After earning two non conference wins to begin the season, Tennessee football faces a much greater challenge this week as they host rival Georgia at Neyland Stadium.
The Bulldogs have won eight straight in the series and are 3.5-point favorites at Neyland Stadium this week. Here’s what to know about Georgia ahead of the rivalry showdown.
How Georgia Has Fared To This Point
Georgia is off to a 2-0 start in Kirby Smart’s 10th season as head coach but the Bulldogs have not been tested to this point in the season. The Bulldogs have not faced a power four team all season, let alone a SEC opponent ranked in the nation’s top 15.
The Bulldogs earned a convincing 45-7 win over Marshall to begin the season but looked sluggish a week ago, defeating FCS foe Austin Peay 28-6. Georgia threw for just 231 yards and totaled only 421 total yards agains the Govs.
There have been instances where Georgia looked sluggish against an overmatched foe early in the season only to find its groove. Time will tell if the Austin Peay game was that or a symptom of a bigger issue.
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Georgia’s Projected Strengths
It’s too early in the season and Georgia has played too easy a schedule to say speak with certainty about its strength and weaknesses. But here’s where the Bulldogs look to be strong.
The Bulldogs front seven looks stronger than they have been the last few seasons though not as good as they did in 2021 and 2022 when Georgia won the national championship. Georgia has 23 quarterback pressures through two games and like Tennessee, they oft use their linebackers to rush the passer.
CJ Allen and Chris Cole both are playing at a high level early this season and could be poised for All-SEC type seasons.
Offensively, the expectation has been for Georgia to get its run game back in full force a season after the Bulldogs were shaky running the football. The Bulldogs rushed for 429 yards through two games with three running backs totaling 89-plus yards at this point in the season.
First year starting quarterback Gunnar Stockton is as willing a runner as any quarterback Georgia has started during Smart’s tenure.
Questions About The Bulldogs
The passing game with Gunnar Stockton as the helm is the big one. Georgia went all in at receiver in the transfer portal to help Stockton and the passing attack but the results have not been overwhelming to this point.
Stockton threw for 190 yards against Marshall before throwing for 227 yards against Austin Peay. The Bulldogs haven’t had to force the issue to this point but they also haven’t started fast through the air. USC transfer slot receiver Zachariah Branch has been a nice piece in both the passing and return game. He has 112 yards and a touchdown on six catches at this point.
Georgia is also breaking in three new starters on the offensive line. They’ve performed well to this point but even a banged up Tennessee front should produce a challenge for them.
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Bulldogs To Know
QB Gunnar Stockton
We’ve already touched on Stockton but all eyes will be on Stockton in his first road start. Stockton started against Notre Dame in the playoffs and played in the second half of the SEC Championship game against Texas. He’s not completely untested but this is now his team. The pressure is different for Stockton now.
RB Nate Frazier
Like Tennessee, Georgia plays multiple running backs but Frazier is the lead dawg in that room. A bruising back, Frazier totaled 671 rushing yards and eight touchdowns last season. He has 116 yards and two touchdowns on the ground at this point in the season.
TE Oscar Delp
Georgia torched Tennessee over the middle last season and Delp was a big reason why, catching four passes for 56 yards and two touchdowns. He has only two catches for 33 yards this season but he’s been a bit up-and-down throughout his career. Tennessee needs to contain him Saturday.
LB CJ Allen
We touched on Allen a bit ago but he’s a monster on the front seven of Georgia’s defense. After totaling 76 tackles a season ago, Allen has a team-best 11 tackles and a sack through two games this year.
S KJ Bolden
Bolden was one of Georgia’s best defensive players as a true freshman last season when he totaled 59 tackles, a sack, interception and forced fumble. He’s off to a strong to his sophomore campaign and is playmaker in the defensive backfield.
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What Josh Heupel Said About The Bulldogs
On what he’s seen from Georgia junior quarterback and first-year starter Gunner Stockton
“He’s played really well. You look at him this year, he’s taken great care of the football. He’s been accurate with it. He’s got the ability to be extremely mobile and extending, creating plays on his own. You got to do a great job of applying pressure, but still bottling him up inside of the pocket, not letting him get outside of it. And if they choose, he certainly can be a part of the quarterback run game as well and try to tilt the numbers. So a huge test for us defensively. Communication will be an important. All shift-trade motion before the snap of the football as well. We got to be at our best.”
On Georgia’s defensive backs being known for physicality, facing young Tennessee receivers this week
“In this football game there’s one-on-ones that guys are going to have to win all over the football field. You’re talking about the wide receivers, that’s going to happen at the line of scrimmage as well. You got to play with fundamentals and technique and get off of it. That’s press man and all the coverage variations that they have. You also have to be able to recognize those things as well. And protecting the quarterback, winning the line scrimmage, is going to be important and vice versa for us defensively. We got to do a great job against the run. You got to get them in third and longs, and then you got to be able to get off the field.”
On Georgia being good on the line of scrimmage, how much of that is personnel and how much of it is philosophy and scheme
“They are extremely physical as a football team. They’re well coached across the board. But the line of scrimmage, the combination of those things with their skill sets, their talent, the athletic traits they have, I think it’s a combination of all those parts.”
On what he sees from Georgia skill players, Zachariah Branch specifically
“Still really talented. Got speed, playmakers. Branch is a guy that’s played at a high level, has experience, played really well here the first couple of games, dynamic in the return game as well. He poses a big test for us.”
