WHERE: Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, Tenn.
WHEN: Saturday, 3:30 p.m.
RECORDS: Georgia 10-0, 7-0; Tennessee 7-3, 3-3
TV/RADIO: CBS (Brad Nessler, Gary Danielson, Jenny Dell); Georgia Bulldog Radio Network (Scott Howard, Eric Zeier, DJ Shockey); ESPN Radio (Mike Watts, Derek Rackley)
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The Game
How big is Saturday’s game with Tennessee?
All you’ve got to do is go back to the end of Georgia’s big win over Ole Miss last week when ESPN’s Holly Rowe asked Kirby Smart about repeating as SEC Champs.
“We’re just focused on Tennessee,” said Smart, whose Bulldogs look to extend their school-record 27-game winning streak.
There’s obviously a lot on the line.
Although a date in Atlanta against Alabama is secured, the Bulldogs know they can ill afford any slipups between now and the conference championship, set for Dec. 2 in Mercedes Benz Stadium.
The Bulldogs enter the game playing their best ball of the year.
Last week’s 52-17 thrashing against an Ole Miss team many figured would give Georgia a run, was enough to vault the Bulldogs back into the top spot of the College Football Playoff rankings.
Georgia’s health is also improving. Although the Bulldogs are without linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson (forearm) and lost cornerback Julian Humphrey to an apparent shoulder injury last week, the return of Brock Bowers and Amarius Mims has already provided a huge shot of momentum on the offensive side.
The Bulldogs continue to rank among the nation’s best statistically on both sides of the ball.
As for Tennessee, the Vols were still alive for the SEC East crown before last week’s 36-7 shellacking at the hands of Missouri.
While there’s little doubt the Vols would love to exact a measure of revenge on the Bulldogs and end their current winning streak, there remains a question exactly how the team will respond following last week’s disaster in Columbia, Mo.
Players to Watch
Georgia: QB Carson Beck, RB Daijun Edwards, RB Kendall Milton, TE Brock Bowers, WR Ladd McConkey, WR Dominic Lovett, WR RaRa Thomas, OT Amarius Mims, N Nazir Stackhouse, DE Mykel Williams, LB Smael Mondon, S Tykee Smith, S Malaki Starks, CB Kamari Lassiter.
Tennessee: QB Joe Milton, RB Jaylen Wright, RB Jabari Small, RB Dylan Sampson, WR Squirrel White, WR Ramel Keyton, C Cooper Mays, DE Roman Harrison, DT Omari Thomas, WLB Aaron Beasley, MLB Elijah Herring, S Tamarion McDonald, S Jaylen McCollough.
Three Keys for Georgia
Stop the run: Tennessee has always been a good running team under Josh Heupel, but this year that’s been especially true. The Vols have been one of the best in the SEC, before being held to 83 yards by Missouri. The formula used by the Tigers is one Georgia will no doubt attempt to replicate. Slowing down the Vols on the ground is Step 1 to winning Saturday’s game.
Protect Carson Beck: Georgia’s offensive line couldn’t have done a better job protecting Beck than it did last week against Ole Miss, when the Rebels never laid a hand on the Bulldog quarterback. Tennessee is averaging 3.3 sacks per game, and will definitely look to pressure Beck. They’d better. The Vols rank eighth in the SEC in pass defense, allowing 227.5 yards per game.
Start quickly: It’s almost become a running joke. Georgia opponents have scored first in four straight games against the Bulldogs. Although this has certainly not kept Georgia from responding, there’s no doubt Kirby Smart would like to see his team strike the first blow to put an early damper on the enthusiasm inside what’s sure to be a raucous environment inside Neyland Stadium.
Injury Update
LB Jamon Dumas-Johnson (Forearm) Out
CB Julian Humphrey (shoulder) Out
RB Branson Robinson (Ruptured Patella Tendon) Out
WR CJ Smith (knee) Questionable
DL Warren Brinson (calf strain) Probable
Georgia News and Notes
• The Bulldogs are one of only three teams in the country who are ranked in the top 10 in both Scoring Offense and Scoring Defense. The Bulldogs rank sixth in Scoring Defense at 15.6 ppg and sixth in Scoring Offense at 40.6 ppg. The other two teams are Michigan (10-0) and SMU (8-2). One of the keys to Georgia’s success is its third-down defense.
• Georgia is ranked seventh nationally with opponents converting on third down just 28 percent of the time. In SEC action, Georgia opponents are a combined 26-for-84 on third downs (28 percent). The Bulldogs lead the country in converting third downs (56 percent). Georgia has converted 47 of 86 third downs (55 percent) against league opponents.
