Georgia football: 10 quick takeaways from the Dawgs 10th victory

Georgia football has beat an opponent by at least 17 points for the ninth straight week as the Dawgs beat Tennessee 41-17 on Saturday.

The Vols challenged the Dawgs a bit, but it wasn’t enough to make Georgia nervous. At no point during this game did the thought that Tennessee would win this thing cross my mind. Georgia was dealing with the stomach flu and losing some key players, so it was understandable why it took them a little bit to get some momentum.

Tennessee has an explosive offense, and the Dawgs knew that coming into this game, so their mindset was more about limiting those big plays and shutting down the Vols on the ground.

Give Josh Heupel credit because this Tennessee team looks like a completely different team than it did during their Week 2 loss to Pitt. He has his guys buying into his culture and what he wants to do with that program, and that is what Tennessee needs.

Since Kirby Smart got to Athens, the Dawgs have beaten their third Tennessee coach in five years as Butch Jones was the last to defeat the Dawgs in 2016. Hopefully, the university will give Heupel the time to do what he needs to because he did a stand-up job against the Dawgs.

Georgia football got win No.10 Saturday night. Here are 10 takeaways that led to their success

Tennessee stood tough throughout the game, but once the Dawgs got into a rhythm, they were able to stop the Vols and gave their offense plenty of opportunities to put together drives and score.

However, the Vols ran into a much better team tonight — one that is on a mission to win their first national title in 41 years. Georgia did their job on Saturday night as they could march down the field when they needed to and put up 41 points. That 41-number showing up tonight when the Dawgs needed to make a statement is kind of eerie but seems to be a good sign.

Georgia is one of three undefeated teams remaining, and after the way they handled Tennessee on Saturday night, they are the undisputed No.1 team in the country. Their goals remain intact, and this win proves they have what it takes to go all the way. The last two times a Georgia team went 10-0 — 1980 and 1942, so it’s a good sign.

Here are 10 in-depth takeaways from the Dawgs 10th historic victory on the season.

10. James Cook emerges as the No.1 running back for Georgia football

James Cook put on a show against the Tennessee Volunteers as he finished with 147 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns.

Tennessee didn’t know what to do with Cook, and no matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t stop him. The senior recorded 10 carries for 104 yards and two rush scores. He averaged 10.4 yards a carry and wasn’t just going to shine toting the rock. Cook also had three catches for 43 yards, including a 23-yard touchdown catch.

Cook was a big reason the Dawgs gained all the momentum because no one could stop him. His vision is immaculate as he sees holes developing and knows which way to take the run. Not to mention the patience he has while the offensive line creates these lanes is even more impressive.

This performance puts him as the best running back in the room right now because of how smart he ran with the ball in his hands. Cook was the reason the rest of the Dawgs rush attack got going as the others struggled to gain momentum going against the Vols.

He is also another weapon for starting quarterback Stetson Bennett to use through the air, too, so he is emerging as a complete-back.

His performance could have potentially just made him a lot of money in terms of draft status.

Without Cook on Saturday, this ballgame could have gotten ugly for the Dawgs as he carried the momentum in the first half.

He also seemed to get more and more comfortable as the game continued, making him even more deadly. Cook could be peaking at the right moment and give the Dawgs a running back who can gain yards even if the offensive line is getting beat.

9. Georgia football doesn’t skip a beat with their pass rush

Georgia football hasn’t had Adam Anderson in the past two games because of some legal issues he is dealing with, but his absence hasn’t mattered.

The Dawgs have a linebacker trio in Channing Tindall, Nakobe Dean, and Quay Walker that took care of business against the Vols and did a fantastic job.

Tindall earned his slide in this article, but Dean led the Dawgs with 11 total tackles, one sack, two tackles for loss, one forced fumble, and one pass breakup on Saturday.

He led the defense like a war veteran who has been there a thousand times, and Dean seemed to be in on every play. If something was happening, Dean was right in the middle of it, trying to help.

Walker had six tackles, all solo takedowns on Saturday, and this young man took this game personally. We all know he chunked the Tennessee hat when he made his college announcement, so to see him shine against Tennessee pulls at your heartstrings a bit.

Walker had a tackle for loss, one breakup, and one quarterback hurry on top of his six tackles. He and Dean flew all over the field and punished Tennessee players when they tried to make something positive happen.

Then there was Jordan Davis, Devonte Wyatt, Tramal Walthour, and the other guys on the front seven did a great job putting pressure on the quarterback and rattling him. Hendon Hooker had two interceptions all season before the Dawgs forced him to throw his third on Saturday.

This group didn’t care if they got held by Tennessee’s offensive line or not, and they ​gave each play a 150% — even if they were sick because they knew by winning this game it would be a historic moment.

Georgia found a lot of success with its pass rush, and while losing Anderson sucks, other playmakers on this squad are willing to work hard to be there and play their hearts out to be an asset.

