Milton, No. 19 Tennessee hope to build on momentum with a homecoming game against UConn

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Joe Milton III is coming off what could be considered his best game of the season, and now the talented Tennessee quarterback has an opportunity to showcase his progress in November, leading up to crucial games that will determine the postseason fate of the 19th-ranked Volunteers.

Milton, who has struggled with accuracy throughout his career, delivered an almost flawless passing performance in a significant victory against Kentucky. The experienced senior can further refine his skills this Saturday with a homecoming game against UConn.

“We were able to create explosive plays on scramble drills,” said Tennessee coach Josh Heupel. “It’s been a while since we’ve done that, maybe since our arrival here, at that level.”

Milton went 18 of 21 for 228 yards passing and a touchdown. He connected on long throws, with a 39-yard touchdown pass and a 47-yarder, showcased his running ability with nine carries for 53 yards, made plays on the move, and secured the victory with a game-ending 4-minute drive, helping Tennessee improve to 6-2.

“Joe was incredibly efficient, displayed excellent vision, executed sound fundamentals, and exhibited remarkable accuracy with his throws,” Heupel praised. “It was an outstanding performance from him.”

Tennessee is counting on Milton to elevate his game even further in the upcoming Southeastern Conference East matchups against No. 14 Missouri and No. 1 Georgia. He is receiving more support from teammates like Dont’e Thornton, Jr., a transfer from Oregon, who recorded three receptions for 63 yards against Kentucky.

UConn (1-7) has endured five losses by 10 or fewer points, including last week’s 21-14 defeat against Boston College.

For coach Jim Mora, the narrow margins of defeat have been frustrating, especially considering the Huskies’ margin for error is virtually non-existent, and they will play in front of a crowd of over 100,000 people at Neyland Stadium.

“We know it’s going to be loud, but in order to be a good football player, to excel in any performance, you need to be able to block out distractions and focus solely on what happens between those lines on the green field,” Mora emphasized. “That’s what we’ll have to do.”

HURTIN’ VOLS

Adding to Tennessee’s woes in the secondary, they lost their top cover cornerback, Kamal Hadden, who suffered a shoulder injury in the loss to Alabama. Hadden underwent surgery last week. The Vols surrendered 372 passing yards and two touchdowns in their 33-27 win over Kentucky.

“We’re going to need to continue to improve in that area,” said Heupel.

SPECIAL KICKER

Tennessee’s Charles Campbell, a transfer from Indiana, was named the SEC special teams Player of the Week. He successfully converted all four field goals attempts against Kentucky, and this season he has made 15 of 17, with his only misses coming from 51 and 52 yards. Including his time at Indiana, Campbell has made 102 consecutive extra points. He credits his success this season to holder Jackson Ross and long snapper Matthew Salansky.

“When they set up the ball perfectly for me, kicking becomes easy,” Campbell remarked.

STRUGGLING HUSKIES

This will be the Huskies’ second game this season against a nationally ranked opponent. They suffered a 41-7 defeat to No. 18 Duke in September. UConn has lost 11 straight road games against ranked teams and has not recorded a victory against one since their triple-overtime thriller against No. 19 Louisville in 2012 (23-20). The Huskies hold a 2-6 record against SEC teams, with their last win against an SEC opponent dating back to 2010 when they defeated Vanderbilt.

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