LEXINGTON, Ky. — When Avery Williamson and his Kentucky teammates finally had nothing left to lose, the Wildcats pulled off two of their best performances of the season.
Now, coach Joker Phillips must find a way to continue the good vibes gained with Saturday's 10-7 upset of Tennessee in the season finale since Kentucky won't be going to a bowl for the first time after a school-record five-year streak.
The Wildcats offense has been a problem all season, but Kentucky's defense — which was thrashed in a 38-8 loss to Vanderbilt — capped off the year with two of its best performances. Kentucky (5-7, 2-6 Southeastern Conference) allowed 317 yards in a 19-10 loss to Georgia and then held Tennessee to 276 yards to snap the Vols' 26-game winning streak in the series.