Despite two dominate performances, Tennessee football has to get better – much better – if they hope to beat SEC rival Georgia on Saturday in Neyland Stadium. In some ways, the season truly begins this week after the Vols hammered Syracuse and ETSU by a combined score of 117-43 in UT’s first two games.

The Vols seem able to beat the Bulldogs this week, but if there’s a lopsided score, Georgia will likely be the beneficiary. Doing so would be monumental as Tennessee has lost to Georgia eight consecutive times dating back to 2016.

Let’s put that in perspective a moment. Donald Trump was still running for president the first time. Captain America was dominating the box office as the No. 1 movie in the world. And Justin Bieber was No. 1 on the Billboard Charts with “Love Yourself” and “Sorry.” As for Covid, What was that?

Since then, the Vols have put up some pretty sorry performances against Georgia. Tennessee has been outscored during the losing streak 293-104. Ouch. In fact, Tennessee hasn’t been able to stay within double-digits with the Bulldogs over that time span.

The Vols have lost by an average of 37-13. That’s not all Tennessee’s fault. Under head coach Kirby Smart, Georgia has become one of the preeminent programs in the country with two national championships under their belt.

No, the Vols haven’t been close, but here are some reasons why Tennessee football can upset Georgia and put some respect in a one-side series.

Mike Matthews…Finally

Many Tennessee football fans have awaited the emergence of receiver Mike Matthews with as much patience as they can muster. It hasn’t been easy. Matthews played in 11 games last season, hauling in seven receptions for 90 yards and two touchdowns. That’s not bad for a freshman but not what many had hoped for from a five-star prospect who enrolled at Tennessee in January, 2024 and took part in bowl practices before that.

Matthews caught six passes for 111 yards and a touchdown against ETSU, but his most impressive showing of his career thus far came when he hauled in a 53-yard reception in the game for a score. It was a jump-ball, Joey Aguilar trusted him to make a play, and he did. Those are the type of plays that coaches and fans have been expecting since he signed with the Vols our Lilburn, Ga., over a year and a half ago.

“I don’t know how many (targets) he got early in the football game,” Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel said. “The coverage dictated the ball actually going in an opposite direction, then we’re able to get him going in the second quarter. You know, Mike is – from January, coming back, a dramatically different person, player, maturity, focus, all of it, and that’s not to slight him in any way previously, either.

“He just became a true vet and played really well last week. Obviously, made some big plays, going up over the top of everybody on the touchdown. The touchdown catch was a great individual play by him. We got some young wideouts, and we expect them to play at a championship level. They played really well for the last two weeks, and the positive thing is there is still a lot of football and growth for all of them.”

Matthews caught two passes for 29 yards in the Vols’ season-opener against Syracuse. He seems destined to continue improving. Moreover, there seems to be some chemistry developing between Aguilar and Matthew after their impromptu play against the Buccaneers.

“There was a lot of green grass on the left side of the field,” Aguilar said, “So I told Mike to get in that area…Turned out the defender was in my face pretty quick, so I threw the ball up. Mike came down with it and made a great play.”

Wide Open Matthews wasn’t the only Tennessee receiver that topped 100 yards receiving against ETSU. Chris Brazzell II was UT’s leading receiver with nine receptions for 125 yards and two touchdowns. Two receivers capable of being that productive should only scare opposing defenses moving forward.

“It gives us some confidence going into next week, gets us on the same track as the quarterback, too,” Brazzell said. “Compared to last year, I’m a lot more comfortable to be honest. It’s a different type of offense we play now, so it’s kind of harder for the defense to counter what we do.”

Boo Who?

It seems to be just a matter of time until defensive back Boo Carter breaks a punt return for a touchdown. The sophomore nick-back almost did so when he flipped the field against ETSU. Carter has a patient running style because he’s faster than most players he’ll go against. However, he’ll need to be on the move against the Bulldogs, which can match his athleticism.

“Boo sets us up great a lot of times,” Heupel said. “He’s a real electric player, just an all-around athlete. He kind of got me on board with coming here, so I’ve known him for a while. I already knew he was a great athlete coming from where he comes from. “If you give him the ball, you know what Boo’s going to do.”

That leads me to wondering if Carter may end up seeing some offensive snaps against Georgia. There was no need to pull out anything new and tricky in the Vols’ first two games. Carter with the ball in his hands typically leads to good things for Tennessee so don’t rule it out. If not, special teams, a la punt returns, may be enough for Carter to alter the Georgia game drastically.

“Special teams has got to be an area that we win on each Saturday and the return game is a big part of that,” Heupel said. “Boo is certainly a massive part of it.”

Star Power

The Vols didn’t have to just replace a good tailback last season when Dylan Sampson moved on. Tennessee had to replace the SEC Offensive Player of Year. So far, no problem.

UT may not have one player as good as Sampson, but they have a three-headed monster at tailback that looks quite daunting after two games this season. While Desean Bishop was the incumbent favorite to be the go-to tailback back and Peyton Lewis has all the physical ability that coaches covet, transfer Star Thomas from Duke has been the standout in the Vols’ backfield. Thomas ran for 92 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries against ETSU.

Thomas runs with power, maximises runs while moving the pile and has gained his coaches’ respect.

“I think even from the end of spring ball there was a lot of growth for Star in January, February, the beginning of spring ball,” Heupel said. “From spring ball to the start of training camp, I’m not really sure anybody changed more than he did. Man, just did an elite job with his body, understanding growth in the offense.

“That was noticeable day one when we got out on the practice field and early part of training camp. He’s done an elite job.”

Injury Report

Tennessee has a number of injuries, particularly on defense, that have held the Vols back. Many of those hobbled players could have likely played had the opponents Tennessee played in the first couple of weeks been more daunting. Alas, they weren’t.

Therefore the Vols were able to err on the side of caution and let some key players like defensive linemen Jaxson Moi (elbow), Daevin Hobbs (foot) and Tyree Weathersby (undisclosed) heal. Tennessee football fans are also eagerly awaiting the debut of offensive tackle David Sanders Jr., who was supposed to play against ETSU. Sanders was a late scratch from the game but will almost certainly play against the Bulldogs.

“David, we anticipated him being ready,” Heupel said. “Ultimately, medical decided, you know, for him, for us, it probably wasn’t the best move to play him today and that’s why they made the decision that they did.”