Overview: Tennessee vs Georgia

Another week brings another game, Tennessee vs Georgia. It could be an elimination round in a highly competitive SEC conference. Tennessee Volunteers travels to Athens to take on the Georgia Bulldogs. Georgia leads the all-time series in this matchup, 28-23, and has won their last seven matchups. Let’s examine the best players, the key matchup, and why this year’s game might differ from previous years.

Georgia’s High Expectations

This year feels different for a Georgia team. They have high hopes to go undefeated after two championships in the last three years. Last week’s loss to Ole Miss was Georgia’s first non-Alabama loss since 2020! They now have two losses. Another defeat could mean missing the college football playoff again. That is even with this year’s expansion.

Georgia’s Key Player: Carson Beck

To avoid further disappointment, Georgia’s success starts with quarterback Carson Beck. Beck entered the season as one of the country’s Heisman favorites and top quarterbacks. He currently leads in interceptions thrown with 12. While his receiving corps has challenges, Beck is familiar with offensive coordinator Mike Bobo’s system. With that, he’s expected to elevate the players around him.

Georgia’s Offensive Struggles

The entire offense, not just Beck, is struggling this season. For the first time since 2020, the Bulldogs’ offensive yardage ranks outside the top five in the SEC. A major reason for their lackluster offense is an inconsistent run game. This season, they have yet to see a 100-yard rusher. Florida transfer running back Trevor Etienne hasn’t provided the impact Georgia hoped for. A rib injury has limited him to fewer than 35 yards and under 10 carries in the last two games. Freshman running back Nate Carter looks to fill the void. Beck’s go-to targets at receiver are:

• Arian Smith
• Dominic Lovett
• Dillion Bell

Tennessee’s Offensive Strength

The offense is driven by the running game for Tennessee. They lead the conference in rushing yards. Dylan Sampson’s 1,129 yards put him 216 yards ahead of the next closest SEC rusher. As a rusher, Sampson helps ease the load on sophomore quarterback Nico Iamaleava. Iamaleava has only one career game with more than 30 pass attempts; last week, he only threw 16 times. When he does throw, his top targets are:

• Donte Thornton Jr.
• Bru McCoy
• Squirrel White
• Chris Brazzell II

Tennessee’s Defensive Improvements

A major improvement for the Volunteers has been on defense. They rank among the top five nationally in points and yards allowed. They are led on defense by:

• Arion Carter
• Will Brooks
• Jermod McCoy
• Keenan Pili
• James Pearce

Georgia’s Defensive Decline

Georgia ranks outside the top five in points allowed in the SEC on defense. This is a decline from their top-ranking last season. A key matchup will be how Georgia defends the run.

Additional players to watch are:

• Malaki Starks
• C.J. Allen
• Jalon Walker
• Dan Jackson
• Raylen Wilson
• Chaz Chambliss
• Smael Mondon Jr.

Coaching Analysis

Here is a quick review of the coaches’ shows that last year. Josh Heupel finished 54th in coaching above performance expectations (CAPE). His teams beat the spread by an average of 1 point per game. Kirby Smart finished 41st in this ranking, with his team beating the spread by an average of 1.7 points per game. Both coaches have under performed in this ranking late this season.

Conclusion

Will Tennessee end its streak of consecutive losses against Georgia? Will Georgia turn their season around? Find out with University Football.

Author – Tarohn Finley