Week 7: Tennessee at Georgia

Tennessee and Georgia head into their annual meeting looking for a rebound. The Volunteers are coming off a sluggish 13-9 win over Northern Illinois, while the Bulldogs are still smarting from their 41-30 dismantling at the hands of Alabama. The Volunteers are searching for their first win in SEC play, but the Bulldogs need this victory to stay in the national title hunt.

After watching Jonathan Crompton struggle, the Volunteers decided to make a switch and go with Nick Stephens under center. Stephens’ collegiate debut was solid, completing 10 of 17 passes for 156 yards and a touchdown. However, the Georgia defense will present a better challenge than Northern Illinois. Although quarterback play has been a huge question mark for the Volunteers, the running game and offensive line has experienced their share of struggles. Senior Arian Foster was expected to be one of the top running backs in the SEC, but has yet to live up to that billing. The Georgia defense ranks fourth in the NCAA against the run, but struggled to stop Alabama’s ground attack. Although Stephens is still growing into his role as the starter, he’ll need to hit a few passes downfield to prevent the Bulldogs from stacking the line of scrimmage.

The bye week came at a good time for Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford and running back Knowshon Moreno. Both players suffered injuries against Alabama, but will be ready to go in this game. The Tennessee offense is struggling, but the defense has played well in all five contests. The Volunteers rank 13th against the run, fifth in total defense, 12th against the pass and 26th in scoring defense. The Volunteer defense needs to get pressure on Stafford, but they’ve only managed nine sacks this year, which ranks ninth in the SEC. If the Volunteers struggle to get pressure on Stafford, receiver A.J. Green could have a big day, especially in downfield opportunities. 

Notes:

Tennessee owns a 20-15-2 series edge against Georgia. The Bulldogs won four of the first five meetings with the Volunteers under Mark Richt, but have lost the last two games in this series.

Tennessee linebacker Ellix Wilson is battling a shoulder injury, but is expected to play in this game. Punter Britton Colquitt missed the first five games of the season due to a suspension, but he is slated to return to the starting lineup this week.

Georgia linebacker Dannell Ellerbe is nursing a sprained knee, but is expected to play in Saturday’s match-up with the Volunteers.

Key Player (Volunteers) – Nick Stephens, QB

Stephens had a solid start against Northern Illinois, but the stakes will be higher against Georgia. The Volunteers will likely ease him into this game and lean on their defense to create a few short field opportunities. However, Stephens has to make a few plays in the passing game for the Volunteers to pull out the victory.

Key Player (Bulldogs) – Rennie Curran, LB

With the Volunteers starting an inexperienced quarterback, expect Georgia to give several different looks on defense. Curran is the team’s leading tackler with 43 and also tops the team charts in sacks with three. Keep an eye on Curran, as the Bulldogs will count on him to be a steady presence in the middle of the defense.

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