No SEC fan is a stranger to the heartbreak that Tennessee football in its overtime loss to the Georgia Bulldogs Saturday, but that doesn’t make it feel any better for them. The UT Volunteers had plenty of chances to put the game a way, but a few key moments kept UGA alive. These were the key moments in the Vols’ loss to the Dawgs at Neyland Stadium Saturday.

Gunner Stockton 4th and 3 conversion in the first quarter

Up 21-7, Tennessee football had a chance to get a second straight 4th down stop. However, after a nine-yard gain on a 3rd and 12 to put the ball at the Georgia 48, Gunner Stockton completed an 18-yard pass to keep the drive and Dawgs alive. They then marched down the field for a score to cut the lead to 21-14, and when Josh Heupel punted on 4th and 2 near midfield two drives later, it became even more key.

Back to back third down defensive pass interference penalties

Georgia’s field goal drive late in the second quarter to cut the Vols’ lead to 21-17 should never have happened. It was only made possible because in their own territory, the Vols kept the drive alive with a pass interfence penalty on 3rd and 10 and then another one on 3rd and 5. Such penalties were a problem for UT all night, but never were they more prevalebnt than right here.

Sam Pendleton false start after strip-sack

In the fourth quarter, Joshua Josephs strip-sacked Guner Stockton, and Bryson Eason recovered. The Vols had the ball 1st and 10 at the Georgia 34-yard line, up 35-30, with under nine minutes to go and a chance to knock them out. However, Sam Pendleton committed a false start. Heupel then drew up three running plays with the obvious plan to settle for a field goal, which kept Georgia in it.

4th and 6 Georgia touchdown conversion

The play of the night for Gunner Stockton came here. Georgia had the ball down 38-30 on the Tennessee 28-yard line with two and a half minutes to go on 4th and 6 and all three timeouts plus the two-minute warning. Kirby Smart still decided to be aggressive. He went for the jugular, and Stockton found London Humphreys for a beautiful pass that he caught for the score. UGA then tied it up with the two-point conversion.

Sham Umarov false start

Despite the fourh down conversion, Tennessee football had the chance to win it. They drove to the Georgia 20 with seven seconds to go and a timeout. Heupel tried to draw up a run play to make a game-winning field goal more dead center. Shamurad Umarov then committed a false start, pushing the Vols back five yards, and Heupel settled for the field goal. Max Gilbert hooked it, sending the game into overtime.

Sure, the Dawgs’ overtime stop and subsequent touchdown to win the game could be on here, but the game was basically over once Gilbert missed that field goal. The Vols didn’t have the horses, nor did they have the momentum, to be able to pull that game out once regulation ended. As a result, the false start was the key play of the game at the end.