8. Georgia’s biggest question remains the offensive line

Georgia football doesn’t have many weaknesses or questions surrounding its team, but there is one that stands out, and that is the offensive line.

The Dawgs lost Tate Ratledge earlier this season, and most recently, Jamaree Salyer went down with an ankle injury. So Georgia is trying to figure out its offensive line and who plays best where.

For the last two weeks, the Dawgs have struggled to get a push up front, and while it seems silly to complain about them when Georgia rushed for almost 300 yards, it is the area that presents the most concern.

The offensive line found more success as the game went on, but that won’t work against a better defense like Alabama. The Dawgs need to play around with different offensive line scenarios and find the best one to get used to playing with each other.

However, at the beginning of this Tennessee game, the Vols could slow down the run, and it became extremely frustrating.

Warren Erickson went out due to being one of the players affected by the stomach flu, and once they put Xavier Truss in, things started flowing a bit better. Erickson is an excellent asset on the offensive line, so hopefully, once he feels better, he will be a bigger help.

It’s past time to figure out how to be better as an offensive line, and it’s time for Matt Luke to figure that out. Georgia wore down Tennessee, and that is great. The Dawgs need better offensive line production.

7. Dawgs defense records 29 havoc plays

We all know Georgia football loves finding ways to commit explosive plays on defense, whether a turnover, sack, or even a pass breakup — these stats are things Georgia loves to wreak havoc on opposing teams.

Against the Vols, Georgia tallied 29 havoc plays as the Dawgs recorded six sacks, nine tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, one recovery, six pass breakups and three quarterback hurries.

These 29 havoc plays are precisely why this defense is so fun to watch because it isn’t just one player making it all happen, but a whole defense that wants to do whatever it takes to do these things.

Those six pass breakups were massive for this game as the Dawgs gave up too many passing yards. However, the defenders let the wideouts know they were there and were not afraid to get aggressive. This stat also tells us that the Dawgs were paying attention to Hendon Hooker and the guys he targeted so that they could make the play.

Georgia was giving Tennessee everything they could handle. Seeing this team get six sacks and the other havoc plays tells us this group is elite, and even if they’re sick, they can still be a dominant force which makes offenses quiver when they plow towards him.

The Dawgs thrive off making these kinds of plays, and so far, they are doing a good job making them happen.

6. Georgia football finds success on 1st and 2nd downs

Much like last week against the Missouri Tigers, Georgia football didn’t need to convert a ton of third downs to keep drives going.

Georgia finished the game with 26 total first downs against the Vols, with 14 coming on rush plays and 12 on passes.

The Dawgs converted 21 of their first downs on the first or second down. However, they converted the most on second down as Georgia earned 12 first downs.

Georgia didn’t need to convert on third down to put up points, but the Dawgs did go 5-of-12 on third-down conversions, so thankfully, they didn’t need that down often.

We saw a similar trend against Missouri last week, and Georgia’s ability to convert on these first two downs tells us they are explosive and game-changing too. The numbers may not always agree with that statement, but if it works, move the chains on second down because there is no rule that you have to convert on third down every time.

Georgia called the right plays, which made the offense get in a groove that fit their style. Kudos to Todd Monken because while it started a bit bland, Georgia was able to do whatever they wanted by the end of the game, and it paid off for them.

5. Dawgs defense allows 17 points, but it doesn’t matter

Who cares if Georgia football gave up 17 points to Tennessee? No one should because this defense did its job, and it was bound to happen this season. Does it make the Dawgs any less elite? No, Georgia had players sick with the stomach flu, and they were still playing their tails off because they wanted to beat Tennessee.

The only number that matters after this win, in the big picture of things, is 10-0 and became one of the three remaining undefeated teams in college football.

Tennessee has a well-coached team, and Josh Heupel knows how to call an offense. Georgia still kept the Vols out enough. To beat them by 24 points is impressive and what Georgia needed to prove to the world no matter the offense. If they can rattle them enough, it’ll give Georgia’s offense enough time to score.

This year, Georgia has given up 76 points, which is the second-fewest allowed in school history behind the 1950 squad, which allowed 58.

The Dawgs average 7.6 points a game, and that is elite. Georgia could still have a better scoring defense than the 2011 Alabama squad, and it’s going to be interesting to see how close they get to achieving that.

Tennessee did what others couldn’t, which should say more about their offense than the defense’s inability. Plus, a few questionable calls from the officials allowed them to score late, so it’s honestly nothing to fret over or care about because they are still the best in the country.

4. Stetson Bennett did his job

Stetson Bennett is the starting quarterback for Georgia football, and while some people don’t think he is the right guy, his performance on Saturday proved why he is.

Bennett did his job against the Vols and led the offense that put up 41 points. He not only used his passing ability but found success running the ball as well.

He completed 17-of-29 passes for 213 yards and one score, completing 58.6% of his passes. On the ground, Bennett had eight carries for 40 yards and one touchdown. He averaged five yards a touch, and that rushing score was his first career at Georgia.

