Tennessee has lost to Georgia seven consecutive times. That’s not good. However, the Vols are a much better – and different – team this time around.
“More prepared,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said when asked how this year’s Vols are different than previous Tennessee teams that faced the Bulldogs. “We’ve been in all of our systems longer. This football game is different than the last one. Still facing a great opponent, and you’ve got to handle everything that comes with being in a game like this.
“You earn the right to play in big football games by what you do during the course of the season. Some of the things that didn’t go well last time were a direct reflection of who we were playing. Some of it was some things that we can control, too, and in these games, you’ve got to do ordinary things at a really high level consistently. For us, that means you’ve got to prepare at an elite level. You’ve got to practice really well and put yourself in a position to go play good football.”
The Vols lost a rather one-sided affair last year against Georgia when the Bulldogs beat the Vols 27-13 in a game that didn’t really feel that close.
Tennessee, however, is a much different football team than it was before this season. Unlike previous years under Heupel, the Vols have an elite defense, which ranks second in the SEC, and can run the ball effectively. The Vols rushing offense ranks first in the SEC, averaging 235 yards per game.
“I enjoy it,” Tennessee center Cooper Mays said. “I think that’s kind of our our M.O. (method of operations) and mantra. That’s what we want to be about, is being physical up front and able to move the ball even when you know the odds aren’t really in our favor right there.”
The Vols will face a new challenge this week if Tennessee starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava isn’t able to play against the Bulldogs. While Heupel has said he’s expected to play with an upper-body injury, there is certainly cause for concern as the injury has been widely reported as a shoulder injury, a concussion or both. If Iamaleava isn’t able to play, then the Vols would turn to senior Gaston Moore.
“The biggest thing is we have a lot of confidence in Gaston,” Mays said. “We didn’t really skip a beat mentally or physically. Just next guy up mentality. And I think Gaston’s been been ready for that all year.”
Moore has been the Vols’ backup all season as freshman Jake Merklinger has continued to learn the offense and will almost certainly redshirt this season. That consistency with Moore at quarterback has helped the Vols believe in him.
“I think we’ve been around him,” Mays said. “We know what type of guy he is. He’s been ready for this role and been playing this role for a long time. He’s the same guy every day when he works, comes in and works. Just confident in the guy all around.
The Vols also seem to be benefitting from some in-season improvement on the offensive line. LSU transfer Lance Heard struggled early in the season after being hampered by an ankle injury during preseason camp. Now, he seems to be playing at a much higher level.
“Lance is a guy that missed a bunch of training camp, missed some practice time in the middle of the season, and as a young player, this is really the first time that he’s been a starter,” Heupel said of the left tackle. “Second year in college football, just continues to get better, and that’s in the understanding of what we’re doing, but also playing with fundamentals and technique.”
Yes, these Vols are different, but also probably much better than the teams that have faced Georgia in the past.
