GEORGIA ON HIS MIND
Butch Jones looks to get his Vols out of the gate quicker against Bulldogs
Keys for Tennessee
THE DOBBS EFFECT: Saturday’s victory over Florida demonstrated how potent the Tennessee offense can be when QB Joshua Dobbs is at his best. After struggling in the first half, Dobbs threw for four TD passes and rushed for a TD as the Volunteers rattled off 38 consecutive points. Which version of Dobbs shows up will go a long way in deciding if Tennessee emerges as the unquestioned favorite in the SEC East.
SIXTY MINUTES: A month into the season, the Volunteers have yet to cobble together a full game. Eventually, that will prove costly. It didn’t against Appalachian State, Virginia Tech or Ohio, and it certainly didn’t thanks to a dominant second half against Florida. It might be a problem against Georgia, which at its best can control the tempo and the clock. Of course, the Bulldogs aren’t enjoying especially fast starts, either.
Keys for Georgia
ESTABLISH THE RUN: Whether it’s Nick Chubb carrying the load a week after leaving with an ankle injury or Sony Michel (or somebody else), the Bulldogs should be able to find some room against a Tennessee run defense allowing 141 yards a game on the ground. That’s not bad, but it’s not an impossible matchup for a Georgia team that remains best-suited to running the ball with freshman QB Jacob Eason running the offense.
NO GIVEAWAYS: The Bulldogs punted on their first possession against Mississippi last week and, after holding the Rebels to a field goal on their first trip, promptly threw a pick-six. In retrospect, what was to become a 45-14 rout was effectively over at that point. Georgia hasn’t looked good the last three weeks, and the last thing it needs to do is hand easy points to a Tennessee team that can find the end zone easily enough without any help.
Prediction
TENNESSEE 27-21: It’s a pairing of two slow-starting teams, though the Volunteers at least have looked impressive in extended bursts against Virginia Tech and Florida. There’s probably some concern that
Butch Jones’ team tries to flip the switch midgame too much, but the early returns suggest Tennessee will figure things out eventually. As for Georgia, it slogged through the last three weeks and needs an inspired performance to have a shot at staying in the SEC East race.