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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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Tennessee secured a massive win on Saturday night, defeating No. 6 Kentucky 34-6 to move to 7-2 on the season and 4-2 in SEC play.
After a tight opening half, the Vols pulled away late, scoring 24 unanswered points while holding the Wildcats scoreless after halftime.
The win keeps Tennessee firmly in the College Football Playoff conversation, now sitting No. 9 in the latest AP poll, while Kentucky drops down to No. 13 with its second loss of the year. With only three games left in the season, a late conference game like this could have massive implications for both teams as they make their push to get into the postseason.
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Unfortunately, Tennessee was hit with some brutal injury news after the win. On3's Austin Price reported Monday morning that defensive end Tyree Weathersby will miss the remainder of the 2026 season due to a knee injury. Weathersby suffered the injury during the third quarter against Kentucky and needed help getting off the field. He didn't return to the game.
The injury is a massive blow for the Vols, as Weathersby was the team's leader in sacks with seven across nine games, along with 20 combined tackles (11 solo), 8.5 tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, and a pass breakup.
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Weathersby is in his senior year at Tennessee and has quickly become one of the top pass rushers in the SEC. The 6-foot-5, 268-pound Georgia native entered the 2026 season with just one career sack before taking over as the best player on the Vols defensive line. His breakout game came against Alabama a few weeks ago, when he recorded two sacks, 2.5 tackles for loss, and recovered a fumble, earning him SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week honors.
Losing him is particularly frustrating for Tennessee as their defense had been carrying them for much of the season, with the Vols having the second-best scoring defense in the SEC, allowing just 15.1 points per game, behind only the Georgia Bulldogs. With upcoming matchups against mobile quarterbacks like Marcel Reed and Sam Leavitt, it couldn't come at a worse time to lose your top pass rusher.
The Vols will travel to Texas A&M this upcoming Saturday before hosting No. 14 LSU and closing the season out at Vanderbilt on Nov. 28. With just two losses on the season, winning those three remaining games would likely be enough to secure them a spot in the CFP. With how deep the SEC is, though, they probably can't afford another loss at this stage of the season.
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