Tennessee couldn’t pull off the upset bid against No. 1 Georgia Saturday, falling to the Bulldogs 41-17 at Neyland Stadium.
Despite the worst start of Hendon Hooker’s time at Tennessee, the Vols had some offensive success. Tennessee scored more points and recorded more yards than anyone has against Georgia all season.
“Whether it was juiced up, body not in the right position or just the pressure they were getting at time and him being a little bit rushed in the pocket,” Heupel said of Hooker. “Whether the pressure was real or he was feeling the rush from previous plays, we’re just a little bit off. The one interception was that and there were a couple other throws that sailed on him.”
The Vols led at the end of the first quarter but Georgia took control of the game in the second quarter, opening up a 14-point lead that it wouldn’t relinquish.
Tennessee is now 5-5 heading into two winnable games to end the season. The Vols host South Alabama and Vanderbilt for the final two games of the season. Despite the loss, Heupel is confident his team will respond in the home stretch of the season.
“Nah. No doubts,” Heupel said on how his team will respond. “They’re disappointed with the outcome tonight. It didn’t happen because we don’t like their preparation or the focus. Didn’t do the things we needed to down the stretch, but, man, it’s a group I’ll go compete with every Saturday.”
See what else the first year head coach had to say following the loss.
