Tennessee coach Josh Heupel opened Kentucky week on Monday, Nov. 2, by saying he will wait until the end of the week to name a starting quarterback, according to the transcript posted by the University of Tennessee Athletics.
The setup
No. 16 Tennessee hosts No. 8 Kentucky on Saturday at Neyland Stadium. Kickoff is 6:15 p.m. Eastern (5:15 p.m. Central) on ESPN, in the Vols' first home SEC night game of the season. Tennessee will wear its "Dark Mode" uniforms for Homecoming. It is the 122nd meeting between the schools, and only the fourth time both teams were ranked, after 1950, 1951 and 2022.
The quarterback question
Asked whether he would wait on the quarterback decision, Heupel said, "Yeah, we'll finish the week here, practice and get to game day."
What Heupel said about Kentucky
Heupel praised the Wildcats' play in all three phases, citing their turnover margin, their few penalties, and a quarterback "that doesn't turn it over." Kentucky has won six straight since a 45-17 loss to Alabama on Sept. 12 and is tied atop the SEC at 5-1. Tennessee is 3-2 in the league and is seeking its second win over a top-10 team at Neyland this season after beating Alabama 26-10 on Oct. 17.
Other notes
Heupel said running back Javin Gordon is the healthiest he has been since an early-season injury, and he complimented linebacker Arion Carter, cornerback Ty Redmond and defensive back Qua Moss.
Sources: University of Tennessee Athletics