Daune Morris, Defense Lead No. 16 Tennessee Past No. 8 Kentucky, 34-6

Knoxville, Tenn. Daune Morris ran 66 yards for a touchdown late in the first quarter, and No. 16 Tennessee's defense kept No. 8 Kentucky out of the end zone in a 34-6 win Saturday night at Neyland Stadium.

The Volunteers (7-2, 4-2 SEC) forced three turnovers, made eight tackles for loss and scored the last 24 points of the game. Kentucky (7-2, 5-2) had its six-game winning streak snapped, according to the AP. The Wildcats entered No. 6 in the College Football Playoff rankings, seven spots ahead of Tennessee.

Josh Heupel is now 6-0 against Kentucky, according to Rocky Top Insider.

How it turned

Kentucky's second series reached the Tennessee 39 before Dejuan Lane intercepted Kenny Minchey in the end zone. Rocky Top Insider noted Minchey had not thrown an interception since Week 2.

After two Tennessee punts, Morris went 66 yards up the middle on the first snap of a drive with 56 seconds left in the first quarter.

The second quarter traded field goals. Adam Zouagui hit from 43 yards, and Cooper Ranvier answered from 48 after George MacIntyre found Radarious Jackson for 36 yards. Qua Moss forced a Jovantae Barnes fumble that Kayin Lee recovered at the Kentucky 48, but the Vols punted three plays later. Kentucky then drove 89 yards in 12 plays, and Zouagui's 25-yarder with 9 seconds left made it 10-6 at the half.

Tennessee opened the third quarter with a 10-play, 55-yard drive, helped by a 29-yard Faizon Brandon run, and Ranvier kicked a 39-yarder for a 13-6 lead.

The game broke open late in the third quarter. On third-and-8 at midfield with 30 seconds left in the third, Moss sacked Minchey and knocked the ball loose. Mariyon Dye recovered and returned it 11 yards to the Kentucky 36.

Three Bishop runs moved the ball to the 24, and Brandon's shovel pass to Mike Matthews went the rest of the way for a 20-6 lead with 13:34 left. On Kentucky's next series, Arion Carter sacked Minchey for an 11-yard loss on fourth-and-1 at midfield. Two plays later, MacIntyre hit Braylon Staley for 34 yards to the 5, and DeSean Bishop scored from there with 9:45 left.

Kentucky reached the Tennessee 22 on its next drive but turned it over on downs when Minchey was flagged for intentional grounding on fourth-and-6. Bishop's second 5-yard touchdown finished a 10-play, 65-yard drive with 1:06 to go.

Quarterbacks

MacIntyre started and completed 9 of 14 passes for 125 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. He was sacked once.

Brandon played in a short-yardage and red-zone package that Rocky Top Insider reported was added after Tennessee's fourth-and-1 trouble at South Carolina. He went 1 for 1 for 24 yards and a touchdown and ran once for 29 yards.

Minchey completed 26 of 34 passes for 224 yards with an interception and a lost fumble. He was credited with minus-1 rushing yard on 10 carries. The AP noted that Kentucky came in with one of the best turnover margins in the country.

Individual numbers

Bishop carried 25 times for 109 yards and two touchdowns. Rocky Top Insider reported the performance put him over 1,000 yards for the season, making him the second Vol after Johnnie Jones to reach that mark twice. Morris added 85 yards on five carries, and Tennessee averaged 6.5 yards per rush.

Carter led all players with 13 tackles, including four for loss and two sacks. Moss had nine tackles, a sack and both forced fumbles. Jeremiah Telander made 10 tackles.

Staley caught four passes for 50 yards, and Ranvier made both field goals and all four extra points. Kentucky's Willie Rodriguez caught six passes for 81 yards.

Two Vols left the game in the third quarter. Tight end DaSaahn Brame was hurt on an incomplete pass in the end zone, and defensive lineman Tyree Weathersby left with an apparent lower-body injury, according to Tennessee Volunteers On SI. No update on either had been published Saturday night.

What it means

The AP wrote that the Vols are "very much alive" in the playoff race and called the win Tennessee's second "signature" victory of the season. The AP also noted that Alabama, which Tennessee beat 26-10 on Oct. 17, was No. 5 in the first CFP rankings. For Kentucky, the AP said, the loss takes away any margin for error.

Tennessee also now holds the head-to-head result over a Kentucky team with one more SEC win. Rocky Top Insider noted that could serve as a tiebreaker in the race for a spot in the SEC Championship Game.

Up next

Tennessee visits Texas A&M at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas, on Sat., Nov. 14. The SEC set a kickoff window between 2 and 3:15 p.m. CT on ESPN or SEC Network, KBTX reported, and the exact time has not been announced.

The Aggies are 4-5 and 1-5 in the SEC, according to ESPN's standings.

Sources: Morris, defense lead No. 16 Tennessee past No. 8 Kentucky, 34-6 (AP via ESPN); Kentucky vs. Tennessee box score and play-by-play (ESPN); Four Quick Takeaways: Tennessee Football Hammers Kentucky at Home... Again (Rocky Top Insider); No. 13 Tennessee defeats No. 6 Kentucky 34-6 (Tennessee Volunteers On SI); Texas A&M football kick time against Tennessee (sort of) announced (KBTX)