Reversal of fortunes? David Pollack and Kirk Herbstreit break down how Tennessee could beat Georgia
While the all-time series between Georgia and Tennessee has been air-tight, it’s gone the Dawgs’ way in recent years. Kirby Smart’s team has won the last 3 meetings by a combined score of 122-26.
Could the Volunteers flip the script on Saturday at Sanford Stadium? It’s entirely possible, according to ESPN’s David Pollack and Kirk Herbstreit. The duo feel it partially rests with the performance of quarterback Jarrett Guarantano, who came to Knoxville with plenty of promise but has never fully lived up the billing.
“I don’t know if we’re going to jump up and down and say they’ve got what it takes to win Saturday, but I like the fact that they’re playing with more confidence than they’ve played with and I think they got better skill and they’ve got a good offensive line,” Herbstreit said on his weekly podcast hosted with Pollack and SportsCenter anchor Kevin Negandhi, according to 247Sports. “[Y]ou wonder if Guarantano reverts back to making poor decisions, puts the ball in coverage — because they’ll need a balanced attack to have any chance against Georgia.”
Pollack echoed Herbstreit’s thoughts about the Volunteers’ offensive line—featuring former Georgia tackle Cade Mays—while predicting that offensive coordinator Jim Chaney could rely more on running the ball behind the unit.
“[I]t’s the first time I think we won’t be surprised if Tennessee’s banging around with Georgia in the second half,” he said. “[T]he offensive line is physical. Chaney has an identity as a play-caller that he knows what he is, who he is. He’s got to build this thing with the ground game.”
Will the Vols have a chance to pull off the upset on Saturday? We’ll find out soon enough.
Hahahahaha.
No.
I hope the dogs come in to this game as over-confident as you are.
snapshot, I wouldn’t be counting on GA being over confident.
After those fake news BS “toxic environment” smears I would be worried that Smart will be out for some pay back. Something you don’t usually see after a 3 game winning streak.
If it comes out like I think it will, like the Auburn beat down, you can thank daddy Mays AKA Pinky stump for the extra motivation.
Its not about UGA confidence, its about physics. Our O’line is bigger, more physical and experienced and depth. UGA’s D is smaller, but quick. We’ve seen fast D’s before, we just saw two of them. If you don’t stop our O’line early and put up points, you’ll tire in the later quarters, similar to how UGA reacts to Bama o’lines late.
Pay back? Last year UGA’s offense averaged 22 points a game. That isn’t good. Your run game compared to last year, you don’t have it. Your receivers compared to last year, only got half of it. And your 4th string QB might be playing in the rain on his heels against the best D he’s seen all year.. You played against our Freshman QB last year with half the line your looking at now..He still made it a two score game in the fourth..Lastly, your not even close to what you were last year..
That same Auburn team team from 17 to 18 that you lost to. We beat them pretty soundly by simply JG putting the ball up. We’re not worried in the least about Auburn this year. Better hope it doesn’t rain lol.
Pretty sure I read an article about another Georgia transfer and toxic environment…don’t try to make this about revenge. It is 2 football teams, one established and the other finding out where they are with the program. I think UGA wins because – 1) we have no consistent pass rush, 2) we have had some difficulty in containing the edge 3) our secondary has given up too many big plays on 3rd down
@gwhite
1. We rotate 3 deep on D-line. We won’t get tired.
2. UGA averaged 22 points per game last year yet we put up 43 vs UT.
3. Our run game is fine. Our receivers are better than last year.
4. Stetson is not the 4th string QB.
5. UT gave up 27 to SCAR. Your defense is nothing to brag about.
6. It’s funny you think the rain will only effect us.
7. JG isn’t a good QB.
8. We didn’t lose to Auburn in 2018. We beat them by 17. UT beat them by 6.
Keep flapping your gums. You’ll have a lot of crow to eat come Saturday.
UGA’s D-line is small? You should take a peek at #95 and #99…
Agree. 99 is a behemoth
G, save your breath/time for someone else. I’ve found that gwhite either spits out baseless info or selectively pulls info in effort to spin an attempted narrative against uga. oh, and he won’t respond to a reasonable response.
I hope this isn’t the game we are going to lose that we shouldn’t this year.
No you don’t. Get a life and claim your team…
If you lose, it will be because we are better..lol Thats all..
Talent wise the 2 teams are similar on offense but on defense Georgia is clearly the better team so they should win
If it’s close in the 4th, Kirby will step in and make another bonehead decision.
I think the run games will decide it. Georgia will be able to establish the run. Im not sure UT will. If not it will be up to JG, and that could turn into a long night for the Vols.
