Matchups to Watch: Georgia vs Tennessee

Here are the matchups that will help decide the top-25 contest between Georgia and Tennessee on Saturday in Knoxville.

Georgia will put its 27-game win streak on the line when it travels to Knoxville to face Tennessee on Saturday. At 7-3, the Volunteers are not as dangerous as they were a year ago when they were tabbed as the No. 1 team in the 2022 season’s initial College Football Playoff rankings, but they still possess enough firepower to pose a legitimate threat to Georgia when the Bulldogs make the trip to Rocky Top. Here are the matchups that will go a long way towards determining whether Georgia will leave Neyland Stadium with its undefeated record still in tact.

Georgia Rush Defense vs Tennessee Rush Offense

Prior to being held to a season-low 83 yards rushing last week by Missouri, Tennessee boasted the SEC’s top rushing attack. However, the Volunteers are still averaging 213 rushing yards per game, ranking them second in the SEC. Despite the prevailing conception of the Tennessee offense as a high-flying, pass-heavy attack, in reality, the Volunteers run the ball on 55% of their offensive snaps. It is Tennessee’s unwavering commitment to running the football against light boxes that sets up the “kill-shots” against single coverage in the passing game. 

The Georgia defense has had success containing the Tennessee ground game over the past two seasons, but will need another strong effort to beat Tennessee this season. / UGAA - Tony Walsh 

While Georgia still ranks second in the SEC and 19th nationally against the run, the Bulldogs do not feature the type of dominant run defense that powered their run to back-to-back national championships. The Bulldog front six came up with a big performance against the Ole Miss ground game a week ago, but Tennessee presents a different challenge. It will be critical for Georgia to slow down the dynamic Tennessee rushing attack with even numbers in the box as they have done in each of the last two matchups with Tennessee. That will allow the Bulldogs to maintain a two-high safety shell which is a key to limiting the Volunteers opportunities for explosive plays in the vertical passing game. If Georgia is unable to keep Tennessee from biting off chucks of yards on the ground, the Bulldogs may be forced to add numbers to the box which will give the Volunteers more of the one-on-one matchups on the outside that they covet. 

Georgia Rush Offense vs Tennessee Rush Defense

For two seasons running, the Tennessee defense has been an under appreciated part of the Volunteer’s success under Head Coach Josh Heupel. In particular, the Volunteers have been especially good against the run, only allowing 113 rush yards per game and 3.17 yards per rush, which ranks second in the SEC. While Georgia has leaned more heavily on the pass this season than it has at any point in the Smart era, the Bulldog passing game is still at its most lethal when it is operating off of play action. For that to work, the Bulldogs need to get the ground game working effectively to affect Tennessee’s pass defenders. 

The Tennessee pass rush is also one of the most fearsome in the SEC and a successful day on the ground will help keep the Bulldogs on schedule and out of third and long situations where the Volunteer pass rushers tend to pin their ears back and create havoc in the backfield. 

Georgia Offensive Line vs Tennessee Pass Rush

Speaking of the Tennessee pass rush, with 33 sacks on the season, the Volunteers rank second in the SEC and eighth nationally in sacks. OLB James Pearce Jr. leads the team and is second in the league with 8 sacks. But Pearce Jr. is far from Tennessee’s only pass rush threat as both DT Omar Norman-Lott and DE Tyler Baron have 5.5 sacks and 5 sacks respectively. 

Yet, while Tennessee boasts one of the nation’s top pass rushes, Georgia is one of the best in the nation at protecting its quarterback, ranking first in the SEC and seventh nationally in sacks allowed. In a matchup of strength vs. strength, something has to give. It is imperative that the Bulldogs continue to provide QB Carson Beck a clean pocket to operate from, because if Tennessee is able to use its strong pass rush to create negative plays and generate turnovers, it could provide the Volunteers the edge they need to pull the late-season upset and salvage their season.