The Associated Press

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - A down year at Tennessee still didn't give Kentucky a chance.

Derrick Tinsley caught two touchdown passes from Casey Clausen as the Volunteers (8-4, 5-3 Southeastern Conference) beat Kentucky 24-0 Saturday to finish the season.

The Wildcats (7-5, 3-5) have lost 18 straight games to Tennessee, including last year's 38-35 loss after the Vols had rallied from a 21-point deficit.

With an offense that averaged a league-best 35 points a game, UK appeared to have a good chance to end the losing streak. But the Vols weren't about to let that happen, jumping to a 21-0 halftime lead.

"I'm tickled to death to get the win," Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer said. "I didn't have any idea we could come in here and be able to shut them out.

"Eight-and-four is not what we wanted, but it was the best we could do after we lost the fourth game."

Since receiver Kelley Washington was lost for the season with a neck injury in October, the Vols have failed to find a reliable playmaker among a young and inexperienced receiving corps.

"Derrick is as close to it as we have out there right now," Fulmer said.

Clausen threw an 18-yard pass to Tinsley in the end zone in the first quarter. Tinsley scored again on a 35-yard pass play in the second quarter when he caught the ball near the sideline, stopped himself from stepping out of bounds and tiptoed 10 yards into the end zone.

Jabari Davis jumped over the pile for a 1-yard touchdown in the first quarter after the Wildcats were penalized four times for being offside.

Alex Walls added a 42-yard field goal in the third quarter after missing a 44-yarder earlier.

Clausen, playing on a healing sprained right ankle and foot, completed 13 of 26 passes for 175 yards.

Tennessee finished the season with three straight wins since losing to Miami on Nov.9.

The Vols never have won fewer than eight games in each of the 10 seasons under Fulmer. Tennessee, however, isn't assured of going to its eighth straight bowl on Jan.1 or later.

"We have nothing to do at all, I guess, with what might happen as far as the bowl situation, but this group definitely deserves to have a chance to go some place and to have a chance to have, unbelievably, its ninth win," Fulmer said. "It's been a tough season."

Kentucky, which can't go to a bowl because of NCAA sanctions, began with a disadvantage as four starters were suspended for the first quarter for unspecified disciplinary reasons. Tailback Artose Pinner, the SEC's leading rusher, joined tight end Chase Harp, cornerback Leonard Burress and defensive tackle Dewayne Robertson on the sidelines.

"I thought we lost our focus in the last 72 hours," Kentucky coach Guy Morriss said. "We were flat. We made more mistakes than we made all year."

Kentucky	0	0	0	0-00
Tennessee	7	14	0	3-24

First Quarter

Tenn-Tinsley 18 pass from Clausen (Walls kick), 2:47.

Second Quarter

Tenn-Davis 1 run (Walls kick), 9:03.

Tenn-Tinsley 35 pass from Clausen (Walls kick), 4:15.

Fourth Quarter

Tenn-FG Walls 42, 11:50.

A-105,462.

	Kent	Tenn
First downs	11	21
Rushes-yards	29-89	42-155
Passing	83	175
Comp-Att-Int	12-30-0	13-26-0
Return Yards	72	66
Punts-Avg.	6-47	5-38
Fumbles-Lost	0-0	0-0
Penalties-Yards	13-76	4-30
Time of Possession	26:38	33:22

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING-Kentucky, Pinner 11-51, Bwenge 10-34, Kamphake 1-6, Beach 1-3, Lorenzen 3-1, Boyd 1-0, Team 1-(minus 2), Cook 1-(minus 4), Tennessee, Tinsley 8-48, Davis 9-41, Houston 14-41, Scott 1-14, Clausen 4-7, Banks 3-2, Fleming 1-2, Williams 2-0.

PASSING-Kentucky, Lorenzen 9-23-0-59, Boyd 3-7-0-24, Cook 0-0-0-0, Tennessee, Clausen 13-26-0-175, Banks 0-0-0-0.

RECEIVING-Kentucky, Boone 5-45, Abney 2-13, Harp 1-10, Bernard 1-6, Cook 1-6, Bwenge 1-3, Pinner 1-0, Tennessee, Tinsley 4-72, Jones 2-38, Houston 2-27, Brown 2-20, Witten 1-18, Scott 1-5, Fleming 1-(minus 5).