Georgia football gave Tennessee a rude awakening on Saturday evening, and the Dawgs reminded everyone who runs the SEC East as they won 27-13. The Dawgs showed the country who the real No.1 team is and that they are dominant on both sides of the ball.
From the moment it started until it ended, the Dawgs had a stranglehold on the Vols. Even giving up 13 points to the Vols, it took most of the game for Tennessee to get into the endzone. The winner of this game was Georgia’s fans and this defense. Georgia’s offense did its job, but that defense and fanbase showed up massively.
To force eight false starts is absolutely incredible, and that is on the Dawg fans for being the best in the country. They might have even broken the record for the loudest college football stadium in tonight’s game.
If it didn’t start raining, this game would have likely gotten even uglier than it was, but we won’t speculate. The Dawgs won by two touchdowns covering the 8.5-point spread. Anyone who roots for this football program should be proud of this performance because it was a statement.
Georgia football delivered a humbling beatdown to the Tennessee Volunteers.
Starting quarterback Stetson Bennett was the better quarterback in this game. He made his throws when he needed to, while Hendon Hooker overthrew his guys. We’re not discrediting Hooker because he is the best quarterback in the SEC, but tonight, it was Bennett and the Dawgs that got the job done.
Bennett went 17-of-25 for 257 yards and two touchdowns, completing 68% of his passes. He also had one 13-yard run for one score. He connected with Ladd McConkey for a 37-yard touchdown and Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint for a 5-yard score.
This offense was the more volatile as they tallied eight explosive plays against the Vols. Bennett connected with Arian Smith for a 52-yard pass, a 37-yard to McConkey, a 49-yard pass to Kenny McIntosh, and an 18 and 23-yarder to McConkey. It was a dominant performance from the Mailman, and it came at the right time.
The Dawgs recorded 37 rushes for 130 yards and one score on the ground. It wasn’t the best rush performance, as they averaged 3.5 yards a rush, but it didn’t matter. This attack milked the clock, and that’s what the Dawgs needed. McIntosh led the way with 10 carries for 56 yards, and Daijun Edwards recorded 16 carries for 46 yards.
McConkey led the receivers with five catches for 94 yards and one score.
However, this game is all about the defense and what they were able to do against the best offense in the SEC. This unit recorded six sacks and eight tackles for loss. They recorded two forced fumbles and an interception.
Kelee Ringo’s interception was a huge moment in the game that came when Georgia needed it to avoid giving up too much momentum. Malaki Starks led the way with 10 tackles. Javon Bullard had seven tackles, two sacks and two tackles for loss.
Ringo tied him with seven tackles — six of them were solo ones. He did a great job presenting any disasters — the entire secondary did. To hold Hooker to 195 passing yards and pick him off is a huge accomplishment.
Jalen Carter and that front seven did their job so well tonight. He was a force and proved why he will likely go No.1 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Georgia fans should be proud of this team. The Dawgs sent a message and showed that they’re the real deal. This team is special and has the heart of a lion. No one gave them a chance to beat Tennessee today, and instead, they took the Vols to the woodshed and beat them by 14 points. It’s a good night to be a Georgia Bulldog, and this win proves the Dawgs have what it takes to make a deep run.