By now, Tennessee's football team has seen the numbers.

You know, the ones about Kentucky's defense.

Entering today's 12:30 p.m. kickoff at Neyland Stadium (TV: WVLT), Kentucky has the nation's worst defense.

Their rushing defense is 115th out of 119 teams.

Their pass defense? Dead last, too.

The raw data doesn't look any better for Kentucky (7-4, 4-3 SEC) as it visits No. 19 Tennessee (8-3, 4-3) with hopes of ending the Vols' 21-game win streak over the Wildcats.

Against Louisville, Kentucky gave up 59 points and 631 yards of total offense.

Against Florida, it was 26 points and 514 yards. LSU rolled to 49 points and 546 yards.

Even Vanderbilt got in on the act, wracking up 621 yards.

Last Saturday, Louisiana Monroe hung 40 points on the 'Cats in Lexington.

Safe to say the Vols are aware of those facts. But according to quarterback Erik Ainge, they're not putting much stock in them.

"Stats are important and you have to look at them, but they're not everything," Ainge said. "You can't just look at stats alone. We're aware of the stats and we're aware that teams have had success against them and put up a lot of points and a lot of yards.

"But it'd be a mistake to go in and think, 'OK we're going to be fine on offense.' If you're not on top of your game, it can get difficult."

And despite all the gaudy numbers against Kentucky's defense, there's a big one that works in their favor.

Despite giving up plenty of yards, the Wildcats are pretty adept at taking back the football.

Kentucky has 27 takeaways this season.

Fourteen of those are fumbles, and the Wildcats have recovered all but five they've caused through 11 games.

Their turnover margin -- plus 1.1 a game -- ranks seventh in the nation and tops in the SEC.

Those numbers aren't lost on UT receiver Robert Meachem.

"As far as Kentucky's defense, they're good," he said. "They make people turn the ball over a lot. As far as their corners and their secondary, they're great.

"You can't go off stats with any team. You underestimate any team and you will lose in the SEC."

Both teams should have an accurate appraisal of the other.

UT running backs coach Kurt Roper spent last season as the quarterbacks coach at Kentucky.

That's the same position held by Randy Sanders, who resigned as UT's offensive coordinator last season.

Both know plenty about personnel.

Neither really thinks it will have much of an advantage.

"I think it's a little bit of a wash, to be honest with you," Sanders said. "I know personnel very well, but that doesn't make any of our guys any bigger faster or stronger or anything else. It may be nice to know their personnel that well, but I don't know how it really relates and helps us win a football game."

Said Roper: "I don't know if it can affect an outcome. It obviously is different than most weeks that you get prepared for. I truly believe the game is played between the lines. It's what the players know and what you're able to communicate to them during the week. I think that's where the game is played."

Plenty of good players are on both sides of the ball.

Ainge has a chance to set UT's single-season completion percentage record today.

Meachem needs 22 yards to break Marcus Nash's single-season receiving record.

For Kentucky, quarterback Andre Woodson enters as the SEC's leader in total offense.

Tailback Rafael Little averages 25.9 yards per punt return, a total that would lead the league if he had enough attempts.

As a back, he averages 5 yards per carry and has rushed for 500 yards in seven games.

The Vols will be without linebacker Jerod Mayo (knee) against the SEC's top passing offense.

What they won't be is caught up in the numbers surrounding Kentucky's defense.

It will be the final game for 20 Tennessee seniors, a group that has been a part of 41 victories since 2002.

It will be Tennessee's last chance to impress bowl scouts before learning its postseason destination next week.

And then, of course, there is UT's goal of a 10-win season.

"We know that we need to go out and take care of business this weekend," Ainge said. "Take care of Kentucky first and then we can start worrying about where we'll be playing and who we'll be playing."