By the Numbers: Jim Knowles' First Tennessee Defense Leads the SEC in Sacks
Through eight games, Tennessee has 35 sacks and 66 tackles for loss, both SEC highs, and allows 16.3 points a game, down from 28.8 a year ago. Here is what each number means for Kentucky.
Knoxville, Tenn. Tennessee has 35 sacks through eight games, the most in the SEC, and Jim Knowles' first defense in Knoxville is giving up 12.5 fewer points per game than the unit he inherited.
The Vols had an open date Oct. 31, so every number below runs through the Oct. 24 loss at South Carolina. Kentucky (7-1, 5-1 SEC) comes to Knoxville on Saturday, and the matchup lines up strength against strength in a few specific places.
The year-over-year jump
Tennessee fired Tim Banks after the 2025 season and hired Knowles, who ran the No. 1 scoring defense in the country on Ohio State's 2024 national title team, according to CBS Sports. The 2025 Vols allowed 28.8 points and 395.5 yards per game, both third-worst in the SEC.
Tennessee defense, 2025 vs. 2026
| Stat | 2025 | 2026 (8 games) |
|---|---|---|
| Points allowed per game | 28.8 | 16.3 |
| Yards allowed per game | 395.5 | 288.4 |
CBS noted that Knowles' first seasons at Oklahoma State and Ohio State produced modest results before big jumps in Year 2. In Knoxville, the jump came right away. The 16.3 points per game ranks third-fewest in the SEC and the 288.4 yards ranks fourth-fewest, according to DraftKings Network.
When Tennessee hired him, Josh Heupel said in a statement that Knowles' defenses "are always physical, well prepared and can adapt quickly in-game," per CBS Sports. Eight games in, the box scores back up the first part of that.
Where the sacks come from
Tennessee pass rush through Oct. 24
- Team sacks
- 35 (4.4 per game)
- Sacks allowed by UT offense
- 20
- Tackles for loss
- 66 (SEC high)
- Tyree Weathersby, DL
- 7 sacks, 49 yards
- Xavier Gilliam, DL
- 6 sacks, 34 yards
- Mariyon Dye, DL
- 5 sacks, 26 yards
- Amare Campbell, LB
- 3 sacks
- Jeremiah Telander, LB
- 3 sacks
The sack numbers come from cfbstats.com, and the SEC lead in sacks and tackles for loss is per DraftKings Network.
The production is spread out. Weathersby, a senior, Gilliam, a junior, and Dye, a sophomore, account for 18 of the 35 sacks. Twelve players have at least half a sack. Linebackers Campbell and Telander add six more, and even defensive back Dejuan Lane has two.
Why it matters for Kentucky: quarterback Kenny Minchey has thrown for 1,755 yards and 14 touchdowns with one interception, according to DraftKings Network. A passer that careful with the ball rarely gives a defense free possessions. Pressure that forces him off schedule is the most direct way to change that.
Getting off the field
Tennessee situational defense through Oct. 24
| Situation | Opponents | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Third down | 33 of 104 | 31.7% |
| Fourth down | 3 of 11 | 27.3% |
| Red zone scores | 17 of 22 | 77.3% |
| Red zone TDs | 11 of 22 | 50.0% |
The figures above are from UTSports.com. The red zone has been the soft spot. Opponents score on more than three of every four trips inside the 20, but only 11 of the 22 trips have ended in touchdowns, and Tennessee has allowed just 130 points total, an average of 16.25.
The run defense has carried a lot of that. Opponents have netted 982 rushing yards on 256 carries, 3.8 per attempt, with nine rushing touchdowns, according to UTSports.com.
Why it matters for Kentucky: CJ Baxter and Jason Patterson have combined for 930 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns, per DraftKings Network. Kentucky averages 386.4 yards a game, 10th in the SEC. If Tennessee holds the run near its season rate, Kentucky has to throw into the teeth of the league's best pass rush on third down.
Lane and the takeaways
Interceptions through Oct. 24
- Team
- 8 for 90 yards, 1 TD
- Dejuan Lane, DB
- 3 for 73 yards, 1 TD
- Kayin Lee, DB
- 2
- Tevis Metcalf, Jeremiah Telander, TJ Metcalf
- 1 each
Lane leads the team with three interceptions and owns Tennessee's only pick-six, per cfbstats.com. He is also one of the most versatile pieces Knowles has, with two sacks from the secondary.
Why it matters for Kentucky: one side of this ball game has to give. Minchey has one interception all season, and Kentucky's defense has 12 interceptions, tied with Alabama for the SEC lead, according to DraftKings Network. Tennessee's quarterbacks have thrown four. The turnover battle may be the cleanest predictor of Saturday's result.
The caveat
The numbers are not spotless. South Carolina scored 27 on Oct. 24, the most Tennessee has allowed this season, per the UTSports.com results. Before that, the Vols held Texas to 20 and Alabama to 10, a combined 30 points, as DraftKings Network noted.
Kentucky visits Knoxville on Saturday. The first number to watch is how often Weathersby, Gilliam and Dye get to Minchey before the ball is out.
Sources: UTSports.com, 2026 Tennessee football cumulative stats; cfbstats.com, 2026 Tennessee sacks; cfbstats.com, 2026 Tennessee interceptions; DraftKings Network, Kentucky vs. Tennessee preview; CBS Sports, Tennessee hires Jim Knowles
