Uncharacteristically, Tennessee was the team to get off to a hot start. It didn’t help, though, as the Vols lost a key road matchup to the Georgia Bulldogs 31-17 despite jumping out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter thanks to a 78-yard touchdown drive on their first possession and a big punt return to set up a field goal.
UGA, ranked No. 12 in the CFP and as the current first team out, came back in the second quarter and reeled off two straight touchdown drives to go up 14-10. The Vols, No. 7 in the CFP, did mount a touchdown drive on their own to go up 17-14, but the Dawgs then worked the two-minute clock to hit a field goal and go into halftime with the game tied.
Although the Tennessee’s offense got the ball to start the second half, they were unable to generate anything. Georgia, scored a touchdown on their first drive of the second half and then mounted a 12-play, 92-yard drive in the fourth quarter while running the clock down to just over two minutes, that ended with the game-sealing touchdown.
Nico Iamaleava finished the game 20-of-33 for 167 yards and no touchdowns. He was sacked three times. Carson Beck finished 25-of-40 for 347 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions and wasn’t sacked at all. Dylan Sampson did have 19 carries for 101 yards and another score, and Miles Kitselman had a touchdown run as well in the first quarter on a fullback handoff.
Obviously, the path to the College Football Playoff for UT, while still alive, just got a lot more difficult. Josh Heupel’s team fell to 8-2 and 5-2 in the SEC with the UTEP Miners and Vanderbilt Commodores up next to close out the 2024 regular season.
Georgia, meanwhile, all but clinched its path after last week’s loss to the Ole Miss Rebels, provided they win out, and even has a path to the SEC Championship. Kirby Smart’s team is now 8-2 and finishes 6-2 in the SEC. They will close out the regular season against the UMASS Minutemen and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