• Georgia is on a school-record 27-game winning streak that began with a 34-11 win over Michigan in the 2021 CFP semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl. This ranks third in SEC history.
…Georgia is enjoying a school-record streak of 37 consecutive regular-season victories that dates to a 31-24 home triumph over Mississippi State on Nov. 21, 2020. That’s the longest streak in the FBS.
…Georgia has won 26 regular season SEC games in a row dating to a 31-24 win over Mississippi State on Nov. 21, 2020. This is a school record for consecutive SEC wins and ranks second in SEC history.
…The Bulldogs have set a school record with 25 home wins in a row, which leads the nation.
…The Bulldogs are 43-1 in their last 44 games, including back-to-back national championships.
• The 2023 Bulldogs: Averaging 40.6 points/game (T-6th nationally), outscored their opponents 406-156, including 211-83 in the opening half. Georgia owns a plus-250 point differential; 53-for-57 in the red zone with 37 touchdowns, and 16 field goals.
…The 2022 Bulldogs: Averaged 41.1 points/game (5th nationally), and outscored their opponents 616-214, including 341-105 in the opening half. It was the second consecutive year the team led the nation in point differential at plus-402. Georgia was 81 of 83 in the red zone (98 percent led nation) with 57 touchdowns and 24 field goals.
…The 2021 Bulldogs: Averaged 38.6 points/game (9th nationally) and outscored their opponents 579-153, including 358-65 in the opening half. Georgia led the nation in point differential at plus-426, including 59 of 69 in the Red Zone (86 percent ranked 50th) with 42 touchdowns and 17 field goals
Carson Beck is on a record pace for completion percentage at 72.2, which is ranked sixth nationally. The school record was set last year by Stetson Bennett at 68.28. The SEC record for a season is 77.4 by Alabama’s Mac Jones in 2020. Beck directed the Bulldogs to a 52-17 rout of No. 9 Ole Miss behind 18-of-25 passing for 306 yards and two touchdowns. Georgia tallied a season-high 611 total yards of offense against the Rebels.
Tennessee News and Notes
• Quarterback Joe Milton brings a streak of 14 consecutive games with at least one touchdown pass thrown into the Georgia game, which is third in UT annals. He surpassed Tony Robinson (1984-85) against Missouri. Hendon Hooker (2021-22) owns the record with 20 straight, while Heath Shuler (1992-94) is second with 18. Milton has thrown multiple touchdown passes in six of 10 games this season, and he’s rushed for and passed for a touchdown in the same game four times this season.
• Tennessee outscores opponents 420-152 in the first quarter under Josh Heupel, including 190-51 in 2021, 141-72 in 2022, and 89-29 this season. The Vols have scored at least one touchdown in the first quarter in 31 of 36 games under Heupel with the 2022 season games against Florida and Georgia and this season’s Austin Peay and Missouri games being the only exceptions.
• Tennessee is 2-16 vs. Associated Press poll No. 1 teams and 2-16 vs. Coaches poll No. 1 teams. This is the third straight season that Tennessee is facing a No. 1-ranked team. Last season, the Vols defeated Alabama, No. 1 in the Coaches poll, and lost at No. 1 Georgia, No. 1 in both the AP and Coaches polls.
• The Vols boast one of the best running back rooms in the nation led by the trio of senior Jabari Small, juniorJaylen Wright, and sophom*ore Dylan Sampson.
• As a team, Tennessee is second in the SEC in rushing yards per game with 213.3, a mark that is also eighth in the FBS. The Vols average 5.64 yards per carry, which is second in the SEC and sixth nationally.
• Wright ranks second in the SEC in average yards per carry at 7.25, behind only LSU's Jayden Daniels at 8.05. Wright is third in the FBS in that category and second among FBS running backs. (min. 10 rushes per game, must play in 75 percent of games). Sampson is eighth in the SEC at 5.74 yards per rush.
• Wright has produced six 100-yard rushing games this season, which is tied with Missouri's Cody Schrader for the SEC lead. The six is tied for sixth in UT single-season annals and is the most by a Vol since Jalen Hurd had six in 2015. Wright is one away from a five-way tie for second place in the UT record books with Travis Stephens (2001), Travis Henry (2000), Jamal Lewis (1997) and Chuck Webb (1989).
Prediction
When the season began, I agreed with pundits who said that Saturday’s game in Knoxville would be Georgia’s toughest game of the year.
It still might be, but the way both teams are trending, one doesn’t get the same feel.
Tennessee’s crowd will be an early factor, but this is football, it comes down to the Jimmys and Joes, and right now Tennessee’s weaknesses play into Georgia’s strengths. Therefore: Georgia 42, Tennessee 17.
