Fresh off a dominant win last Saturday over Ole Miss, Georgia (10-0, 7-0 SEC) now prepares to face a third-straight ranked opponent, but this time it will be on the road at Tennessee (7-3, 3-3).
The No. 21 Volunteers struggled last week, losing 36-7 to No. 15 Missouri on the road, so they will try to rebound against No. 1 Georgia and end its 27-game winning streak, which dates back to 2021.
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart is eager to face Tennessee and a tough challenge on the road.
“We’re on to Tennessee. It’s a really difficult prep week, and probably is the hardest one of the year in terms of trying to replicate what they do,” Smart said Monday. “They do a tremendous job, stressing you in all phases. They’ve always been good with (head coach) Josh (Heupel) in terms of offense, but I think what they’ve been able to do defensively this year, to me, is really impressive. They play really good defense and really good offense. Their tempo is also hard to match.” Tennessee has endured an up-and-down season, with conference losses to Alabama, Florida and Missouri. The Volunteers have taken a step back in terms of success this year after going 11-2 in 2022.
Heupel’s squad overachieved last season under the leadership of quarterback Hendon Hooker, who was a Heisman Trophy candidate until being injured. He has since moved on to the NFL with Detroit. This year, Tennessee is led by quarterback Joe Milton, a veteran in Heupel’s offensive system.
While Milton has shined, passing for 2,283 yards and 16 touchdowns, the Volunteers’ run game has been the highlight of its offense as of late. Junior running back Jaylen Wright ranks fifth in the conference in yards (846), while sophomore Dylan Sampson is tied for sixth in touchdowns (11).
Smart said Tennessee’s rushing attack is hard to stop because it’s schemed up so well.
“You can’t stop it with lightboxes. They make it where you can’t,” Smart said. “You’ve got to be able to strike a man, get off a block. Football is so simple when it comes down to your ability to play block protection or block people. You know, like you either get blocked or you don’t get blocked. You’ve got to win a whole bunch of one-on-ones if you don’t have enough people in there, because they expose you quickly, and they’re very physically tough. Their O-line plays that way.”
The Bulldogs have struggled against the run at times this year, but rank No. 18 nationally in rush defense. Their defense has allowed opponents to rush an average of only 118 yards per contest through 10 games.
On the other hand, Tennessee ranks No. 8 in the country in rush offense. The Volunteers are averaging 213.3 yards per game on the ground. They’re also averaging 5.6 yards per attempt this year.
“Their backs are easily the best stable of backs we’ve seen this year in terms of the backs, the package of backs they have. And that includes the quarterback with the backs,” Smart added.
“So, it’s a really tough prep. They do a great job. The box count is what it is. They know what you got. They know what you don’t get, so it boils down to who can strike a block and get off a block.”
Defensively, Tennessee has improved from last year, giving up an average of just 20 points per game. The Volunteers rank second in the conference in sacks, with a total of 33 this season.
Tennessee has a veteran defensive line, led by James Pierce Jr., Omar Norman-Lott, and Tyler Barron. The trio of elder Volunteer defensive linemen have combined for 19 sacks already in 2023.
“They got good players. They play hard. They strike at the point of attack. They’re aggressive. They’re hard to move because they’re big. And then they have elite pass rushers,” Smart said. “When you’ve got an elite pass rusher and you got people that can push the pocket, it creates sacks. So, they are very good defensively and a big challenge, especially when you talk about the front.”
Georgia and Tennessee will kick off at 3:30 p.m. Saturday on CBS.