Georgia football and the Tennessee Volunteers are tied 23-23-2 in the overall series. Can the Dawgs make history this Saturday against the Vols? Oh yeah.
It’s hard to imagine that Georgia football’s overall series record against Tennessee sits tied at 23.
Probably harder to imagine that these two programs have only faced off 48 times.
The first meeting was way back on Nov. 11, 1899, when the Vols won 5-0. Four short years later, the Dawgs would get their first win over the Vols on Nov. 7, 1903
If we look at the record since 2000, Georgia leads 13-6 over the Vols. However, Tennessee did break a five-game winning streak over the Dawgs in 2015 when the Vols won 38-31 in Knoxville.
Before 2000, Tennessee held a nine-game winning streak from 1989-1999. The two teams didn’t face off in 1990 or 1991. However, the two began facing off every year in 1992, right before Peyton Manning and company took over in Knoxville.
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According to Georgia’s game notes, the Dawgs are aiming to break the latest tie in the series for the first time since 1981.
Georgia beat Tennessee 44-0 in 1981, and it allowed the Dawgs to go up to 9-8-2. These two didn’t play against until 1988 when the Dawgs won 28-17 to make it 10-8-2.
In 2014, the series tied again at 21-21-2 when Georgia won 35-32 in Athens. Tennessee claimed the series after winning in 2015 and 2016. Then the Dawgs defeated the Vols in 2017, 41-0 and last year’s 38-12 win in Athens.
Since 2000, there have been eight games where a touchdown or less decided it. Some think that the rivalry between two is dead, but at the same time, it’s been a close one since the turn of the century. The Dawgs are also changing the trend of close games to blowouts after they’ve beaten the Vols by a combined 67 points.
Now, Georgia’s got the opportunity to reclaim the series and make it three in a row against the Vols. The Dawgs are also looking to increase its SEC East streak it has as well. Georgia hasn’t lost to an SEC East foe in two years, and the streak is at 14 games.
There have been a few memorable games in the past between these two foes. One of the first games that come to mind is the Hail Mary loss in Kirby Smart’s first season at Georgia. Yeah, the one we don’t like to remember. Since that season, and even at the end of that season, the Dawgs have taken NO prisoners, and that’s how it should be.
Georgia’s outscored division opponents since the streak started 510-183. The Dawgs offense averaged 36.4 points a game while their defense only gave up on average 13.1 points a game.
However, I feel like losing to Tennessee and Vanderbilt that year is what sparked the redemption and the revenge tour. Since those two heartbreaking games, the Dawgs haven’t let an SEC East opponent have the advantage.
So Dawg fans can almost thank Tennessee for that L because without it time wouldn’t be the same, I mean Butch Jones could still be a coach if Georgia didn’t respond and ‘KirbStomped’ SEC East tail like its done since the 2016 Kentucky game.
I mean I know it’s hard to thank anyone for a loss as terrible as the one in 2016. Yeah, we shouldn’t thank Tennessee for that loss. I’m just thankful that Georgia went on the tangent as it did after losing to both Tennessee schools.
Now it’s 2019, and the Dawgs already defeated Vanderbilt in the opening week, and are looking to make history in a few ways against Tennessee.
Georgia football won’t have a problem on Saturday against the Vols, and like history notes, the Dawgs are looking to take the series and increase its streak to 15 against SEC East opponents. However, instead of it being close, the Dawgs will continue to run away with the East and take no prisoners.