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No. 6 Kentucky at No. 13 Tennessee: Defensive X Factors
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- No. 6 Kentucky at No. 13 Tennessee: Defensive X Factors
After the initial College Football Playoff rankings released last night, according to the committee, we are now looking at the No. 6 Kentucky Wildcats taking on the No. 13 Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday night at Neyland Stadium. Both teams are coming off of a bye week and this football game has massive stakes on the line. We previewed Jim Knowles' defense and Josh Huepel's offense for the Vols, now it is time to look at the X factors in this game. We will start on the defensive side of the football, and Kentucky 's ability to slow down or stop the rushing attack is critical.
ED Mi'Quise Humphrey-Grace
We predicted the offseason that the new scheme under Jay Bateman would greatly benefit edge defender Mi'Quise Humphrey-Grace. Eight games into the new scheme, Humphrey-Grace is playing his way into being a day two pick in the NFL Draft. Humphrey-Grace has been the most consistent defensive player on the team in my opinion, he leads the Cats with 7.5 tackles for loss and five sacks. Humphrey-Grace also is among the top 15 in total pressures among FBS edge defenders, he has two forced fumbles and two batted passes as well.
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DT Jamarrion Harkless
Big Jamarrion "chops" Harkless had one hell of an October, he really took a step on the interior at defensive tackle. He will be a crucial piece to this defense stopping or slowing down DeSean Bishop and the Tennessee running game. Harkless has three sacks and three tackles for loss on the season and five of those came in October. He needs to use his 6-foot-3, 350-pound frame to clog up the middle and stop the inside runs on Saturday.
LB Grant Godfrey
Grant Godfrey is the green dot of the defense and we have seen a ton of growth over the course of this season from him. Godfrey ranks second in the SEC with 72 tackles on the season, he is the leading tackler for the Wildcats. Godfrey is also tied second on the team with four tackles for loss and he has two sacks on the year as well. Godfrey is another critical part of stopping this run game and forcing Tennessee into a dropback heavy game script.
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DT Xavier Gilliam
We mentioned Xavier Gilliam in our preview of the Tennessee defense, as he followed defensive coordinator Jim Knowles over from Penn State. Gilliam has hit a different level for the Vols, as he ranks top 15 in the country with 11.5 tackles for loss. He is also second on the team with six sacks, he has forced two fumbles and is just a true game wrecker on the interior defensive line. Kentucky center Coleton Price will have his hands full this weekend, and a good game could solidify the Remington Award for Price which is given to the nation's best center.
LB Amare Campbell
Linebacker Amare Campbell is another Penn State transfer that followed Jim Knowles to Tennessee. Campbell leads the team in tackles with 52 and consistently makes plays in different ways on the defense. Campbell has eight tackles for loss, three sacks and three pass breakups on the season. Campbell is a senior that has played a lot of football, and his football IQ will be tested this weekend against the creative Kentucky offensive scheme.
This article originally appeared on UK Wildcats Wire: No. 6 Kentucky at No. 13 Tennessee: Defensive X Factors
