Something's got to give Saturday when the ball is in the air -- and it will be in the air.

Kentucky leads the SEC in pass attempts, passing yards and touchdown passes.

Tennessee leads the SEC in interceptions.

"Turnovers are big in any ballgame,'' UT defensive coordinator John Chavis said Tuesday.

So is confidence. Kentucky's skill players have it. Tennessee's defensive backs have it.

That the Wildcats come to Neyland Stadium at 7-4, 4-3 SEC, is a testament to the confidence and play-making ability of quarterback AndrA(C) Woodson and his receivers.

Kentucky's offense has been largely able to overcome a defensive unit that is the worst in all of Division I-A.

Woodson has a league-high 218 pass completions and a league-high 27 TD passes.

His favorite target, Keenan Burton, has a league-high 12 touchdown catches. Dicky Lyons Jr. has eight.

Burton had only four TD catches in his previous two seasons at Kentucky. Lyons had zero TD catches before this season.

Woodson, meanwhile, barely held on to his starting job after a spring challenge from Curtis Pulley.

Look at them now.

"I think his receivers are more confident and they're making big plays for him,'' said UT secondary coach Larry Slade.

"They believe they can win and that's a marked difference from what they've done in the past.''

Tennessee has had mixed results against the SEC's premier receivers.

Marcus Monk of Arkansas had eight catches for 137 yards and two scores. LSU's Early Doucet also had eight catches.

South Carolina's Sidney Rice, however, had only three receptions against Tennessee for a modest 52 yards.

And just last week Earl Bennett of Vanderbilt was shut down to four catches for 16 yards.

Asked the formula for neutralizing Bennett, Slade just said the Vols "mixed it up" and "did a great job with pressure.''

At any rate, the interceptions keep coming. The count is at 16 and all but one are from defensive backs.

Safety Jonathan Hefney's five picks rank second in the league. Cornerback Jonathan Wade has four, corner Antwan Stewart three and safety Demetrice Morley two.

"Again,'' said Slade, "it all goes back to confidence. We're looking to make plays, expecting to make plays.''

Depth in the secondary has been a concern ever since Inky Johnson's season-ending injury against Air Force.

It improves this week with reserve Antonio Wardlow returning from a two-week suspension.