Half of his runs were for first down yardages on Saturday, which should tell you what kind of quarterback Bennett is. He did whatever it took to get the yardage and keep things moving.

Bennett’s ability to tuck it and run is a massive asset for the Dawgs, and seeing him get his number called to run it in the endzone himself was fantastic to see. It’s not every day you see a Georgia quarterback rush for a touchdown, so when it happens, someone must brag about it.

He didn’t need to be perfect to win this ballgame, instead, Bennett needed to make enough plays to allow the running backs to do their thing, and he did. Bennett can win a national title for the Dawgs, and Saturday proved he is the right game manager to do so, and the best thing is JT Daniels is right there next to him, helping him along the way.

3. Georgia football smothers Tennessee’s rush attack… again

For the fifth straight meeting between Georgia football and Tennesse, the Dawgs held the Vols to under 100 rushing yards.

Toward the middle of the first half, it seemed like Tennessee would get in the triple-digit rushing yards, but the defense didn’t let that happen. Georgia held the Vols to 55 yards on 36 rush attempts.

Tennessee averaged 1.5 yards a rush, which is terrible. The Dawgs smothered the Vols on the ground and made them quit.

They couldn’t get any momentum from the ground game to complement their pass attack, so when Georgia made stops through the air, Tennessee really had nothing.

Jabari Small led the way for Tennessee as he recorded 12 carries for 49 yards. Hendon Hooker toted the rock 17 times for 7 yards because he lost 51 of his 58 yards after getting sacked six times.

Jordan Davis, Devonte Wyatt and the other members of the front seven did an excellent job at preventing Small or anyone else from getting many yards, and it proved to be a key stat.

Whoever had more success on the ground would win this matchup, and Tennessee couldn’t run the ball if the defense allowed them to. Georgia knew they had to take away the ground game to make the Vols one-dimensional.

Georgia shut down a team that averaged 217 yards on the ground and dared them to try and run it.

The Dawgs barely allowed this explosive Tennessee team to gain 1.5 yards a rush, and if that isn’t dominating, I’m not sure what is. Georgia is tough up front, and Tennessee just became victim No.10.

2. Channing Tindall is a bad bad man

Channing Tindall stepped up in a big way on Saturday for the Dawgs as he led the team with three sacks.

After losing Adam Anderson, Georgia needed the other linebackers to step up and fill the void. So far, the Dawgs have done that and haven’t missed a beat. Against the Vols, Tindall recorded eight tackles, three sacks, three tackles for loss, one forced fumble, and one quarterback hurry.

All three of his sacks came in the second half of the game when the Dawgs needed a stop, and Tindall gave it to them. He is another guy on Georgia’s team who likely increased their draft stock on Saturday.

Tindall was so explosive, and Tennessee’s offensive line couldn’t contain him. He is part of a linebacker group that made a statement on Saturday as they were responsible for a good chunk of the defense’s success.

Georgia needed to get in the quarterback’s head, and Tindall did it at will. Regardless if it were Hendon Hooker or Joe Milton, if they saw 41 coming their way, it rattled them.

He was a force for the Dawgs, and it’s only polite to call him a bad man because we mean that in the best way possible. Tindall is so talented, and he blossomed on Saturday against the Vols. This performance is the second time he recorded multiple sacks against the Vols, so he enjoys provoking some pain against this SEC East foe.

1. Georgia football is 10-0 for the first time since 1982

Georgia football has done something it hasn’t accomplished in 40 years, so it may take some time to sink in and accept.

The Dawgs are 10-0 for the first time since 1982, and while that seems farfetched — it’s true, so this victory over Tennessee was historical. They also went 8-0 for the first time in conference play since the SEC split into divisions in 1992.

Georgia started the 1980 and 1942 seasons 10-0 as well, and we all know how those years finished, so this feat is an important one for the Dawgs.

There have been a few humps Georgia has had to get over this year, including being No.1 this late in the season and remaining undefeated, so it feels good to be a Dawg fan right now.

Since head coach Kirby Smart took the job, he has led this team to some incredible moments, and right now, they are on a journey that could top all the previous memories. He has gone 27-2 against the SEC East since 2017, and this year marks the third time Georgia has gone 6-0 over SEC East opponents.

It’s time to celebrate Georgia fans, at least until Monday, when the Charleston Southern week begins because, as history, shows us when the Dawgs achieve this, more often than not, they go all the way and win.

Georgia has the best team in college football. Even when they got punched early in the game against Tennessee, they took a deep breath, kept pushing, and eventually ran away with another blowout win. Enjoy this feeling, Dawg fans, because it’s only going to get better as the regular-season closes and the real football begins.

Georgia football has two games remaining in the regular season as the Dawgs eye a perfect 12-0 record before the offseason begins. The Dawgs handled themselves again on Saturday and produced a quality victory over a scrappy Tennessee team. Now that the Dawgs made history, it’s time to buckle down and focus because the goal is within reach.