John Clay's Sidelines

Photo by David Stephenson.

Some notes after Kentucky’s 28-10 loss to Tennessee:

• Kentucky was outgained 311-193, marking the fifth straight game the Cats have been outgained.

• It was the third straight game UK has been outgained by at least 100 yards.

• The 193 yards was the fewest since the Cats gained 110 total yards in a 42-10 loss at Auburn in 2004. That was the game in which I wrote that quarterback Andre Woodson showed some promise. Upon returning to Lexington, then getting in my car at the airport, I turned on the radio to hear Tim Woodburn on WLVK say, “What has John Clay been drinking?” True story.

• The 193 yards is the lowest total by UK against Tennessee since the Cats gained 187 yards in 2003. Cats lost that game 20-7.

• Kentucky passed for just 97 yards, its lowest total since throwing for a meager 95 yards in a 44-16 loss to South Carolina in 2005.

• Kentucky ran just 52 offensive snaps against Tennessee, after just 50 against Vanderbilt.

• The Cats attempted just 14 passes against the Vols, fewest since 14 in a 35-0 loss at Alabama in 1996. UK threw for just 49 yards that day — the same day Tim Couch did not play because of a “sore shoulder” yet spent most of the game throwing the football on the sidelines.

• Kentucky ran the football 74 percent of the time against Tennessee, 73 percent against Vanderbilt. You have to go back to the 2005 South Carolina game to find a tilt in which the Cats were so run-oriented. They ran it 75 percent of the time that day in Columbia.

• Tennessee attempted just eight passes in Saturday’s win. That’s the fewest pass attempts by a UK foe since Vanderbilt completed five of seven passes for 56 yards in a 20-7 victory over Bill Curry’s Cats in 1992.

• In the past 10 years, UK is 16-4 when holding a team to 311 yards (Tennessee’s total Saturday) or less. UK lost to Georgia last year despite limiting the Bulldogs to 283 yards. Before that, you have to go back to 2004 and the Ohio game, in which Ohio gained 308 yards, when the Kentucky defense held the opponent to 311 yards or fewer, and still lost.

• The Cats are 1-19 in the last 20 games in which they failed to gain at least 250 yards. The lone win was this year’s victory at Louisville in the season-opener. The Cats gained 210 that day.

• Kentucky has not won an SEC game in which they have failed to gain 250 yards since a 21-10 win at Vanderbilt in 1997, Hal Mumme’s first year.