ESPN staff
The defending national champion No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs host the No. 1 Tennessee Volunteers in a matchup that will likely have major implications for the SEC championship game and the College Football Playoff. According to ESPN Analytics, the winner of this game will also have a 99% chance of winning the SEC East. 2 Related This has been a one-sided series in recent years, as Georgia enters the contest riding a five-game winning streak — tied for the longest in series history — with all five wins by more than 20 points. Tennessee will look to change that with Heisman Trophy favorite Hendon Hooker at the helm. Hooker has 21 touchdown passes this season, second only to Peyton Manning (23) through eight games in program history. Most of those have gone to Jalin Hyatt (14), who is on pace to become the third receiver in SEC history to catch 20 touchdown passes in a season. Here are the highlights from Tennessee-Georgia:
Celebrity observations
Cleveland Browns running back and Georgia alum Nick Chubb and other stars are in the building to watch the Bulldogs battle the Vols. Some #DGD at Sanford #GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/MOWzUS5O2H — Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) November 5, 2022
Updates from Sanford
As expected, Georgia wide receiver Adonai Mitchell will not play against the Volunteers. He is not in a warm-up uniform. Mitchell, a sophomore from Missouri City, Texas, has been sidelined with an ankle injury and hasn’t played since Georgia’s 33-0 rout of Samford on Sept. 10. He had five catches for 69 yards and a score in a 49-3 rout of Oregon in the opener. He’s one of Georgia’s best deep threats, and quarterback Stetson Bennett could have used him against Tennessee’s shaky secondary. — Mark Schlabach
What you need to know about the Vols?
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said the Vols need to be as healthy as they have been all season. Cedric Tillman, who led Tennessee in receiving last season, looks to add a boost to an already strong receiving corps. He played limited snaps last week against Kentucky, and Heupel said they had him on a “field meter” after missing the previous four games. Heupel said Tillman will be “ready to roll” against the Bulldogs. The 6-foot-3 Tillman poses serious problems with his size and athleticism, especially with the speedy Jalin Hyatt and his 14 touchdowns on the other side. Tillman practiced at full speed, but the Vols wanted to make sure he was 100 percent before bringing him back for a game. Tillman had stretch cord surgery to repair a sprained ankle in September. — Chris Lowe
How about those Dawgs?
There’s no doubt that Georgia’s defense will miss senior outside linebacker Nolan Smith, who led the Bulldogs in sacks, tackles for loss and quarterback hurries. He is a versatile defender who Georgia has moved around a lot and is one of the most experienced players on the team. But the Bulldogs would struggle to pressure Volunteers quarterback Hendon Hooker regardless. Hooker gets rid of the ball quickly in Tennessee’s rushing attack. He has tremendous eye discipline and doesn’t make many mistakes, which is why he only has one interception this season. Georgia’s corners — Kelee Ringo and Kamari Lassiter — will have to play well on the perimeter to slow down the Vols. They will face a monumental challenge in trying to contain UT receivers Tillman, Bru McCoy and Hyatt. Georgia coach Kirby Smart said the Bulldogs will have to adjust to UT’s pace on the fly and do so well. “They have multiple tempos that they use and they can go as fast as anybody in the country. They practice it, they preach it, they do a really good job of researching themselves and figuring out how they can go faster. And our job is to be able to match with this level of preparation.” — Schlabach
Is in Athens
What may be the biggest game in Sanford Stadium history is still hours away, but thousands of fans have flocked to Athens from every direction. Former Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning is here. So is former Georgia defensive back and NFL Hall of Famer Champ Bailey. Country music star Luke Bryan arrived for “College GameDay” on a private jet. PGA Tour golfers Kevin Kisner, a Georgia graduate, and former US Open champion Gary Woodland were expected to arrive from Justin Thomas’ wedding in Nashville sometime Saturday morning. The Bulldogs have hosted many big games at Sanford Stadium over the past 93 years, but perhaps none bigger than Saturday’s, which will likely decide the SEC East title and who plays in the SEC championship game. The winner will also have an inside track to the College Football Playoff, while the loser will need help from other teams to get into the top four. It’s the first top-five game at Sanford Stadium since 1983, when Bo Jackson and No. 3 Auburn ended No. 4 Georgia’s 23-game SEC winning streak with a 13-7 win between the fences. “It’s a big game, right?” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “There’s nothing about a number in front of him. It would be a big game regardless because both teams are in the East.” — Schlabach
