Eight long years
Georgia has taken over the rivalry as part of the fantastic run under head coach Kirby Smart, and that has to change immediately if Tennessee finally wants to become a true player in the SEC and national championship chases.
The 2022 team was close, and then the eventual 15-0 national champ Bulldogs put its stamp on the conference race with a 27-13 win. And that's the problem.
Not only has Tennessee lost the last eight in the series, it hasn't even been close. Every defeat was by double-digits, as if Georgia was proving a point.
But the Vols found their offense, restacked the defense, and they're about as tuned up and ready as possible. With UAB, Mississippi State, and Arkansas up next, there's a chance to go on a huge run before the showdown at Alabama.
Georgia gets the Crimson Tide next in two weeks, but that's in Athens, as are the Ole Miss and Texas showdowns. Get by the should-be toughest road game on the slate, and look out.
Saturday, September 13, 2025
Game Time: 3:30 PM ET
TV: ABC
Location: Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN
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@Pete Fiutak
The defense is crushing it.
The Georgia offense hasn’t exactly turned it loose in go-through-the-motion wins over Marshall and Austin Peay, but there’s nothing happening against the run defense so far.
It’s not like the attack has been holding back, but the team played like it used those first two games as scrimmages.
Meanwhile, the Tennessee defense gave up just enough passing yards to the Syracuse offense to keep things interesting for a little while.
On the other side, the Vols need to get that pass rush going. Georgia has yet to allow a sack.
Really, is the Georgia ground game okay?
It’s been fine, but averaging just over five yards per carry against Marshall and Austin Peay isn’t okay. And about all of that with the Vol defense giving up passing yards, yeah, a little bit, but there hasn’t been any real danger.
Syracuse tried to run, and it came up with three scores, but the ground game didn’t go anywhere. The pressure will be there to make Georgia prove that the downfield passing game is the real deal, so …
Both quarterbacks have been fantastic so far.
Is Joey Aguilar as good as Nico Iamaleava? No, but he’s been close to flawless for the Vol offense over the first two games.
Is Gunner Stockton as good as Carson Beck? No, but he’s running well and isn’t making any mistakes.
Neither team will run well, and both defenses will dominate. Aguilar will show that he’s just that good in a good third quarter to press the Dawg D, but Stockton will pull it out with one late scoring drive to make it nine in a row.
Georgia 27, Tennessee 23
Line: Georgia -3.5, o/u: 50.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 3
Must See Rating: 5
Consensus Line from BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
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