Georgia Bulldogs hold on for fifth straight win over Tennessee
It wasn’t as close as many predicted (including Vegas), but the Georgia Bulldogs held on for a 35-32 win over the Tennessee Volunteers, and their fifth straight victory in the series.
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We didn’t really learn much from this win. The Bulldogs still have issues defending the pass, other teams still can’t stop Todd Gurley, and Hutson Mason still isn’t Aaron Murray.
This last point is most important.
This was hopefully Mason’s last game without wide receivers Malcolm Mitchell, Justin Scott-Wesley and Jonathon Rumph, so the time for excuses about the holes in his game are coming to a close.
Once again, Mason failed to get the ball deep downfield at all, and threw his first two interceptions of the season in attempts to do so. Mason ended the day going 16 for 25 and 147 yards, with two interceptions and one touchdown. He only averaged 5.9 yards per pass.
But despite Mason’s struggles getting the ball to receivers, Georgia was able to use the ultimate equalizer, Todd Gurley.
The nation’s best running back showed exactly why he’s near the top of the Heisman Trophy discussion, putting up a career high 208 rushing yards on 28 carries, with two touchdown runs including a 51-yard scamper that helped to ice the game. Gurley also added four catches out of the backfield for 30 yards and two kick returns for 47 yards.
It was vintage Georgia football, just pounding time and again until the Tennessee defensive line was just too worn out to stop the Bulldogs running attack.
Gurley helped put the game away when he ran for four yards on 4th down with less than a minute left in the game, giving Georgia the win after a long, physical afternoon.
Sep 27, 2014; Athens, GA, USA; Tennessee Volunteers wide receiver
Marquez North(8) reaches for the ball between Georgia Bulldogs Georgia Bulldogs cornerback
Devin Bowman(37) and safety
Corey Moore(39) during the second half at Sanford Stadium. Georgia defeated Tennessee 35-32. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Unlike last year, Georgia got out of the game with the Vols without any huge devastating injuries. Freshman running back Sony Michel did leave the game early with a shoulder injury, the extent of which is not known yet.
Defensively the Dawgs get a gold star for the front seven who got after the Tennessee quarterbacks all afternoon, and held the Vols to only 117 yards rushing in the game.
It was the defensive line that put the Dawgs on top for good as well, when DE Josh Dawson recovered his second fumble of the game in the Tennessee end zone to put Georgia up 35-25 with just over four minutes left.
The secondary, however, needs to stay after school.
Despite a couple of nice plays, senior cornerback Damian Swann was beaten by the Tennessee receivers all day long, and was exploited constantly. The rest of the secondary wasn’t a lot better, but it seemed like the Vols saw where the weak link was and went after him often.
But a win is a win, and a conference win is especially important right now, with Georgia keeping pace with the other 1-loss teams in the Eastern Division.
Next up, the Bulldogs will welcome the winless Vanderbilt Commodores to Sanford Stadium on Oct. 4, in a game to be televised on the SEC Netowork.