title: “Highlights And Highlights From Tennessee Vs. Georgia " ShowToc: true date: “2022-10-30” author: “Amy Orozco”
ESPN staff
The defending national champion No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs host the No. 1 Tennessee Volunteers in a matchup that will likely have major implications for the SEC championship game and the College Football Playoff. According to ESPN Analytics, the winner of this game will also have a 99% chance of winning the SEC East. 2 Related This has been a one-sided series in recent years, as Georgia enters the contest riding a five-game winning streak — tied for the longest in series history — with all five wins by more than 20 points. Tennessee will look to change that with Heisman Trophy favorite Hendon Hooker at the helm. Hooker has 21 touchdown passes this season, second only to Peyton Manning (23) through eight games in program history. Most of those have gone to Jalin Hyatt (14), who is on pace to become the third receiver in SEC history to catch 20 touchdown passes in a season. Here are the highlights from Tennessee-Georgia:
The first half in a package
Agriculture Georgia isn’t bad in attack either. After driving the ball on its opening possession, Georgia scored touchdowns on three of its next four drives and amassed 306 yards of offense in the first half. Quarterback Stetson Bennett handled Tennessee’s pressure-based defense well, throwing for two scores and running for another. The Bulldogs ran the ball well when they wanted to. They had just as much success against the UT secondary, which had some big misses. Georgia’s offensive line stifled Tennessee’s defensive front, giving Bennett plenty of time to throw and the running backs plenty of room to run. On the other side of the ball, Georgia’s defense did a good job of pressuring UT quarterback Hendon Hooker. The Bulldogs avoided breakdowns in the secondary and kept the Vols’ speedy wideouts in front of them for the most part. — Mark Schlabach First half 📸#GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/43xLa0WDxJ — Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) November 5, 2022 Tennessee The crowd noise was deafening in the first half, and Tennessee repeatedly put itself in third-and-long situations, which is exactly what coach Josh Heupel said the Vols needed to avoid. The Vols committed back-to-back false start penalties after driving inside the Georgia 10-yard line in the second quarter. It was that kind of half for the Vols, who punted three times after a total of 18 in their previous eight games. All season, Tennessee has been able to make explosive plays in the passing game, but the Vols couldn’t get any big plays down the field in the first half. But beyond all else, Georgia was the better team on the line of scrimmage in the first half. The Vols couldn’t pressure Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett, who had plenty of time to fly and picked off the Vols’ secondary. Tennessee was just okay running the ball and didn’t have an offensive game from scrimmage longer than 17 yards. That’s after entering the game with an FBS-leading 36 plays of 30 yards or more. Keeping McGrath’s two field goals was the first time this season since a 34-27 overtime win against Pittsburgh in Week 2 that Tennessee had gone an entire half without scoring. — Chris Lowe
One score before the break
The Bulldogs tacked on one more score before halftime with a field goal as time expired. Georgia enters the locker room with a 24-6 lead over Tennessee.
It is possible in Athens
‘s> Crowd noise has played a factor so far for the Vols. Tennessee has committed five false start penalties with 9:56 left in the second quarter. Georgia’s Twitter account noted the misses before the download. pic.twitter.com/aUaNSzBnif — Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) November 5, 2022
Tennessee cuts the lead
An 11-play, 56-yard drive by Tennessee ended in a touchdown as the Georgia defense stiffened on their side of the field. Tennessee trails 21-6.
