It’s finally here. The battle of the two remaining undefeateds in the Southeastern Conference, Georgia vs. Tennessee, kicks off this Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS.
With both teams sitting at 8-0, the winner of this game can punch their ticket to the SEC championship. Georgia is an 8 point favorite to beat the Vols, per BetMGM. The over/under is set at 66.5.
All the talk has been about Tennessee’s offense, which is certainly fair. Look at the numbers; you’ll see the Vols either lead or almost lead the nation in the major categories. But Georgia’s defense is no joke, and though it’s not on the same level as last year’s squad, this team can give Hendon Hooker a tough time, especially with it being in Athens.
Defensively, Tennessee ranks very low practically everywhere, most notably in passing defense. Stetson Bennett could be due for a big day. But can he do enough to keep up?
Here are five reasons Georgia beats the Vols on Saturday…
5
Tennessee's passing defense ranks No. 127 in the nation (out of 131)
Georgia’s going to have to be able to move the ball really, really well if it wants to win this game. That means it needs a PERFECT game from quarterback Stetson Bennett.
The good news is, I think that’s very possible. Tennessee’s passing defense has been bad this season, allowing 300.8 passing yards per game. That ranks No. 127 out of 131.
Notable QB performances vs. Tennessee’s defense this season include:
- Ball State’s QB putting up 269 yards
- Florida’s Anthony Richardson had 453 passing yards against them
- LSU’s Jayden Daniels had 300 yards
- Bryce Young had 455 yards
- The UT Martin QB had 301 yards
Stetson Bennett has guided Georgia’s to the No. 8 ranked passing offense in the country, averaging 328.1 passing yards per game. And it’s a good thing Brock Bowers got going last week against Florida, because Georgia will need a big game from the sophomore tight end.
4
Penalties, penalties, penalties
Another not-so-good stat for Tennessee is that Vols rank No. 124 out of 131 teams in terms of penalty yards surrendered per game.
They’re averaging 74 yards per game given up by penalties. They commit 8.4 penalties per game (No. 122 in the FBS).
Couple that with the fact this is a home game for Georgia, and I would expect to see a lot of yellow flags flying around. The place will be rocking…bring on the delay of games, false starts and the holds.
Those can be drive-killers. Now if those flags happen and force Tennessee into a third down, the Vols are pretty good at converting, ranking No. 8 with a 50.4% conversion rate. However, Georgia’s defense is pretty stout on third down, allowing a conversion only 28.8% of the time, which ranks No. 10.
3
History has to count for something, right?
Georgia and Tennessee have each other played 51 times dating back to 1899. Georgia holds the series edge 26-23-2.
Georgia’s won five in a row and 10 of the last 12 against the Vols. Tennessee’s two wins were a Hail Mary touchdown and a close one the year before.
Kirby Smart is also 4-0 at home when College GameDay comes to town.
I know, a lot of things that may mean nothing…but the numbers do not lie.
2
Georgia will be able to play its style of offense
Georgia’s offense will need to allow its defense time to rest. There’s no doubt Tennessee is going to score points. It’s inevitable. And the Vols move so fast that the defense does not have time to catch its breath.
Brock Bowers and Darnell Washington are playing like the two best tight ends in the country. Bowers had a huge day against Florida, recording 5 catches for 154 yards and a touchdown. Washington has been making plays as well. Tennessee’s passing defense is bad, we’ve already discussed that. But I don’t think I can stress the importance enough of Bowers against the Vols. Who is going to guard hime? And who is going to guard a 6-foot-7, 270 pound Washington?
And the good thing is that the running backs are playing well. Kenny McIntosh has been running hard lately, and so has Daijun Edwards. The Vols rushing defense is not bad, but Georgia is the more physical team and will be able to chew clock and move the ball.
1
It's in Athens...and Georgia is ranked No. 3...
Tennessee played at LSU, one of the most difficult places to play, and won 40-13. But the Vols were also the way better football team.
That won’t be the case on Saturday, though. Tennessee’s not played a defense like Georgia’s yet, this will be the loudest environment they’ll face all season as well and Hooker will have to be very efficient in communicating with his offense.
I think that will be the difference. It was probably the difference against Alabama and people cannot forget how important home-field advantage is in the SEC.
Also there’s the fact that Georgia just checked in at No. 3 in the country and Tennessee at No. 1. You know Kirby Smart will be using that at motivation all week leading up to this game. The committee thinks Tennessee is the better team…Georgia needs to go to prove it’s the other way around.
Prediction: Georgia 45, Tennessee 35
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