Tennessee made quite the statement in their 34-6 win over Kentucky this past weekend.

The Vols actually had just a 13-6 lead over the Wildcats going into the fourth quarter, but Tennessee showed that they’re a team that’s in elite physical shape by pushing Kentucky around in the final 15 minutes of the game.

Wildcats head coach Will Stein admitted after the game that his team basically ran out of gas.

ESPN’s Greg McElroy says Tennessee’s team this season is a “bully”

Former Alabama quarterback turned ESPN analyst Greg McElroy said this week on McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning that Tennessee is a “bully.”

“I think it was a really impressive performance from Tennessee,” said McElroy of the Vols’ win over Kentucky. “It was really impressive. Did it show some of the vulnerabilities that we’ve acknowledged from Kentucky from the get-go? Sure. But not to the extent that some people are making it out to be. People are sitting here saying that Kentucky’s a paper tiger. I’m not there just yet.

“I just think Tennessee is a big bully — that’s what they are. If there’s one takeaway from that game it’s that Tennessee is a bully, and they were just more physical than Kentucky in the game. And Kentucky pressed, gave up a gap, and got gashed as a result. And then from that point forward, they’re not a team that’s really built to play from multiple scores behind in the fourth quarter.”

That’s a pretty big compliment from McElroy. I mean, he still thinks Kentucky is a really good team even though they just lost by 28 points to Tennessee, and it’s because he sees the Vols as a team that plays bully ball.

One of Tennessee’s top objectives this past offseason was to become a tougher and more physical team.

I’d say they accomplished that mission.