Jim Chaney used to go against the Georgia defense all the time, so this Saturday won’t be anything new.

The Tennessee offensive coordinator held the same position with the Bulldogs from 2016-18, so his unit was constantly going against Georgia’s defense at practice. That experience could be helpful this weekend, when the Vols host the No. 3 Bulldogs at Neyland Stadium.

“He’s had a lot of impact. Him being from Georgia, He’s able to tell us about their players and their staff and how they are, so he’s been excellent,” Tennessee senior offensive lineman Brandon Kennedy told the media on Tuesday. “It’s been very helpful, just knowing the gameplan and what they’re going to do. He’s practiced against them for however long he’s been there, so it’s been a great tool.”

The Vols have had extra time to prepare for Georgia, as they had a bye this past weekend. It was a needed break after Tennessee opened the season 1-3. The Vols’ only win was against Chattanooga on Sept. 14, and they lost their SEC opener against No. 10 Florida on Sept. 21.

That matchup against the Gators was Tennessee’s last game before the bye.

“I definitely think it helped us regroup,” Kennedy said. “We were able to go back and practice the fundamentals, the little things and some of the things that we didn’t do as well in the past three or four games we’ve played.”

Now, the Vols are in a tough three-game stretch that also includes matchups against Mississippi State and No. 1 Alabama.

On Saturday, Tennessee and Georgia will kick off at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.