What's the key to winning Saturday's matchup against Tennessee? Kirby Smart shares his thoughts
Georgia has beaten Tennessee three seasons in a row — with the Volunteers’ previous win in the annual series coming during the 2016 season — and will be looking to extend that streak to four on Saturday in Athens.
Both teams are undefeated entering Saturday’s matchup after Georgia beat Arkansas 37-10 on the road and Auburn 27-6 in Athens, while Tennessee won at South Carolina 31-27 in the opener and beat Missouri 35-12 last weekend in Neyland Stadium.
The winner of Saturday’s matchup guarantees to be in first place in the division by the end of the game (Florida would also be considered tied for first place if the Gators can defeat Texas A&M in College Station on Saturday) and would hold the tiebreaker over the other in this critical SEC East showdown.
During a recent appearance on ESPN’s “College Football Live” show on Wednesday, Kirby Smart was asked if there was one thing Georgia has to do well to win on Saturday.
Without hesitation, Smart offered up the key to the game for the Bulldogs.
“I would say protect the ball. It’s always the most important thing,” Smart said on the show. “It’s a big part of the game and it’s just never a trite expression to talk about the ball, the ball, the ball. We talked about it all the time, you got to do that well.”
A big key to Tennessee’s fast start to the season has been the Volunteers’ ability to protect the football. Jeremy Pruitt’s team has yet to turn the ball over while Smart’s team has only done so twice this season.
Both turnovers came in the Arkansas game, which played a part in keeping the Razorbacks in the game for the first half of the opener. Eventually, Georgia pulled away but they may not be so fortunate if they don’t protect the ball against Tennessee.
Dominate the lines of scrimmage.
Shouldn’t be a problem. These Hillbillies haven’t faced a defense this good and this deep, well, since the last time we played. Their o-line, especially Baby Mays with his slow feet, are about to be dominated like the gimp from Pulp Fiction.
The Gimp scene included the line, “Step aside, Butch,” so your reference is more apt for 2017. This year’s reference is, “we’re going to scoop up the win like a pile of cash and strut out of Neyland like the bellhop Four Rooms.”
youtube.com/watch?v=QaYDLIswEV4
Except they’ll be in Athens for this beatdown. So…
Yeah, I messed that part up.
That reply/quote leans more for GA State last year ….
You’re probably right about winning the LoS . If their qb wets the bed , or is running for his life, Georgia jogs away with it by the middle of the 3rd qtr. If UT manages to push your NFL DL around, it will get interesting. Their backs aren’t Nick Chubbs, but they’re good enough .
Well, you won’t have to worry about that latter scenario. Georgia’s DL ain’t Missouri’s. And Tennessee’s defense is mediocre at best. It ain’t gonna be interesting—unless you’re a Georgia fan.
LOL Big Problem. You haven’t beaten an O’line this good since 2007(Bama). UGA’s D is little but can be fast. But never in the rain.. Your garden Knome is going to turn the ball over 3 times in this game.
“UGA’s D is little but can be fast”
You might want to pull up a UGA depth chart. There ain’t nobody on that defense little, and they are as fast as it gets.
UGA has tall DBs and 300-pounders on the interior DL. The linebackers, who often function as DEs in this defense, could be a bit heavier, but no one is questioning their ability. These dudes are as fast as any D unit out there. Heck we have a third-string LINEBACKER that runs a 10.5 100. That defense is packed with sprint champions who can also ball.
Given the fact that UT’s all-world O-line had problems protecting JG Saturday against Mizzou, the speed of our ends could be a real problem for them.
Statistically, Georgia’s O-line is better than Tennessee’s. And the Vols haven’t really beaten anyone decent in recent memory. So there’s that…
says the pickle puffer
that was meant for corch pickle puffer
Looks like rain. Hope Stetson does better in rain than Fromm.
I think his game is more appropriate for it. I suspect Kirby won’t have him under center as much as last week, using him more in the pistol or shotgun. That diminishes the play action but really opens up the read option to take advantage of an end over-pursuing a RB on wet grass. If Stetson keeps the ball and takes off, the edge guy has to pivot – wet grass could be Stetson’s BFF Saturday.
He is a walk on for a reason. He is not a 3 star or even a 2 star but a walk on. He will make one too many mistakes this weekend
And he’s been on scholarship the past two seasons for a reason. He also has a higher QB Rating than JG for a reason. Who else walked on at UGA, only to earn his scholly and ultimately win the Lou Groza award?
Is Stetson the ideal college QB? Obviously not at 5’11”. But the Heisman-winning QB two years ago was just 5’10”, so height isn’t everything. Stetson is good enough to run Monken’s offense effectively while that buzzsaw of a defense ensures he doesn’t have to play beyond himself.
Vols fan here and I enjoy fun back and forth. Simply put, UT will not win this game. 15 years ago the Vols were the dominant team in this series. Now after 15 years of football malpractice in Knoxville they are not and have not been for a few years. They have lost the overall series leads to UGA and UF during this administrative catastrophe in Knoxville.
Pruitt is getting them back into shape, but not there yet. UGA for now is still better. I’d say UT may keep it closer than the last 2-3 years when UGA just ran them off the filed, but I’ll say UGA 35-17. I don’t think UT’s defense is as good as GA, offenses I think are about even. Defense turns this one to the dawgs unfortunately IMO.
Just go back to being a Vandy fan lol. Really dude. They haven’t beaten an O’line this good since 07. They aren’t going to start on a rainy evening this weekend. Their offense is still an unknown. Before we believe this UGA team is anywhere close to elite, they are going to need a new QB to be elite. And they gotta play elite. So far, that hasn’t happened yet. They lost the first half to AR and the second half to Auburn 6-3. SC didn’t even need the rain to beat these guys when they were better last year. Close game unless but TN’s offense, is just flat better.. D means little if you can’t answer scores. And they only get one thing if your not scoring..Tired.
“D means little if you can’t answer scores . . .”
Seriously, do you not see the contradiction there?
And how’d that all-world O-line do protecting JG against Mizzou last Saturday?
The proper take on this is that UT’s offense has never seen a defense like they’ll see Saturday.
Again, who has Tennessee beaten again? Georgia’s better at every position on the field—yep, including OL. RB? Dawgs. DL? Dawgs. DBs? Dawgs. LBs? Dawgs. WRs? Dawgs. Special teams? Dawgs.
You expect to win because of what, again?
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Don’t sound like a Vol at all to me
True…He’s not screaming “We’re Back” & he is not delusional.
Dominate the lines of scrimmage. Establish a run game. Keep the Vols under 100 rushing yds, and force Jarrett Guarantano to win it with his arm against GA’s secondary.
Yeah, and if the Gamecocks had protected the ball that pick six wouldn’t have happened and it may have been a 27-24 LOSS for TN. I expect GA to have a LOT more success against TN than we did!