This Saturday, Tennessee football will look to parlay a strong pair of opening games with an upset in its 2025 SEC debut. The No. 15 Vols will host No. 6 Georgia in Neyland Stadium in the most-talked-about game of the week. To help preview the showdown, I spoke with Anthony Dasher of UGASports on On3 to get a better insight on the Bulldogs.
So far, Georgia has beaten Marshall at home 45-7 and squeaked past Austin Peay at home 28-6. With questions about the offensive production UGA has gotten, Dasher helped put it in context.
Here’s what he had to say.
More From RTI: What Georgia Football Coach Kirby Smart Said on Tuesday to Preview Tennessee Game
Through two games, how would you grade how Georgia has played?
Dasher: “We’ll have to break that into offense and defense. Defensively, we’ll give Georgia a B+. With Marshall and Austin Peay being the first two games, you’d expect Georgia’s defense to have success. The two games allowed Georgia to play a lot of players on that side of the ball, and some of Georgia’s younger players were able to gain some valuable experience.
Offensively, it’s been another story. I’d give that group a C+, at best. Again, Georgia did not have to do anything fancy to win either game. I’m sure the Bulldogs did not want to show Tennessee much, either. Still, Georgia’s offensive line was nowhere near as dominant as you think the group would be in those two games. Quarterback Gunner Stockton has not thrown downfield much, as Georgia’s offense thus far has basically been a series of short passes and runs.”
How do you assess what you’ve seen from Gunner Stockton at quarterback so far? How does he compare to Carson Beck and Stetson Bennett?
Dasher: “Gunner’s an entirely different quarterback than Carson Beck in several respects. One, Stockton can make plays with his legs if plays break down. Stockton’s toughness is probably his strength, but he’s still developing as a passer on the collegiate level. At times, he’s been hesitant making throws, although he has yet to commit a turnover. Stockton still needs to work on his pocket presence, and he’s got to do a better job creating explosives. So far, except for a 49-yard catch and run by Zachariah Branch, Georgia’s offense has yet to create many big plays. That will need to change against Tennessee.”
Zachariah Branch seems to be what he was billed to be. Who else should Tennessee fans know on the offensive end?
Dasher: “Yeah, Zach seems to be the real deal. Not the biggest guy, but he’s put together, is very explosive, and has good hands. He’s also a threat returning punts. Otherwise, Texas A&M transfer Noah Thomas is a 6-foot-6 target who needs to be a bigger part of the passing game. In the backfield, Nate Frazier and Dwight “Peanut” Phillips are the running backs to watch for. Phillips has great speed and is someone Georgia will use on reverses and gadget plays.”
What are the strengths, weaknesses of the defense? Is it to the standard we’ve come to expect from UGA?
Dasher: “There were a lot of questions about Georgia’s defensive front coming in, but so far, the group has played well. Returnees Christen and former five-star Jordan Hall have All-SEC potential, while former five-star freshman Elijah Griffin is already opening eyes. The group has done a good job stuffing the run and making it easier for the inside backers to make plays. Keep an eye on Chris Cole. Cole is a sophomore inside linebacker but will also rush from the edge.
Again, considering the competition in the first two games, it’s still hard to say exactly what Georgia has defensively, as Tennessee will test the group in ways they have not been thus far.”
How do you see this game playing out? Score prediction?
Dasher: “I wrote on Sunday that it’s still impossible to say exactly what kind of team Georgia has. Bulldog fans are scared to death about Stockton at quarterback, with good reason. Stockton has yet to show this year the ability to throw downfield. Will Tennessee crowd the line and dare him to do so on Saturday? I would. Oh yeah, Stockton will be playing in his first true road game Saturday afternoon in Neyland Stadium. Defensively, I feel Georgia is about what you’re used to seeing. But again, they’ve yet to see anything like what they’ll be going against on Saturday. As (I) type (on Sunday), Georgia is favored by 6.5. Considering how they’ve looked offensively thus far, that seems a little high. Vegas usually knows what it’s talking about, so this early in the season, I’ll still give Georgia a slight edge. However, if the Georgia team that shows up Saturday is the one I saw against Austin Peay, that won’t bode well for the Bulldogs. As far as a score, I haven’t come close yet, lol, so that’s probably good news for Vol fans. I’ll say Georgia 27-24, but that’s a very shaky pick based on what I’ve seen thus far.”
