The effort was there but Kentucky came up a little short at heavily-favored Tennessee last night.
The Wildcats (3-6) led 10-7 at the half, but a big third quarter propelled the Volunteers to a 28-18 win.
By the end of the game, Kentucky was without numerous starters on both sides of the ball, including quarterback Brock Vandagriff and wide receiver Barion Brown.
Despite the adversity, the Cats had the ball with a chance to tie or take the lead in the fourth quarter.
Running back Dylan Sampson led the Volunteers (7-1) to victory with 27 carries for 142 yards and 2 touchdowns.