Hot start for Bennett
Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett looks like a Heisman Trophy candidate playing at Sanford Stadium on Saturday — at least so far. The former athlete has thrown for three touchdowns to give the Bulldogs an early 21-3 lead over the No. 1 Volunteers. The first came on a 13-yard run in which he eluded a blitzing UT punter and beat another in the corner of the end zone. The second was a 37-yard pass to Ladd McConkey down the right sideline. McConkey made a nasty move on UT safety Doneiko Slaughter to slide past him. The third was a 5-yard strike to Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint in the back of the end zone. Bennett completed 6 of 10 passes for 156 yards in the first quarter. He has handled the UT pressure well so far. — Mark Schlabach
Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint is stepping up. pic.twitter.com/n5PbLpoCvq — CBS Sports (@CBSSports) November 5, 2022 Got 🆙 pic.twitter.com/OoFIrs06SS — ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) November 5, 2022
The Dawgs are hitting fast
It took one play for the Bulldogs to extend their lead as Stetson Bennett found Land McConkey for a 37-yard touchdown. Georgia leads 14-3. The Dawgs are rolling and Sanford Stadium is LOUD 🐶 pic.twitter.com/6zgNBT9SPf — ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) November 5, 2022
Bennett finds the end zone
UGA quarterback Stetson Bennett found receiver Arian Smith on a 52-yard touchdown pass to move Georgia into Tennessee territory. On third down at the Vols’ 13-yard line, Bennett showed his mobility on a scramble and pylon dive for the score. Georgia leads 7-3 after the extra point. WIDE HAT. FANTASTIC. What a run to find the end zone. pic.twitter.com/4t2wxaAGc1 — CBS Sports (@CBSSports) November 5, 2022
The volumes capitalize on the Bulldogs turnover
Bulldogs running back Daijun Edwards ran on the first down, which led to a field goal for the Volunteers. Tennessee leads 3-0. HOT POTATO! The Vols are coming off a big early comeback. pic.twitter.com/ludRqQMXMG — CBS Sports (@CBSSports) November 5, 2022 That was a very good stop by the Georgia defense after Edwards fumbled on the opening possession. The Volunteers took over at the UGA 47, but the Bulldogs forced a UT punt by Chase McGrath. Crowd noise was a factor early on. the Volunteers had two false starts on their first possession. — Schlabach
Celebrity observations
Cleveland Browns running back and Georgia alum Nick Chubb and other stars are in the building to watch the Bulldogs battle the Vols. Some #DGD at Sanford #GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/MOWzUS5O2H — Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) November 5, 2022
Updates from Sanford
As expected, Georgia wide receiver Adonai Mitchell will not play against the Volunteers. He is not in a warm-up uniform. Mitchell, a sophomore from Missouri City, Texas, has been sidelined with an ankle injury and hasn’t played since Georgia’s 33-0 rout of Samford on Sept. 10. He had five catches for 69 yards and a score in a 49-3 rout of Oregon in the opener. He’s one of Georgia’s best deep threats, and quarterback Stetson Bennett could have used him against Tennessee’s shaky secondary. — Schlabach
What you need to know about the Vols?
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said the Vols need to be as healthy as they have been all season. Cedric Tillman, who led Tennessee in receiving last season, looks to add a boost to an already strong receiving corps. He played limited snaps last week against Kentucky, and Heupel said they had him on a “field meter” after missing the previous four games. Heupel said Tillman will be “ready to roll” against the Bulldogs. The 6-foot-3 Tillman poses serious problems with his size and athleticism, especially with the speedy Jalin Hyatt and his 14 touchdowns on the other side. Tillman practiced at full speed, but the Vols wanted to make sure he was 100 percent before bringing him back for a game. Tillman had stretch cord surgery to repair a sprained ankle in September. — Low
How about those Dawgs?
There’s no doubt that Georgia’s defense will miss senior outside linebacker Nolan Smith, who led the Bulldogs in sacks, tackles for loss and quarterback hurries. He is a versatile defender who Georgia has moved around a lot and is one of the most experienced players on the team. But the Bulldogs would struggle to pressure Volunteers quarterback Hendon Hooker regardless. Hooker gets rid of the ball quickly in Tennessee’s rushing attack. He has tremendous eye discipline and doesn’t make many mistakes, which is why he only has one interception this season. Georgia’s corners — Kelee Ringo and Kamari Lassiter — will have to play well on the perimeter to slow down the Vols. They will face a monumental challenge in trying to contain UT receivers Tillman, Bru McCoy and Hyatt. Georgia coach Kirby Smart said the Bulldogs will have to adjust to UT’s pace on the fly and do so well. “They have multiple tempos that they use and they can go as fast as anybody in the country. They practice it, they preach it, they do a really good job of researching themselves and figuring out how they can go faster. And our job is to be able to match with this level of preparation.” — Schlabach
Is in Athens
What may be the biggest game in Sanford Stadium history is still hours away, but thousands of fans have flocked to Athens from every direction. Former Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning is here. So is former Georgia defensive back and NFL Hall of Famer Champ Bailey. Country music star Luke Bryan arrived for “College GameDay” on a private jet. PGA Tour golfers Kevin Kisner, a Georgia graduate, and former US Open champion Gary Woodland were expected to arrive from Justin Thomas’ wedding in Nashville sometime Saturday morning. The Bulldogs have hosted many big games at Sanford Stadium over the past 93 years, but perhaps none bigger than Saturday’s, which will likely decide the SEC East title and who plays in the SEC championship game. The winner will also have an inside track to the College Football Playoff, while the loser will need help from other teams to get into the top four. It is the first match of the five in…
