Tennessee’s last trip to play Georgia in Athens didn’t go very swimmingly. If you recall, the No. 1 Vols seemingly had all the momentum when they went to play the Bulldogs. That didn’t matter.
Georgia thumped the Vols 27-13 in a game that could have been much worse had Georgia decided to run up the score. The Bulldogs fans were especially raucous after a comment by radio show host and former UT quarterback Eric Ainge went viral when he said that Sanford Stadium wasn’t an incredibly difficult place to play. He was wrong, at least that day.
Communication on offense was an issue for the Vols’ offense early and often throughout the game after Georgia fans had been challenged. The result was a Tennessee offense that didn’t look anything like the record-setting crew that had taken the nation by storm. That led to a defense having to play on its heels early in the game as Georgia led 14-3 after the first quarter and 24-3 after the first half. Now, no one is questioning the crowd at Sanford Stadium. They’re loud. Perhaps not as loud as some other venues, but loud nonetheless.
“I think it was a great environment to be in,” senior defensive lineman Dominic Bailey said on Monday. “Obviously we came up short, but it’s a great place to play in. The fans are great and we’re just really focused on this week. We’re not really worried about the last trip.”
That’s probably an astute stance. There wasn’t much to learn from the last game against Georgia as the Vols started slow and never found their footing.
The Vols’ defense has looked elite and, well, perfect at times this season, but not lately. Tennessee has been gashed by long runs in recent wins against Kentucky and Mississippi State. Georgia, as they always have under ninth-year head coach Kirby Smart, takes pride in running the football, but success on the ground has alluded them this season. The Bulldogs are 15th in the SEC in total rushing with just 124 yards per game.
How can the Vols, who are ranked second in the SEC with 100 yards rushing allowed per game, get things back on track against Georgia?
“Just play our brand of ball,” Bailey said. “Finish what we started, how we started the season. We need to come back in with that edge again and just keep our foot on everybody next when we have them down, basically.”
When asked about the running woes lately, Bailey said, “Just not fitting our gaps properly, being in the wrong place. We just disappeared. We got to lock in on a little things (like) footwork technique, using our hands, getting separation and finishing getting off blocks.
It’s perhaps understandable that Tennessee didn’t play its best against the run in recent weeks against Mississippi State, which is probably the worst team in the SEC, and Kentucky, which isn’t far behind. The Vols probably knew they had those games in hand before the contests were even kicked off. Now, the Vols must play the Bulldogs, who are coming off a 28-10 loss at Ole Miss last week. Think the Bulldogs will be motivated to right the ship? You bet.
“I’m pretty sure they’ll be prepared,” Bailey said. “They’ll bring everything they got, just like we will this week.”
There will be plenty at stake for Tennessee and Georgia, which are ranked No. 6 and No.11 in the AP Poll, respectively. There is a College Football Playoff spot on the line for both teams, especially considering there could be five or more 10-2 teams in the SEC at the conclusion of the season, meaning a team with double-digit wins could be left out of the inaugural 12-team playoff. The College Football Playoff committee rankings will be announced on Tuesday. Bailey said the Vols can’t get caught up in all of that.
“We take the games week by week, every game is the same thing,” Bailey said. “We’re just trying to go to know that and put the best film on this play, like put our best play on display that week.”
Bailey has done so on several occasions this fall. He has 22 tackles this season, two sacks, a forced fumble, a recovered fumble and three quarterback hurries. However, those are mostly statistics against the pass.
Bailey and the Vols, who rank second in the SEC by allowing 100 yards rushing per game, need to be sure that they keep Georgia one-dimensional as the Bulldogs passing offense ranks just 10th in the SEC and quarterback Carson Beck has thrown 12 interceptions this season.
