Who has the edge? Georgia vs. Tennessee
No. 25 Georgia (3-1) plays host to No. 11 Tennessee (4-0) in a matchup that will have huge SEC East ramifications. The Vols ended an 11-year losing streak to Florida last weekend in exciting fashion, while the Bulldogs struggled mightily in a 45-14 loss at Ole Miss.
Tennessee is favored in this game, which will begin at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS.
Here’s a closer look at how these two rivals match up.
When Georgia has the ball
QB Jacob Eason vs. UT pass defense: Eason had his first game in which he actually looked like a true freshman against Ole Miss, but the Georgia quarterback quietly improved as the afternoon progressed. His flashes of brilliance have been surrounded by mistakes and missed opportunities, but he’s thrown for 780 yards with 5 touchdowns; once the light comes on, he could be special.
That “ah-ha” moment might not happen Saturday, but it should help Eason to return to Sanford Stadium and face a banged up Tennessee defense. Star defensive back Cam Sutton will miss the game for the Vols, and linebacker Jalen-Reeves Maybin is fighting through injuries.
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Tennessee is No. 53 nationally, allowing 210.5 yards through the air per game, but opposing quarterbacks have nearly a 60 percent completion percentage, which is only No. 75 in the country. With only five sacks, the Vols haven’t caused many problems up front, but they did get to the quarterback twice against Florida.
All told, this isn’t the toughest defense that Eason has faced this season, but Tennessee is certainly capable of causing problems. This might come down to how Eason responds from last week’s outing and how early Tennessee can get inside of his head.
Edge: Push
Nick Chubb & Co. vs. UT rush defense: After spraining his ankle in last week’s game, it remains to be seen if Chubb will be available Saturday. Right now, the coaching staff is hopeful that the junior will suit up, and he’s sure to be eager to get on the field against Tennessee after what happened last season.
Chubb started the season quickly against North Carolina but hasn’t been able to top 100 yards since. Part of that can be attributed to an offensive line that is still trying to find its groove, but that unit took a step forward against Ole Miss. Even if Chubb is out, Georgia is in capable hands with Sony Michel and freshman Brian Herrien, who has been a very pleasant surprise so far.
Similar to its pass defense, Tennessee is near the middle of the pack nationally in run defense, allowing 141 yards per contest. The Vols have been stingier lately, though. After allowing an average of 185 yards in the first two weeks, Tennessee has held opponents to a combined 194 yards on the ground since.
Edge: UGA
UGA WRs vs. UT secondary: To say the Bulldogs’ wide receivers struggled mightily last weekend against Ole Miss would be a major understatement.
Terry Godwin led all players at the position with only 25 yards on 4 catches, which was second to Michel’s 34-yard contribution out of the backfield. Isaiah McKenzie was on a blistering pace in the first three weeks, but he was held to 13 yards in Oxford and had a couple of bad drops. The entire unit has dropped a troubling number of passes, and only McKenzie has emerged as a true threat.
The Vols’ secondary isn’t the same without Sutton. An All-SEC performer who excels in coverage and run support, Sutton’s presence is missed by a unit that only has two interceptions and 16 passes defended this year. They have an opportunity to change that Saturday, though, against a freshman quarterback and a receiving corps that is struggling.
Edge: UT
When Tennessee has the ball
QB Joshua Dobbs vs. UGA pass defense: In the second half against Florida, Tennessee fans finally saw the Dobbs they expected to watch this season. After a rough first half, Dobbs looked like a completely different quarterback and completed 9 of his 12 attempts for 235 yards and 4 touchdowns with a pick. He finished with a career-high 319 yards.
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If he is able to build on those two quarters, the Vols’ offense suddenly becomes much more dangerous. But, much like his team, Dobbs’ brilliant moments have been surrounded by lackluster play. The senior has completed 57 percent of his passes for 805 yards and 10 touchdowns with 5 interceptions and is also a serious threat on the ground. Dobbs is second on the team with 241 yards rushing and 4 scores.
Georgia’s pass defense is licking its wounds after a horrible game against Ole Miss. The Rebels’ bigger, stronger receivers were able to win nearly every jump ball and didn’t appear to face many problems all afternoon. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, Tennessee’s receivers are fairly similar to the ones they saw last week. The Vols aren’t a great downfield passing team, but that might change Saturday.
Edge: UT
UT running game vs. UGA rush defense: Tennessee hasn’t had as much success on the ground this year as it had in 2015, but the Vols have the potential to break out in any given week. Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara are each averaging more than 4 yards per carry, and Dobbs is gaining nearly 4.5 yards every time he takes off.
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There haven’t been many leads for Tennessee to protect by running the football, which has hindered the overall numbers, but it has had good balance between the ground and the air. The Vols are averaging about 44 carries per game and have gained 746 yards running the ball.
Georgia’s run defense has been nearly identical to Tennessee’s. The Bulldogs are limiting opponents to 139.75 yards per outing, just over 1 yard less than the Vols. Georgia appears to be most susceptible against the run when a team has had success throwing the football. Trenton Thompson has been emerging on the interior of the defensive line, but Dobbs’ ability to run outside might neutralize him.
Edge: UT
UT WRs vs. UGA secondary: This has the potential to be the biggest mismatch. Ole Miss provided a blueprint for beating Georgia’s secondary, and it’s one that Tennessee should be able to follow.
Aaron Davis, who is 6-foot-1, is the tallest player among the regulars in Georgia’s secondary. Nearly every receiver Tennessee uses is taller than 6 feet, and Josh Malone and Preston Williams are 6-3 and 6-4, respectively. Bulldogs’ opponents have been picking on 5-foot-11 cornerback Juwuan Briscoe recently, and he might be in for another tough outing.
Edge: UT
Special Teams
Tennessee kicker Aaron Medley has missed two kicks this season, but that’s nothing compared to Georgia’s woes at the position. Bulldogs kickers have only converted 3 of their 8 attempted field goals, and some of them haven’t even been close. This is a major problem area for Georgia, and one that doesn’t appear to be improving.
The Vols have a slight advantage at punter, but it’s not nearly to the level of the kicker disparity. Junior Trevor Daniel has been solid this season for Tennessee, averaging 43.57 yards per punt, while Georgia’s true freshman, Marshall Long, has averaged a respectable 39.64 yards.
Cam Sutton’s electricity in the return game is something that Tennessee misses, but they have other capable options. Evan Berry remains a threat to score on kickoff returns, and Alvin Kamara has the ability to take punts to the house. Isaiah McKenzie has had a couple of moments where it looked like he was headed for the end zone after fielding a punt and continues to be a major weapon on special teams.
Edge: UT
