19 yards by Barnes. The possession stalled inside Tennessee territory, leading to a 43-yard field goal by Adam Zouagui with 9:53 left in the half.
Tennessee responded when Ranvier connected on a 48-yard field goal following a 36-yard completion, pushing the lead to 10-3. Three plays later, Barnes fumbled, and the Volunteers recovered at the Kentucky 48-yard line.
The Kentucky defense forced a punt, and the offense took over at its own four-yard line. Minchey completed a 33-yard pass to Kenny Darby, and Baxter rushed for 11 yards to reach the Tennessee 30.
Another drive stalled inside the 10-yard line, resulting in a 25-yard field goal by Zouagui with nine seconds left in the half. The score remained 10-6 at halftime.
Tennessee received the second-half kickoff and engineered a 10-play, 55-yard drive ending with a 39-yard field goal by Ranvier. The kick extended the margin to 13-6 with 10:44 remaining in the third quarter.
Later in the period, Minchey was hit and fumbled at midfield. Tennessee recovered at the Kentucky 36-yard line with 30 seconds left on the clock.
Early in the fourth quarter, Faizon Brandon threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Mike Matthews. Ranvier added the point after to make it 20-6 with 13:34 left.
Kentucky turned the ball over on downs on its next possession. DeSean Bishop then scored on a five-yard run, and the subsequent extra point pushed the advantage to 27-6.
The Volunteers added a late touchdown to seal the final 34-6 scoreline. The Cats were kept out of the end zone for the first time this season.
The Cats return to action on Saturday to host Florida at Kroger Field in an evening game with a kickoff time to be determined.
Earlier coverage: No. 16 Tennessee Defeats No. 8 Kentucky 34-6 to keep playoff hopes alive
