After over a month at home, Tennessee football heads back on the road this weekend where they’ll face Georgia in a critical matchup at Sanford Stadium. The Vols have lost seven straight against Kirby Smart and Georgia and a win would be one of the biggest of Josh Heupel’s tenure.
Each week, the RTI team will provide game predictions for Tennessee’s matchup.
We move on to the Georgia Bulldogs.
More From RTI: Where Tennessee Football Versus Georgia Game Line’s Settled A Day Before Kickoff
Ric Butler
Tennessee faces its toughest game of the season this season on the road against Georgia. And if the SEC rivalry element doesn’t creat enough intrigue for the game, the stakes couldn’t be higher as both teams look to stay alive in the race for the SEC Championship and the race for the playoffs.
As Matt Reed put it in his UT-UGA Friday preview, Georgia may look more mortal than it has in past years but don’t be fooled by last week’s loss to Ole Miss. This is still the same Georgia team that went into Austin and dethroned Texas as the No. 1 team in the land in late October. Kirby Smart is famous for exaggerating the media’s “low” opinion of his team but he certainly has a much more legitimate case this week. With Georgia being the first team out in the latest playoff rankings, the Bulldogs have their backs completely against the wall – not a place we’ve seen Georgia frequently.
I want to start with Georgia’s offense. Carson Beck is not a bad quarterback by any stretch but he has struggled with turnovers in the Bulldogs’ last four games. Beck has thrown nine interceptions to just five touchdowns and threw for less than 200 yards against Ole Miss and Texas. If Tennessee’s secondary can continue to play opportunistically and get Beck off his game, I think Georgia could have a tough time moving the ball through the air. That also includes Tennessee’s strong pass rush.
The Vols’ run defense has struggled a bit more than usual in recent weeks but Georgia is also down quite a few running backs for Saturday. Georgia has three running backs listed as out – including starter Trevor Etienne – and one listed as questionable. None of those include Georgia’s main backup Nate Frazier, but the Georgia RB room is hurting going into Saturday.
I’m going to presume for the sake of this prediction that Nico Iamaleava plays on Saturday night. If we don’t see Iamaleava, I’m taking Georgia which I’d think is pretty fair to do. That being said – I can’t quite get my mind off of this whole “Georgia’s QB is struggling with turnovers, Georgia doesn’t have its starting RB, and Tennessee’s defense is elite” thing. This whole week I’ve been confidently on Georgia’s side but Etienne’s updated out status on Thursday night has my mind in a frenzy on Friday.
How is Georgia going to move the ball against Tennessee? For the Bulldogs, it’s more of a question of which players will step up and do so. How is Tennessee going to move the ball against Georgia? For the Vols, it’s more of a question of Tennessee overcoming recent first-half struggles.
I can’t believe I’m going to flip my prediction on the Friday before the game. Some would say to stick with my head, but I’m going with my gut. Defense travels and I think Tennessee will be able to hold Georgia under or around 20. I think Tennessee’s run game with Dylan Sampson is an impact factor in this game.
Man, this prediction is getting longer than I thought. Let me wrap it up. Tennessee HAS to communicate better on the road if they want a chance of winning. We thought that was fixed against Oklahoma but it struck again against Arkansas. Tennessee has one chance to prove they are definitively a playoff-contending team, and this is that chance. All of the outside factors are in Georgia’s favor but I’m going with the Vols’ defense in a low-scoring upset (Vegas upset, that is) game.
Prediction: Tennessee 20, Georgia 17
Jack Foster
On paper, this game favors Tennessee. Georgia’s offensive line was a disaster at Ole Miss, and Carson Beck has been awful under pressure.
Enter James Pearce Jr.
The only matchup I dislike for Tennessee’s sake in this game is the Vols offensive line up against the Georgia pass rush. I fear that Tennessee will struggle to protect against a hungry, desperate and more talented Georgia defensive front. Throw in the fact that Nico Iamaleava, if he plays, may be less likely to get out of the pocket coming off a concussion, I’m worried about Tennessee’s offense if it can run the ball or play on time.
Dylan Sampson, who is the MVP of this team and should have another solid day, though I’m unsure if Tennessee will be able to win this game with a poor passing attack. The wide receivers must play well and this game and help Iamaleava out. Frequent dropped passes cannot happen if Tennessee is going to win.
Tennessee also needs to have a pulse early. Not saying the Vols have to score 14 in the first quarter, but they need points in the first quarter. And, Tennessee must capitalize on opportunities the defense could potentially give them, and I expect those opportunities to be there given Carson Beck’s poor play, Georgia’s suspect O-line and the Bulldogs’ depleted running back room.
As I said, on paper, this game favors Tennessee. But everything else favors Georgia. Location? Sanford Stadium. When? At night. Coach? Kirby Smart. Season? On the line. Desperate? You bet.
It’s unfortunate Tennessee is playing Georgia now when the Bulldogs have their season on the line at home and at night with a head coach that can get his team ready to run through a brick wall better than anyone.
All those factors have me leaning Georgia. I like this Tennessee team a lot and its built to win this game, but I simply can’t bet against Kirby Smart in this spot. The Vols cover, though (assuming Iamaleava plays).
Prediction: Georgia 20, Tennessee 14
Ryan Schumpert
Tennessee football suffered its first loss of the season six weeks ago at Arkansas. The Vols returned home after that needing four straight wins at Neyland Stadium to remain in the College Football Playoff race. Tennessee was successful there, overcoming often poor offensive performances to improve all the way to 8-1 (5-1 SEC). However, the landscape around Tennessee hasn’t broken its way and while the Vols could still make the playoffs with a 10-2 record, they need to go 11-1 to feel safe in that.
There’s a different feel to this Tennessee-Georgia matchup then recent years and that’s mostly about the Bulldogs. Georgia is still good but they don’t have the feel of an invincible team like they so often have in the past. The Bulldogs come into this game with two losses and an offensive line that’s been far from great. For the first time in a long time, Tennessee has a defensive line that should be able to hold even with Georgia’s front at the very least. If the Vols’ want to win, the defensive line needs to do more than hold even. They need to control the game.
It’s hard to know how to feel about Tennessee’s offense in this game due to the questionable status of quarterback Nico Iamaleava. I do think Iamaleava will play and am going to work under that assumption with my prediction. But even with Iamaleava, Georgia’s defense has the advantage. The Bulldogs aren’t as good defensively as they’ve been but they’re still a strong unit with a disruptive defensive line. Tennessee’s offensive line has been better as of late but this is a whole different level of test.
Then there’s the circumstances around this game. Georgia is incredibly desperate and Kirby Smart teams have been exceptional when desperate. This is a primetime game at Sanford Stadium, where Georgia hasn’t lost in its last 28 games. Combine that with Tennessee’s offensive issues in big games on the road and I just have a hard time seeing them getting the job done. Vols cover. Bulldogs win.
Prediction: Georgia 23, Tennessee 17