Also, I think Smart will have extra motivation for this one. All the fake news ” Toxic Environment ” BS will be used as tackling fuel.
Don’t be surprised if this turns out a lot like the Auburn down. down.
So Eric Gray and Ty Chandler are not a freshmen Tank Bigsby. Also UTs OLine is much better than the inexperienced Tiger line. I think UT does find a run game and keeps it close for 4 quarters. Lastly UTs D will give SB trouble and he will make a mistake in this game. Pruitt is just as good a D coach as Kirby if not better.
Braves1471, You make some good points. UT’s o line is much better than Auburn. RB’s also better. Pruitt is a great DC. I expect the UT defense to give GA’s offense some problems. But I think GA’s offense will have more balance.
The problem, Ga’s run D was No.1 SEC in 2019 @ 74 ypg. They look even better this year.
Also, not you, but some seem to think the big UT O line will wear down GA’s D line. GA has too much depth and will rotate too often for that.
I really think it will be more competitive than the Auburn game. But this looks to be a historically good defense. Maybe even better than any of Saban’s.
I just think it’s going to take a top 5 type offense to compete with this defense.
Tim Rupert, You have some good points, yourself. It’s definitely going to be interesting to watch UTs rushing attack against UGAs run defense. To your point about rotating the D-Line though, you need to realize that JG and the Vols like to go up-tempo. They can speed up the game on offense to nullify the rotation to some degree.
all it takes is 1 sub for UGA to get a rotation… UT won’t go no subs for a whole drive.
Georgia is supposed to win at home with 40k fans
Seriously, I see UT coming in confident, recognizing first big test of season. Make it a tight game, team has lots of experience in come from behind wins.
Auburn was overrated, they need to get it together to earn that high a poll rating. Probably will by time Big Orange arrives on the Plains.
Meanwhile, tell me how this is not a trap game for UGA?
Trap game? You really think Kirby and the Dawgs are overlooking Tennessee?
I mean yall do have Alabama next week and have beaten UT bad the last 3 years so it SHOULD be an easy win but that’s a definition of a trap game
Gonna be close but Georgia gonna pull it off late
UGA wins IF
* They are ahead early or can shut down UT run game and make them rely on the pass
* Stetson continues on his current level of play w/ smart plays and no turnovers.
* Get a pick and give the Offense an easy drive.
UT wins IF
* They establish the run early and wear down a superior UGA defense in the 2nd half.
* Guarantano hits a few of his deep passes early for a D geared up against the run.
* UT goes up early forcing the dawgs to pass more than they like in a shootout
UT – OL and Rb’s vs UGA Defense should be the deciding factor.
UT wants to run and UGA wants to shut them down and make them rely on the pass.
Turnovers and a rushing attack that can get 4 yards our more. On paper Georgia wins everytime. It’s college football…see Georgia vs USC last year.
2 words…UGA Defense.
How far back do you have to go to when the reVOLts beat a good program?
Kentucky is a pretty good program they’re just underperforming this year and we beat them last year
Here comes the Corch!!!
There is definitely a scenario that gives UT a chance to win this game. In my mind they have to do two things:
1) Run the ball consistently
2) Win the turnover battle
If we are able to do that then I think the game goes down to the wire. UGA has the better defense, but turnovers can put even a really good defense in a bad spot.
blah blah blah…..so much garbage here. Game will be determined by turnovers and stupid penalties. Just like most GA-TN games of recent times
Oh, one more thing, don’t get caught peeking Dawgs.
I don’t think they will. It sounds odd but this game is probably more important than the Bama game. If we lose to UT that would make Bama a must win. If we lose to Bama everything will come down to the cocktail party. With the Mayes stuff and UT’s emergence no one is going to be looking ahead.
Whatever the outcome, this is the kind of game that makes people love SEC football. I expect a hard fough smash mouth game decided in the trenches. It will come down to which line wants it more. This is the way it should be. Play ball!!!!!
Cry havoc and lose the dogs of war (not an endorsement of Georgia here)
I have a feeling that Cade Mays is going to be sore come Sunday…lots of hard feelings about that transfer.
I think we should try and come out and throwing deep. Not that UGA’s secondary is a weakness, but I’m sure the expectation is that we will try to run it with our beefy o line. Plus Lecounte will be back in the second half so that secondary will become extra scary. Cimaglia will be our leading scorer on Saturday. The question is if our linebackers can clean up on coverage because so far they have shown no ability to do so outside of big Henry.
LeCounte is back in the first half.
This is around the same time of year Muschamp and USC jr got us last year.