Know your enemy: Georgia vs. Tennessee

Georgia hosts Tennessee this Saturday in likely the biggest matchup between the Bulldogs and Volunteers in over a decade.

Believe it or not, Tennessee has one of the longest active winning streaks in the nation. The Volunteers have won eight straight, not having lost since falling 35-13 to Alabama last season.

Head coach Jeremy Pruitt has the Tennessee defense playing with aggression and discipline. Offensive coordinator Jim Cheney has Jarrett Guarantano playing the best ball of his college career.

But Tennessee hasn't faced an opponent of Georgia's caliber during this winning streak. The Bulldogs present a unique challenge for the Volunteers with a defense that suffocates rushing attacks and negates leading receivers. What chance does Tennessee have challenging Georgia between the hedges?

It turns out the Volunteers have a good chance of at least giving the Bulldog defense some fits. Tennessee brings a stellar rushing attack into Athens led by Ty Chandler and Eric Grey. The duo has combined for 321 yards across their first two games in 2020. Tennessee will be Georgia's first real test in rush defense this season. With the depth and talent they have across the offensive line, Tennessee is committed to running the football. In two games this season, the Volunteers have run the ball on 60.4% of their offensive snaps. 

The passing game is where things begin to become bleak for the Volunteers. Guarantano is playing well, but he doesn't have one stand-out receiver to throw to. Josh Palmer is the teams' leading receiver with 10 catches for 156 yards, but he's far from the best no. 1 guy Georgia will face this year. After a game where Tyson Campbell shut down Auburn's Seth Williams, Georgia's secondary will enter the game with a load of confidence.

On the other side of the ball, Jeremy Pruitt is building a solid defense at Tennessee, which should come to no surprise. His Florida State defense in 2013 helped produce a national championship, he turned Georgia's defense around in 2014, and he prolonged Alabama's defensive success in 2016. Pruitt knows defense.

But the keyword is "building." Tennessee's defense isn't up to Pruitt's standard yet, but it's the focus in recruiting, with two of Pruitt's three classes skewing towards the defense.

The Volunteers are led on that side of the ball by safety Trevon Flowers and linebacker Henry To'o To'o. The latter had a crucial pick-six in the close win over South Carolina, and he leads a run defense that, so far, is one of the best in the conference. Tennessee is limiting opponents to three yards per carry.

The edges of the defense are where the Volunteers struggle the most. South Carolina's Shi Smith caught 10 passes for 140 yards. Three other Gamecocks had at least 45 receiving yards and four catches against Tennessee's defense. Georgia brings a deeper and more talented group of pass targets into this Saturday's ball game.

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