If Kentucky can do these five things, or some of them, it will make a win against the Volunteers much more likely.

Contain the Volunteers on punt return situations ... Fortunately, this is a strength-on-strength battle and not an area of weakness for Kentucky. Max Duffy has been a weapon in the punting game as one of the nation's best specialists but the Wildcat coverage unit has also been strong. UK is 35th in the country allowing 5.29 yards per punt return. And in spite of Duffy getting a workout at times, opponents have only had the opportunity to return seven punts in eight games against Kentucky. This is a game key because punt return explosiveness has been very important to a Volunteer team that has otherwise often struggled to generate points against quality defenses. UT is the only team in the nation with three punt return touchdowns and is second only to UCLA nationally averaging 21.7 yards per return -- more like kickoff return averages. Marquez Callaway has returned a punt for a touchdown and both Brandon Johnson and Daniel Bituli have returned blocks for scores. UK employs a lot of different formations and looks to provide unpredictable protection looks, to angle kicks and coverages, and to present the threat of a fake.

Beware the backup quarterback situation ... Kentucky has lost three games against backup quarterbacks in the 2019 season, which won't do anything to disprove long-held theories about the program's struggles against passers coming in from the bullpen. Florida's Kyle Trask orchestrated a late-game comeback win in Lexington and Kentucky lost on the road to Mississippi State and South Carolina teams quarterbacked by Garrett Shrader and Ryan Hilinski earlier in conference play. Tennessee's current quarterback situation is the definition of unpredictable. Brian Maurer had taken over as the apparent starter and maybe the future but a concussion has sidelined him the last two weeks. He has been cleared to play dating back to last week and is available, but Jarrett Guarantano and J.T. Shrout are also in the mix. Preparing for one SEC quarterback is a big chunk of what defensive staffs and personnel focus on throughout game weeks. Studying and prepping for tendencies, strengths, and struggles of three is a bit more complex although that comes with pitfalls for the team doing the quarterback juggling as well.

Stay the course ... The supposed backup quarterback curse is far from the only demon Kentucky will attempt to exorcise this weekend. Tennessee itself has been the second-biggest thorn in Kentucky's side, so to speak, over the last three or four decades behind only Florida. Kentucky has two wins against UT in the last decade but is there still a mental hurdle for the 'Cats in this game? Or perhaps it's more of an annual shot in the arm that UT's players receive as a mark of pride in their rivalry success against UK? Last year Kentucky's 10-win Citrus Bowl team went into Knoxville and played its worst game of the season, nearly being shut out in a lackluster 24-7 loss. Avenging that or bringing a different effort is the goal. And that means the right focus and preparation during this week but also the mental fortitude to withstand the tendency to "here we go again" thinking if things go wrong against Big Orange.